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A Healthy Mind Resides in a Healthy Body

Categories: Human Physiology

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Words: 866 |

Published: Sep 16, 2023

Words: 866 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Scientific basis behind the proverb, the personal benefits of holistic health, societal implications of the healthy body-healthy mind nexus, challenges and counterarguments.

World Health Organization. (2010). Global recommendations on physical activity for health. World Health Organization.
Gomez-Pinilla, F. (2008). Brain foods: the effects of nutrients on brain function. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 9(7), 568-578.
Mattson, M. P. (2019). An evolutionary perspective on why food overconsumption impairs cognition. Trends in cognitive sciences, 23(3), 200-212.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2001). On happiness and human potentials: A review of research on hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Annual review of psychology, 52(1), 141-166.

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Essay on Healthy Body

Students are often asked to write an essay on Healthy Body in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Healthy Body

What is a healthy body.

A healthy body is one that is free from diseases and is strong. It is a body that has energy and can do many activities. A healthy body is also one that looks good and feels good. It is important because it helps us live a happy and long life.

Importance of a Balanced Diet

Eating a balanced diet is key to having a healthy body. It means eating different types of food that give us the nutrients we need. These nutrients include proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. They help our bodies work properly.

Physical Activity

Physical activity is another important part of having a healthy body. It helps to make our muscles and bones strong. It also helps us maintain a healthy weight and keeps our heart healthy. Activities like running, swimming, or playing sports are good for our bodies.

Sleep is also important for a healthy body. It helps our bodies rest and recover. It also helps our brains function properly. Getting enough sleep every night is important to stay healthy.

Regular Check-ups

Regular check-ups are also important for a healthy body. They help us find any health problems early, so we can treat them. We should visit our doctor regularly and follow their advice to stay healthy.

250 Words Essay on Healthy Body

A healthy body is one that is free from sickness. It is a body that is fit, strong, and full of energy. A person with a healthy body can do daily tasks easily and is not easily tired.

Importance of a Healthy Body

Having a healthy body is very important. It allows us to do things we enjoy. It also helps us to learn better. When we are healthy, we can focus more on our studies. A healthy body also makes us feel happy and confident.

Ways to Maintain a Healthy Body

There are many ways to keep our body healthy. We should eat good food. This means eating lots of fruits and vegetables. We should also drink plenty of water. Exercise is also very important. It keeps our body strong and fit. We can do simple exercises like walking, running, or playing sports.

Role of Sleep in a Healthy Body

Sleep is also very important for a healthy body. It gives our body time to rest and heal. We should get enough sleep every night. This will help us to stay active and energetic during the day.

In conclusion, having a healthy body is very important. It helps us to live a happy and active life. We should eat healthy food, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep to maintain a healthy body. Remember, a healthy body leads to a healthy mind. So, let’s try to keep our body healthy.

500 Words Essay on Healthy Body

A healthy body means having good health. It is a state where every part of the body functions well without any problem. A healthy body helps us to feel good and look good. It also keeps us away from diseases and makes us strong.

Having a healthy body is very important. It helps us to do our daily tasks with energy and joy. It also helps us to think clearly and make good decisions. A healthy body keeps us active and allows us to enjoy life. It also helps us to live longer.

How to Maintain a Healthy Body

Maintaining a healthy body is not difficult. Here are some simple ways to keep our body healthy:

Eating Healthy Food

Eating healthy food is the first step towards a healthy body. We should eat a balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins. We should avoid junk food as it can harm our body. Drinking plenty of water is also important to keep our body hydrated.

Regular Exercise

Exercise is another important part of maintaining a healthy body. It helps to keep our heart strong and our muscles fit. We should do some form of exercise like walking, running, or playing a sport every day.

Getting Enough Sleep

Sleep is also important for a healthy body. It helps our body to rest and recover. We should aim to get 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night.

Regular check-ups with a doctor can also help to keep our body healthy. They can catch any health problems early and treat them before they become serious.

Benefits of a Healthy Body

There are many benefits of having a healthy body. It can improve our mood and make us feel happy. It can also boost our confidence and self-esteem. A healthy body can also help us to perform better in school or at work.

