I notice that often, what people mean when they say mind-body connection in the context of yoga as a therapeutic exercise, is how our mind, primarily our thoughts, can influence bodily functions and its healing abilities.
Mind-body connection is obvious and present all the time whether you’re aware of it or not. Unlike how it is projected in the mainstream media, it doesn’t take a lifelong yogi to notice the connection.
When you think of your favorite food, your mouth tightens and you may salivate. When you’re worrying and anxious, your heartbeat races. When you’re about to speak to a workshop and a little nervous, your palms may sweat and there’ll be butterflies in your stomach.
These are only a few examples of how our mind (or thoughts) manifest physically.
The problem arises when the physical manifestation of our thoughts becomes too big and gets in the way of our lives. You may experience stress and anxiety so intense that you’re unable to focus on anything. You may be harboring so much anger and resentment that you’re setting up yourself for bleeding ulcers and heart disease.
Pratyahara, or withdrawal of the senses, and meditation practice teaches us that if we learn how to step on the brake pedal of the mind-body connection for a time being, our body relaxes and can heal itself better.
But the connection of the mind and body doesn’t stop there.
The body also influences our thoughts and this is partly the reason why we practice the asanas.
There are three gunas that both ancient yoga and Ayurveda masters use to characterize the modern mental states: tamas (lethargy), rajas (distractibility), and sattva (balance, mindful state).
If you notice in our class we start with an energizing sequence of poses like the Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar) to overcome lethargy for tamasic practitioners. And after this, we slow down with forward folds and longer holds to bring rajasic in a calmer and more balanced state in time for Savasana. Overcoming tamas and rajas can then bring you more peace and calm in the final resting pose.
When we do the asanas to energize then calm our mind, the resulting balance and calm in turn causes beneficial changes in the body, which in turn make space for deeper relaxation. This is where we can see the body-mind-body interconnection.
If you are wondering where to begin, is it the mind or the body?
I would say that what worked for me is to combine asanas, breathing and meditation practice. You can do all of these in as short as 20-30 minute practice depending on what you need for the moment. Layering the practice with both of the body – the asanas, and the mind – breathwork and meditation works wonders in aligning these spaces in your co-creation process.
In essence, yoga is all about union. And the mind and body are a manifestation of the same thing. If we want to move away from separation and become whole, using the vast toolbox of your yoga practice is a great place to start.
Some questions to help you reflect:
How is your mind and the quality of your thoughts affect your body?
What symptoms or physical signals do you notice with different thoughts?
How do these physical and mental energies impact the quality of your life right now?