Mind Body & Soul

Posts Tagged ‘Body’

In many ancient systems of medicine (such as in China) treatment has been made with the view that mind, body and soul are linked together as a whole and should not be seen as isolated from each other.

You can’t treat one area; they are all linked together.Prevention and treatment should be based upon the mind, body and soul and this view is now becoming acknowledged by millions of people worldwide.If you accept this concept you will be healthier, avoid illness and be happier.Overall health and fitness combines physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of our being.

An overall approach to wellness

Mind-body and soul healing focuses on the interactions between the brain, mind, body and the ways in which emotional, mental, social, spiritual and behavioral factors affect us as a whole.It encourages an approach that enhances each person’s self-knowledge and ability to perform self-care.Mind-body and soul medicine typically focuses on intervention strategies that are thought to promote overall health.

These include such areas as:

Relaxation, imagery, meditation, tai chi yoga, Rekki, hypnosis, biofeedback, yoga, qi gong, autogenic training, spirituality and proper nutrition.Illness is viewed as an opportunity for personal growth, transformation and a move to a happier, healthier being.Health care acts as an important part of this transformation.

The History Of Complementary Medicine

In 2002, relaxation techniques, imagery, biofeedback and hypnosis, were used by more than 34% percent of the adult population of the USA.

The concept that the mind is important in the treatment of illness is integral to the healing approaches of traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic treatments dating back thousands of years.In Greece as long ago as 400 BC Hippocrates recognized both the moral and spiritual aspects of healing.This is probably one of the first statements on what we regard today as alternative medicine.

By the 16th century a different direction was being taken that stressed the complete opposite, the separation of mind body and soul, in the treatment of illness.During the periods of Renaissance and Enlightenment, advances in science saw an emphasis on science being the answer to everything.Technological advances in medicine including, the discovery of bacteria and antibiotics changed the notion of belief being able to influence health.In the 1920s, Walter Cannon’s work revealed the relationship between stress and neuroendocrine responses in animals and alternative healing came back into the public eye.

During World War II alternative medicine got another boost in popularity.During the battle on the beaches of Anzio, morphine for wounded soldiers was in short supply which led to an interesting substitute being used.Henry Beecher, M.D., discovered that much of the pain could simply be alleviated by saline injections.

He used the term placebo effect.

His subsequent research showed that up to 35% of a therapeutic response to all medical treatment could be the result of belief.The will to live is often quoted and this comes from the mind not just the body.Our mind has a huge influence on our bodies and this view has gained increasingly in popularity in recent years.The Rise In Complimentary MedicineSince the 1960s, and the rise of the hippy generation and all things alternative, mind-body interactions and there impact on overall health came back into fashion.Today, more people than ever are accepting alternative medicine and there is a rejection that science cures all.People are now seeing and accepting what our ancestor’s cultures saw:

That mind, body and soul are one.

You can feel your blood pressure rising when someone cuts you off in traffic. You lie awake at night thinking about all of the ways a particular co-worker has ruined your chances for a promotion. You cannot forgive your parents for the cruel words that were repeatedly spoken to you as a child. It seems like very little is needed to set off your temper or bring feelings of resentment to the surface. If these sentiments sound familiar, then you are obviously living with a great deal of anger and I imagine that this strong emotion is having a negative impact on your life. While anger certainly is a normal human reaction and completely repressing such honest expression is unhealthy for your mental and physical health, allowing anger to dominate your existence can be even more dangerous.

How can anger translate into physical problems? A study performed at Berkeley found that forty percent of people who experienced a stroke had felt angry or been through an upsetting event within two hours before the life-threatening moment. Another study, this one done at the University of Ohio, discovered that men and women who have trouble controlling their anger take longer to heal from even the most minor of wounds. Research completed at Yale University concluded that anger can trigger potentially deadly heart rhythms. There are countless other examples of ways in which anger manifests itself physically. Teeth clenching, rashes, indigestion, severe headaches and many other maladies all can be triggered by episodes of unchecked anger. I imagine that if you suffer from anger issues, you can add to this list based on your own experiences.

Beyond compromising your physical health, which should never be minimized, chronic or cyclical anger also decreases the quality of your day-to-day life. People who are focused on the problems and pain in their lives cannot open the door to the wonderful alternative of happiness and a peace of mind. Instead of noticing the opportunities for joy, those who live in anger are left needing to find ways that they can numb the painful feelings through drinking, drug use, or overeating. Depression, eating disorders, and insomnia are also common side effects of those who have not found productive ways to deal with their uncontrolled anger. This is no way to be living your life!

Whole Body Vibration exercise is becoming a popular method of training, and for good reason, not only can vibration training work your muscles in a way that conventional training cannot, but also using a vibration machine has numerous proven therapeutic benefits too.

As more and more companies appear on the market each week, most giving conflicting information, it becomes difficult for consumers to know who to believe. In this article I hope to share some basic information backed by evidence as a guide for consumers when purchasing a Whole Body Vibration machine.

The first thing you need to understand before buying a vibration machine, is that there are basically just two types of vibration machines available, pivotal and vertical. A pivotal vibration plate vibrates from a centre axis in a see-saw like action. A vertical vibration plate vibrates straight up and down in a jack hammer like action. Both machines have proven benefits, and there is very little, if any, evidence to suggest one method is better than the other. As a consumer you will find marketers will tell you one method is better than the other, if you find this, ask for evidence and don’t take just their word for it. Personally I prefer pivotal vibration, with vertical vibration I feel there is too much unwanted vibration in the head, however I know others that prefer vertical vibration. I always suggest trying both methods first and see what you prefer. Pivotal platforms are sometimes referred to as oscillating platforms, as vertical platforms are sometimes referred to as lineal platforms.