In conclusion, having a healthy body is very important. It not only helps us to look good and feel good but also keeps us away from diseases. By eating healthy food, doing regular exercise, getting enough sleep, and having regular check-ups, we can maintain a healthy body. So, let’s start today and make a commitment to keep our body healthy.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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Physical Activity Is Good for the Mind and the Body

Health and Well-Being Matter is the monthly blog of the Director of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

Everyone has their own way to “recharge” their sense of well-being — something that makes them feel good physically, emotionally, and spiritually even if they aren’t consciously aware of it. Personally, I know that few things can improve my day as quickly as a walk around the block or even just getting up from my desk and doing some push-ups. A hike through the woods is ideal when I can make it happen. But that’s me. It’s not simply that I enjoy these activities but also that they literally make me feel better and clear my mind.

Mental health and physical health are closely connected. No kidding — what’s good for the body is often good for the mind. Knowing what you can do physically that has this effect for you will change your day and your life.

Physical activity has many well-established mental health benefits. These are published in the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and include improved brain health and cognitive function (the ability to think, if you will), a reduced risk of anxiety and depression, and improved sleep and overall quality of life. Although not a cure-all, increasing physical activity directly contributes to improved mental health and better overall health and well-being.

Learning how to routinely manage stress and getting screened for depression are simply good prevention practices. Awareness is especially critical at this time of year when disruptions to healthy habits and choices can be more likely and more jarring. Shorter days and colder temperatures have a way of interrupting routines — as do the holidays, with both their joys and their stresses. When the plentiful sunshine and clear skies of temperate months give way to unpredictable weather, less daylight, and festive gatherings, it may happen unconsciously or seem natural to be distracted from being as physically active. However, that tendency is precisely why it’s so important that we are ever more mindful of our physical and emotional health — and how we can maintain both — during this time of year.

Roughly half of all people in the United States will be diagnosed with a mental health disorder at some point in their lifetime, with anxiety and anxiety disorders being the most common. Major depression, another of the most common mental health disorders, is also a leading cause of disability for middle-aged adults. Compounding all of this, mental health disorders like depression and anxiety can affect people’s ability to take part in health-promoting behaviors, including physical activity. In addition, physical health problems can contribute to mental health problems and make it harder for people to get treatment for mental health disorders.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the need to take care of our physical and emotional health to light even more so these past 2 years. Recently, the U.S. Surgeon General highlighted how the pandemic has exacerbated the mental health crisis in youth .

The good news is that even small amounts of physical activity can immediately reduce symptoms of anxiety in adults and older adults. Depression has also shown to be responsive to physical activity. Research suggests that increased physical activity, of any kind, can improve depression symptoms experienced by people across the lifespan. Engaging in regular physical activity has also been shown to reduce the risk of developing depression in children and adults.

Though the seasons and our life circumstances may change, our basic needs do not. Just as we shift from shorts to coats or fresh summer fruits and vegetables to heartier fall food choices, so too must we shift our seasonal approach to how we stay physically active. Some of that is simply adapting to conditions: bundling up for a walk, wearing the appropriate shoes, or playing in the snow with the kids instead of playing soccer in the grass.

Sometimes there’s a bit more creativity involved. Often this means finding ways to simplify activity or make it more accessible. For example, it may not be possible to get to the gym or even take a walk due to weather or any number of reasons. In those instances, other options include adding new types of movement — such as impromptu dance parties at home — or doing a few household chores (yes, it all counts as physical activity).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I built a makeshift gym in my garage as an alternative to driving back and forth to the gym several miles from home. That has not only saved me time and money but also afforded me the opportunity to get 15 to 45 minutes of muscle-strengthening physical activity in at odd times of the day.

For more ideas on how to get active — on any day — or for help finding the motivation to get started, check out this Move Your Way® video .

The point to remember is that no matter the approach, the Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (anything that gets your heart beating faster) each week and at least 2 days per week of muscle-strengthening activity (anything that makes your muscles work harder than usual). Youth need 60 minutes or more of physical activity each day. Preschool-aged children ages 3 to 5 years need to be active throughout the day — with adult caregivers encouraging active play — to enhance growth and development. Striving toward these goals and then continuing to get physical activity, in some shape or form, contributes to better health outcomes both immediately and over the long term.

