Ed remembers having an upset stomach when he was a child and his grandmother asking him if he was having a problem at school. What she knew instinctively we are at last beginning to prove scientifically: that there is an intimate and dynamic relationship between what is going on with our feelings and thoughts, and what happens in the body. A TIME magazine special showed that happiness, hopefulness, optimism and contentment "appear to reduce the risk or limit the severity of cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, diabetes, hypertension, colds and upper-respiratory infections," while "depression -- the extreme opposite of happiness -- can worsen heart disease, diabetes and a host of other illnesses."
In Woody Allen's movie "Manhattan," Diane Keaton is breaking up with Woody and wants to know why he isn't angry. "I don't get angry," Allen replies, "I grow a tumor instead."
However, Deb recently had a burst appendix, and she is immensely grateful for the medical intervention that saved her life. So we know that illness is very real, that accidents happen, and how medicine can help. We aren't trying to convince anyone that the sole reason for illness is in our mind. Nor are we saying that by understanding how the mind and body work together that we'll be able to miraculously cure ourselves.
What we believe is that the role of the mind and emotions in our state of health is a vital one and that by understanding this relationship we can claim a greater role in our own well-being. It is only a part of the overall picture, but it is the part that is invariably overlooked.
If we separate an organism into its component parts it can't function. Each piece has a role to play, even if it is a very small role, so if only one part is malfunctioning it will affect the whole. Recently our car broke down. After it was fixed, we were told that it had been just one small wire that had caused the problem, yet the engine could not function properly without it. In the same way, if we ignore the role our feelings and thoughts play we are ignoring one of the most important parts that make up our whole being. And it may be the one that most needs to get fixed.
Generally speaking, we tend to think of our bodies and minds as separate systems and believe they function, for the most part, independently. Yet instinctively we know that is not the whole story. For instance, can you remember the last time you had an interview for a job? Or went on a first date with someone you were really trying to impress? In either case, no doubt you wanted to appear calm and collected but at the same time you were feeling self-conscious and nervous. Can you recall how your body felt? Self-consciousness can tighten your buttock muscles (so you are literally sitting on your tension), you sweat more than usual, may feel slightly nauseated, and you will probably fluff your words, just when you want to appear suave and confident.
In other words, our emotions affect us physically. It might be easy to understand that a scary thought gets our heart beating faster, but it can be harder to realize that loneliness, sadness or depression can also affect us physically, and when it comes to more complex emotions or illnesses few of us consider our emotions to have any relevance.
Understanding the body-mind relationship won't necessarily cure all our physical difficulties, but by learning the language of symptoms and illness we can discover what is being repressed or ignored in our psyche and emotions, and how this is influencing our well-being. From this vantage point we can discover that there is an extraordinarily intimate two-way communication going on between our body and mind that affects both our physical state and our mental and emotional health. Self-reflection and meditation are ways that help us deepen this understanding.
Can you see a link between the mind and the body? Do comment below. You can receive notice of our blogs by checking Become a Fan at the top.
See our award-winning book: BE THE CHANGE, How Meditation Can Transform You and the World, forewords by the Dalai Lama and Robert Thurman, with contributors Jack Kornfield, Jane Fonda, Father Thomas Keating, Marianne Williamson, Ram Dass and many others.
If there is one book you read about meditation Be The Change should be the one. Hear about some of the cool people who are doing it and why you should do it too.
-- Sharon Gannon, Sting's yoga teacher, founder Jivamukti Yoga
Our three meditation CDs: Metta--Loving kindness and Forgiveness; Samadhi-Breath Awareness and Insight; and Yoga Nidra-Inner Conscious Relaxation, are available at: www.EdandDebShapiro.com
Follow Ed and Deb Shapiro on Twitter: www.twitter.com/edanddebshapiro
Marc B. Levin: Does Your Mind Impact Your Health?
Larry Yang: Now More Than Ever We Need Mindfulness
I really enjoy and appreciate your articles as they are supportive and healthy for all of us. http://jerryvestinjuredwarrior.com
It's people like you & comments like yours that make blogging fun & worthwhile!
Treasure yourself,
Ed
always happy when you appear!
In the dharma,
Ed
Meditation & relaxation are good friends to have!
i am struggling not get depressed
nothing and no one can make it ok.
i am so broke, and i have so many animals........
i went shopping yesterday morning, bought 10 bags of purina dog food,
picked up my mail...a months worth of mail,
i had a file folder in the car, my 2010 income tax return..........
all gone now.
i have no car and no money and no job and no hope.
i have hanging on a thread......
why did someone have to steal my car?
i am so sad.......trying not to get depressed.
try to find help in your area -
everyone send loving vibs
Be strong you need all the help you can get!
don't give up!
To cut to the point, I know better than most how my emotions define what my health will look like.
when you are aware - truly aware
you can see deeply-
by the way the chakra system is not physical -
it is whole different understanding in India than here in the USA-
it is not understood properly in the western world
I trained in India in 1968 - been teaching over 42 years!
If you like & want to know more see our website - contact me:
EdandDebShapiro.com
Emotions do not correspond to chakras-
emotion is related to the Swadishtana Chakra or second level -
where did all this misinformation arise from-
sad to say I have not met many prctitioners
who have the least knowledge or understanding-
of what the chakras are!
Jai Guru!
Swami Brahmananda Saraswati (Ed Shapiro)
As I get older I realize that I can only control how I react and feel about life and its ups and downs so I have stopped expecting the ideal outcomes every time which ironically I find have made me much freer and happier.
there is only-
now!
If you look at it in reverse, taking supplements to fix the physical problems (the deficiency of neurotransmitters and vitamins) can also cure the depression and anxiety.
http://www.gethelpfordepression.info/
Science is beginning to prove what the field of psychology has long understood, that connections between our thoughts and what happens in our bodies are all too real.
As I was taught as a child, "Who's the boss of your body? Your mind. Who's the boss of your mind? You."
Or at least that's the theory.
We are talking about true meditation which is pure awareness & is direct knowing
Meditation is awareness of 'Radiant Emptiness'
check our book
BE THE CHANGE
foreword by
Tha Dalai Lama
www.EdandDebShapiro.com
winner of the 2010 GOLD Nautilus Award
I first got into meditating and alternative medicine to try to deal with psoriasis and asthma which came in with me at my birth. I am so grateful for my journey, because it opened me up to many amazing practices and traditions. And because my physical issues were persistent, I went into meditation and energetics deeply.
However, what I came to realize only recently is that many of my health issues, as well as my children's, stem from exposure to harsh chemicals dumped by the U.S. Army on an island in Maryland where my childhood home was located.
So, while I can't undo my mutated DNA and a predisposition to certain physical issues, it IS true that healthy, positive life, thoughts, and foods are helpful. In short, I am aware of the contributions of not only my inner world, but our collectively created outer world, as well.
Your blogs are great!