Have you ever thought about whether what is going on psychologically might directly impact what is going on physically? Words by Gemma Dawkins
Have you got tight Achilles, calves, or hamstrings? If so, is being in control an important aspect for you or are you someone who often holds back emotions and bottles things up?
Maybe you experience digestive issues? If so, is your work causing you to put other people's needs before your own, meaning you're constantly overthinking? Or are you someone who finds it hard to receive and easier to give, resulting in a lot of people-pleasing behaviour?
Our physical body, thoughts and emotions all interact and play a role in our health and wellbeing. According to Mind-Body Medicine, the mind and body are one. The mind does not end in the head; it transcends throughout the body, and they are both interrelated.
In Western medicine, the two are seen as separate from one another. Often when a physical symptom arises in the body, one will focus solely on the physical misalignment and target what needs to be fixed or treated. For example, if someone has a sore knee, we seek support that targets the knee area. However, in Mind-Body Medicine, treating the knee would go far beyond just the knee and the physical side of the injury. A much more holistic approach is taken, which considers what is going on for the individual with regards to their emotional, physical, psychological, and spiritual wellbeing to get to the root of the issue rather than just treat the symptom, i.e. the sore knee.
Mind-Body Medicine is a bridge between Western and Eastern approaches. It uses current science and research in psychology, polyvagal (nervous system) theory and chronic health conditions alongside traditional healing systems such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, five-element theory and the meridian system to offer an integrated approach.
When one takes this approach to health and wellbeing, you start to see that the body is always in direct communication with you.
The foundations of this approach are built on the premise that the body can heal itself, and any misalignment (physical, emotional, psychological, or spiritual) results from a blockage or an imbalance that needs to be resolved. From here, one must get to the symptomology's root cause to bring balance and harmony to all aspects of being rather than focus on one particular level, i.e. physical.
When one takes this approach to health and wellbeing, you start to see that the body is always in direct communication with you. The body's messages in the way of pain, illness or symptomology tell one when things aren't quite right or when one needs to acknowledge that an aspect of wellbeing is out of balance and requires conscious awareness.
This approach means that we play a much more active part in the healing process, which is an empowering position to be in rather than feeling helpless in the unknown of how to fix or cure symptoms or issues we may be experiencing. This also means that one cannot work with the mind if we do not work with the body and vice versa.
For some, this is a real out-of-the-box way of thinking. However, when one dares to delve a little deeper and approach the mind and body this way, you start to see just how little credit society gives the body for its knowledge and wisdom and the information it holds about our experiences.
Interested in this approach or want to explore it further? Gemma is now offering 1-to-1 in person sessions at Kalimukti Studios. To find out more information, follow Gemma on Instagram and Facebook @gld.space or get in contact via email hello@gldspace.com
Comments