For youth, sports offer additional avenues to more physical activity and improved mental health. Youth who participate in sports may enjoy psychosocial health benefits beyond the benefits they gain from other forms of leisure-time physical activity. Psychological health benefits include higher levels of perceived competence, confidence, and self-esteem — not to mention the benefits of team building, leadership, and resilience, which are important skills to apply on the field and throughout life. Research has also shown that youth sports participants have a reduced risk of suicide and suicidal thoughts and tendencies. Additionally, team sports participation during adolescence may lead to better mental health outcomes in adulthood (e.g., less anxiety and depression) for people exposed to adverse childhood experiences. In addition to the physical and mental health benefits, sports can be just plain fun.

Physical activity’s implications for significant positive effects on mental health and social well-being are enormous, impacting every facet of life. In fact, because of this national imperative, the presidential executive order that re-established the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition explicitly seeks to “expand national awareness of the importance of mental health as it pertains to physical fitness and nutrition.” While physical activity is not a substitute for mental health treatment when needed and it’s not the answer to certain mental health challenges, it does play a significant role in our emotional and cognitive well-being.

No matter how we choose to be active during the holiday season — or any season — every effort to move counts toward achieving recommended physical activity goals and will have positive impacts on both the mind and the body. Along with preventing diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and the additional risks associated with these comorbidities, physical activity’s positive effect on mental health is yet another important reason to be active and Move Your Way .

As for me… I think it’s time for a walk. Happy and healthy holidays, everyone!

Yours in health, Paul

Paul Reed, MD Rear Admiral, U.S. Public Health Service Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Director, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.

Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by ODPHP or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.

You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link.

A Strong Mind-Body Connection Is the Secret to Enhancing Your Workouts. Here’s How To Tap Into It

It’s a concept that’s hard to grasp, especially for folks just dipping their toes into a new movement practice. But a mind-body, aka mind-muscle, connection is a real phenomenon, and tapping into it as you train can enhance your performance and help you move safely. Here’s what to know.

01 Definition
02 Benefits
03 How To Tap Into It
04 Who It's For
05 Misconceptions
Khetanya Henderson, CPT , a certified personal trainer, 600-hour comprehensive Pilates instructor, and 200-hour yoga teacher
Michael Rosengart, CPT, CES, CSCS , a certified corrective exercise and strength and conditioning specialist

The mind-body connection, explained

Though it sounds abstract, the mind-body connection is part of a biological process called neuromuscular coordination, or how your nervous system and muscles work together for motor behavior, says Michael Rosengart, CPT, CES, CSCS , a certified corrective exercise and strength and conditioning specialist. Specifically, the mind-muscle connection is involved in neural circuits that activate specific muscles, he explains.

Sometimes, due to lifestyle factors, the connections between nerve branches (which send electric impulses from your brain or spinal cord) and muscles can deteriorate. It then becomes more challenging to activate certain muscles.

But with consistent use, these connections can strengthen over time, Rosengart says. To restore the inhibited or fortify the well-functioning neural circuits, you’ll need to tap into another key component of the mind-body connection: an internal attentional focus.

When you’re performing, say, a warrior III pose in your yoga class, a barbell back squat in the weight room, or going for a jog through the park, you’re either thinking about how your movement is affecting the environment around you or how your body is actually creating the movement. This is called an external or internal attentional focus, respectively. And the latter is where the concept of mind-body connection comes into play.

Specifically, an internal attentional focus involves visualizing the desired target muscle and “consciously directing neural drive” to that muscle during physical activity, per a 2016 article published in the Strength and Conditioning Journal . While you power through that squat, for instance, you might focus on squeezing your glutes as you rise out of the hole, which helps you more fully activate the muscle group, according to the authors. That’s the mind-body connection at work.

“[Internal attentional focus] is a common aspect of corrective exercise strategies, as many people lose strength in the connection to several muscles, such as the abs, glutes, and rotator cuff muscles,” Rosengart says. “Over time, with practice, the mind-muscle connection can become robust and automatic.”

