I have always been fascinated with the connection of the mind and body especially when it comes to health and disease. Haanel refers to the power of the mind and the power of thought to heal the body in week 22 of the Master Key. The reading emphasized abundance and positive thoughts to increase health and reduce disease ; negative thoughts are associated with worse clinical outcomes. The power of thought can influence the body’s ability to heal itself .
How to reduce negative thinking and promote optimal health ?: 1) Write a gratitude list daily ( part of the happiness progression) 2) Focus on your purpose in life (DMP , Desire ) 3) Laugh ( reduces your risk of heart disease) 4)Optimism/ Positive Attitude ( this affects your immune system ) 5) Meditation (to slow the ageing process) and BREATHE !
Many physicians have treated ailments of a functional nature with placebo medications to give a favorable outcome . Mental therapeutics are not routinely taught in medical schools ; however , this should be added in the future . In the book , Cure : A Journey Into the Science of Mind Over Body , Jo Marchant discusses the placebo effect of medications to improve health. There is a true “placebo effect” which creates a measurable biological function in the brain and body . Perception is altered much more than can be explained by circumstances alone. Patients feel better because in their mind they are receiving “a pill ” for their illness. A placebo painkiller , like the real drug , affects the release of endorphins ( chemicals ) in the brain and utilizes the same biochemical pathways for its clinical effects. Placebo use in treatment for medical disease is widespread : Burn victims have reported a 50 % decrease in pain levels. Parkinson’s patients have responded to placebos with the increasing levels of dopamine ( a neurotransmitter released from the brain ) to improve symptoms of movement. People breathing “fake oxygen” have inexplicable reduced levels of prostaglandins measured (chemicals responsible for causing inflammation). There are many factors that affect the clinical effects of drug treatment including social interactions with the health care team , expectations of treatment outcome, psyche , and the diagnosis of the patient . Symptoms associated with the treatment of chronic pain (including depression, anxiety , and bowel dysfunction ) can be reduced with a combination of standard and placebo drugs . It would seem prudent that we should continue to utilize therapies that can influence the mind to treat illnesses.
Treatments from the Far East including Accupuncture , Accupressure , and Biofeedback are utilized today as adjunctive or primary therapy for pain and health. . Neuroplasticity is a field of science that describes the ability of the brain to change and adapt over time . Our brain is a dynamic organ capable of change via reorganization ; it can rewire and form new pathways with learning or training (neurons that wire together , fire together ) . The practice of Mindfulness Meditation refers to the psychological process of raising levels of awareness and training the brain to pay attention and focus. Mindfulness is about learning to direct your attention to what is happening in your present state of mind as it relates to your environment . The training helps to reduce the patients overall perception of pain through acceptance and modulation of the emotional components . In patients suffering with chronic pain , there is less fear with movements and more mental clarity about their problems. The emotions associated with chronic pain ( depression, anxiety , and substance abuse) are also reduced . Meditation practice is linked to an increased density of brain cells in regions that affect cognitive function (attention and sensory processing). Long term meditation creates changes in brain stem function with improved cardio-respiratory control . Functional MRI scans have demonstrated these changes in the brain after only 8 weeks of treatment ;the regions associated with highest levels of function were in the the areas of cognition (important in the process of knowledge) . The bottom line : better emotional regulation, less reactivity to pain , and better performance on tasks and improved intelligence . To reap the benefits , mindfulness meditation needs to be practiced regularly (Practice and repetition (5P) ; benefits are seen after only 10 min a day . A typical week of mindfulness might include the following topics associated with the training . Monday: gratitude , Tuesday : compassion, (decrease pain in others), Wednesday :Acceptance ( accept yourself as you are and appreciate others ), Thursday :Meaning and Purpose ( purpose in life and meaning , Friday : Forgiveness- forgive yourself and others, Saturday : Celebration of joy in your life and in others Sunday :Reflection– reflect on your week through meditation or prayer.
Mindfulness helps you to step outside your body and teach you a different way to deal with stress , pain , anxiety and depression. With practice , you can manage stress with a feeling of happiness and peace . As a member of the master key experience , we are using the laws of the mind , meditation , the power of thought and the silence of repose to improve mental clarity, purpose , and gratitude . There has been a tremendous shift in me utilizing the tools I have learned to date. This is a short video courtesy of the BBC about patient experiences having a positive outcome using Mindfulness Meditation.
Please enjoy some of the readings of my fellow mastermind alliance partners :
https://goldkeyservices.wordpress.com
https://professionalwomanswellness.wordpress.com
https://saskapaca.wordpress.com
https://fireandiceeducation.wordpress.com
https://selfdiscoverytoday.com
https://rkmasterkey.wordpress.com
https://myjourney2balckbeltliving.wordpress.com
https://bibisnugget.blogspot.com
Great read as always Phil thank you 😊❤️
Thank you Gavin . Much appreciated .
Great post, Phil! ♥ Thank you for sharing! The connection of the mind and body is indeed fascinating. All the work we have done at the MKE has helped me tremendously, mentally as well as physically. There’s no doubt that meditation works wonders. Interesting to see on the BBC video clip how it changed the brain in a relatively short time. Keep up the good work, my friend! ♥ Thanks for the link to my blog ♥
Thank you for your support as always . You have always been there and I always look forward to your comments .
Nice overview of the mind-body connection–I liked the graphic showing the 20 research-backed reasons to meditate too! 🙂
Thank you for your thoughts and comments
Awesome job! Timely and relevant! Love the graphics and video- especially love the mind/body/spirit graphic. You’re really putting all this together in a way that’s unique to you. (You’re a unique creation of nature! :))
Thank you for your thoughts . You are also very unique and that’s why I appreciate you so much