The Mind Body Connection

"…Vitality isn’t just about our bodies. It’s about our minds. Why is that? Because, in truth, there is no distinction. Your mind and body serve as seamless feedback mechanisms, chemically and electrically. They are so hopelessly intertwined that it’s silly to speak of them as separate. The state of your body—its health, strength, disease, ability, or disability—has a profound effect on your mind. If your body is in pain, so is your brain. We get that. Less intuitive, though, is that if your mind is in pain, so is your body. Depression, anxiety, sadness, stress, and heartbreak all create real, measurable physical symptoms in our bodies, ranging from pain to inflammation and disease. By the same token, joy, love, belonging, meaning, peace, and ease create a cascade of positive effects that we feel equally," says author Jonathan Fields in How to Live a Good Life: Powerful Stories, Surprising Science and Practical Wisdom.

"In a world where awareness and intention long ago lost the battle to mindless surrender, we're not even the exception... For years, if not decades, we've been living with an undiagnosed condition, Reactive Life Syndrome. Living each day not by choice, but by default. Doing what we can simply to keep up and tread water. It's not about getting ahead, but rather about desperately trying not to fall too far behind. And in the end, it's a losing proposition. The great news is that it's not too late. There is an antidote."

What can you do for yourself to tune in to your mind and body?

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