The benefits of a strong mind-body connection

Your body is always looking for ways to become more efficient and complete any action—whether that’s doing a deadlift or swinging a baseball bat—in a way that’s less metabolically costly, Rosengart says. Particularly if you’re unfamiliar with a movement, your body might think, “I need to lift this weight 12 to 15 times. It just has to go up and down.” It doesn’t care if the way you’re moving to finish that task is safe or suitable for your goals.

Without a strong mind-muscle connection—in other words, you’re not paying attention to how your body is moving to perform a particular action—you unknowingly may tweak your technique in a way that saves you metabolic energy but also up your risk of aches, pains, and injury, Rosengart explains.

“Talking about the mind-muscle connection is a way that I can help clients understand the amount of cognitive effort that’s needed for motor learning so when they're performing an exercise and they're trying to maintain good form, they can understand that it takes this cognitive effort,” he says.

It might take at least 1,000 reps for your body to learn a movement and 10,000 reps for it to become automatic, Rosengart adds. Fostering mind-body connection in this time is a key component to perfecting technique and consequently keeping injury at bay.

Safety aside, developing and tapping into your mind-body connection may help you better target specific muscles, if that’s your goal. A small 2016 study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology on resistance-trained individuals found that when participants focused on the triceps or the pectoralis major during a bench press (using loads up to 60 percent of their one-rep max), activity increased in those specific muscles.

In a similar 2019 study in the European Journal of Translational Myology 3 also focusing on the bench press, triceps activity was higher when participants were verbally instructed to isolate the muscle group compared to when they were told to focus on the chest muscles or received no instructions at all.

“By consciously focusing on the muscles being worked, individuals can reform and strengthen the neural circuits, leading to better muscle activation and growth,” Rosengart says.

You might see greater gains by utilizing your mind-body connection, too. In a 2018 study in the European Journal of Sports Science 4 , untrained participants who focused on contracting the target muscle (an internal attentional focus) during three weekly sessions of barbell curls for eight weeks increased elbow flexor thickness significantly more than participants who focused on the outcome of the lift (an external attentional focus).

According to the authors, the results support the use of mind-muscle connection to boost muscle hypertrophy. That said, changes in quadriceps thickness after consistently using the leg extension machine were also measured, and the internal attentional focus didn’t seem to affect hypertrophy—potentially because it can be difficult for beginners to establish mind-muscle connection with the thigh muscles, the authors note.

What’s more, developing a mind-muscle connection in the gym may translate into improved sports performance. Imagine you’re playing a tennis match. When you quickly step out to the side to smash the ball with a backhand, your body probably won’t instinctively take a step and bend at your ankle, knee, and hip—flexion in three joints—in order to effectively load your hip and powerfully complete that movement, Rosengart says. Instead, it’s going to move in a more efficient way, such as by lunging to the side at your spine, which puts it in a compromised position, he says. Not to mention, it’s not going to give you the best swing, he adds.

To reduce the odds of that less-than-ideal movement pattern, Rosengart might have you practice lateral lunges with an added upper-body reach to establish a mind-muscle connection for the court.

“I want [people] to build the mental associations through schemas, or mind maps, of how that movement pattern of the lateral lunge is applicable to their sport,” he explains. “If they're making that association during the workout, when they're on the court, it's going to be more available. If they never make that association—if I never tell them about it and then they're not also mentally thinking about it during the exercise—it certainly won't be available to them on the court.”

Without a strong mind-muscle connection—in other words, you’re not paying attention to how your body is moving to perform a particular action—you unknowingly may tweak your technique in a way that saves you metabolic energy but also up your risk of aches, pains, and injury.

How to strengthen and tap into your mind-body connection

Developing a mind-body connection starts with the breath. Rather than thoughtlessly breathing, allowing your body’s automatic processes to take over, Rosengart recommends practicing diaphragmatic breathing :

Inhale through your nose into your stomach, rather than your chest, and visualize your belly filling up with air, like a balloon.
Then, sigh all the air out through your mouth.
Rosengart suggests the physiological sigh, consisting of two diaphragmatic inhales followed by a sigh.

“That really helps to deflate tension from our body,” he explains. “So if people can do that, they could really start to feel different physiological states, which then helps to explore the body more often.”

Ahead of your yoga practice, Pilates session, or pickleball match, take the time to complete a body scan, suggests Khetanya Henderson, CPT , a certified personal trainer, 600-hour comprehensive Pilates instructor, and 200-hour yoga teacher. Lying down or seated, close your eyes and check in with every part of your body, from head to toe. How do your shoulders feel? Do you have tension or soreness in any muscles? Do any of your joints feel achy?

“That is a way of connecting your mind and body at the very top of class,” Henderson says. “Just by checking in with yourself, you’re able to jump [in]...If I feel like I’m tired, exhausted, or stressed, then there might be some things we need to focus on a little bit more or concentrate a little bit [more on] our form so that we're able to support ourselves when we get to those challenging moments in class or in our private session.”

It’s also beneficial to incorporate muscle activation exercises into your warm-up, Rosengart says. Before a day of heavy lifting, for instance, you might practice single-leg hip bridges with a foam roller or yoga block underneath your tailbone, attempting to lift your backside completely off the prop.

“You really have to activate specific deep muscle fibers in your glutes in order to facilitate the end range of hip extension,” he explains. “As we do that exercise, I will also let my clients know that it's okay if you don't come off the roller as long as you're trying. We basically use that as a litmus test; you've activated your glutes well enough if you could just come in, get onto this roller, and do a bridge off [it]. You've really made that mind-muscle connection to your glutes.”

Once you’ve established that connection upfront, you’ll know how it feels and be more likely to tap into it during your upcoming squats and deadlifts.

During the workout itself, turn your attention inward, concentrating on the muscles you’re hoping to stretch or strengthen. It’s also beneficial to check in with various parts of your body (Are your shoulders rolled down and back during this deadlift? Is your butt popping up toward the ceiling in this plank?) to ensure proper form, Henderson says.

After a set, tune into the targeted muscles—are they burnt out and in need of a lighter weight, or can they handle something more challenging? Asking yourself these questions throughout your workout will help strengthen your mind-body connection.

Also important: tuning into your breath, Henderson says. Make sure you aren’t holding it as you power through the hundred in Pilates or sink deeper into your forward fold.

Who should work on mind-body connection?

Regardless of preferred movement method or experience level, everyone can benefit from working on their mind-muscle connection, Rosengart says. That said, some folks may want to prioritize it more heavily.

People who spend a lot of time sitting generally end up using the back of a chair to keep themselves upright and their internal organs as a “pillow”—which is much more energy-efficient for your body than activating the postural muscles throughout your posterior chain and core, Rosengart says.

“The body just says, ‘Oh, I can be in this position and I can do less,’ especially if my brain is really focused on something mental, whether thinking about relationships or thinking about whatever problem I'm working on,” he explains. “[The brain thinks,] ‘If this is what my life is, how can I make it easier for me to survive here? Okay, I'm just going to fall into the environment more.’”

That often leads to poor posture and over-stretched or shortened connective tissue in every situation, not just at a desk job. Over time, it’ll become more difficult to fully activate those now-dormant postural muscles, Rosengart says. But training your mind-muscle connection, and tapping into it during your workouts and work days, can be one valuable step toward preventing or correcting this problem.

A strong mind-body connection can be helpful for individuals who deal with high-stress situations, as it can be used to down-regulate the body.

“If we're exercising and we're building this mind-muscle connection, then when we're having a stressful moment at work, we can just scan the body and say, ‘Oh, this is what's tense,’ and then maybe do progressive relaxation.” Rosengart says. “In a world where people are very stimulated with lots of technology and distractions, giving them the empowerment around knowing mind-body connection, mind-muscle connection, might help them to be able to detach from things and let go more often.”

“Mindful movement is everywhere. To me, it’s just a combination of coming back to the simplicity of breathing: How do I feel inward and outwardly? How does that support me, challenge me, empower me?” —Khetanya Henderson, CPT

Mind-body connection myths and misconceptions

Though elements of the mind-body connection are often brought up in yoga, Pilates, and meditative settings, any form of movement can foster and call on it, Henderson says. Martial arts, basketball, HIIT, and every modality in between can benefit from inward concentration, she adds.

“Mindful movement is everywhere. To me, it’s just a combination of coming back to the simplicity of breathing: How do I feel inward and outwardly? How does that support me, challenge me, empower me?” Henderson explains. “Then there's movement attached to that, and you do the same thing: How can I slow this down? What am I physically doing? How am I physically doing it? What has affected me? What can support me? What can challenge me or empower me through it?”

That said, having an external attentional focus—focusing on an external movement objective, such as driving the floor away from your body—instead of concentrating on mind-muscle connection can be valuable. The former has been linked with greater force production and movement efficiency and, in turn, can boost performance when the goal is to lift as heavy as possible (think: powerlifting), jump high or far (think: basketball players, track and field athletes), or improve running economy, according to the above 2016 article in the Strength and Conditioning Journal .

Why do I have poor mind-muscle connection?

Poor mind-muscle connection might come down simply to where you’re directing your attention. If mind-body connection is the goal, you’ll need to tap into how your body is creating movement, specifically the muscles that are firing up.

But the adage “use it or lose it” also applies. If you’ve been leaning into body compensations and haven’t been activating, say, your posterior chain muscles for quite some time due to a sedentary lifestyle, you may have trouble tapping into your connection with them.

How do I activate the mind-body connection?

To make use of your mind-body connection, practice diaphragmatic breathing, body scans, and targeted muscle activation drills ahead of your preferred movement method.

As you move, continue to divert your attention inward, concentrating on the muscles you’re looking to activate in a particular exercise, visualizing them working, and tuning into your breath.

What does the mind-to-muscle connection feel like?

The mind-body connection feels different depending on what you’re hoping to achieve. For example, if your goal is to effectively target your rear deltoid muscles during a reverse fly, you might imagine pulling your shoulder blades together as you lift the dumbbells up to the ceiling and, in turn, feel those muscles “squeeze.”

On the flip side, you might feel your core tense when you envision someone punching you in the stomach, which helps you stay upright while you tackle balance-challenging yoga postures like tree pose .

Schoenfeld, Brad J. PhD, CSCS, FNSCA; Contreras, Bret MA, CSCS. Attentional Focus for Maximizing Muscle Development: The Mind-Muscle Connection. Strength and Conditioning Journal 38(1):p 27-29, February 2016. | DOI: 10.1519/SSC.0000000000000190
Calatayud J, Vinstrup J, Jakobsen MD, Sundstrup E, Brandt M, Jay K, Colado JC, Andersen LL. Importance of mind-muscle connection during progressive resistance training. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2016 Mar;116(3):527-33. doi: 10.1007/s00421-015-3305-7. Epub 2015 Dec 23. PMID: 26700744.
Paoli A, Mancin L, Saoncella M, Grigoletto D, Pacelli FQ, Zamparo P, Schoenfeld BJ, Marcolin G. Mind-muscle connection: effects of verbal instructions on muscle activity during bench press exercise. Eur J Transl Myol. 2019 Jun 12;29(2):8250. doi: 10.4081/ejtm.2019.8250. PMID: 31354928; PMCID: PMC6615069.
Schoenfeld BJ, Vigotsky A, Contreras B, Golden S, Alto A, Larson R, Winkelman N, Paoli A. Differential effects of attentional focus strategies during long-term resistance training. Eur J Sport Sci. 2018 Jun;18(5):705-712. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2018.1447020. Epub 2018 Mar 13. PMID: 29533715.

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7 Habits for a Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body

The secrets to well-being can be found in our evolutionary biology..

Posted February 13, 2013 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

To find clues for healthy living today, we must look to our past. The history of human evolution shows a definitive link between our physical health and psychological well-being. The Greeks understood the importance of a Sound Mind in a Sound Body. That credo became the foundation of their civilization. For clues on how we can best survive the 21st century, we should look to the wisdom held in our ancestry and evolutionary biology.

In this entry I will explore ways in which modern living is causing our bodies and minds to short-circuit. I will recap the major periods of human evolution and offer a simple prescriptive that can insulate you from the ‘future shock’ that rapid advances in technology have created in our bodies, minds, and society. “Future shock” is a term for a certain psychological state of individuals and entire societies, introduced by Alvin Toffler in his book of the same name. Toffler's most basic definition of future shock is: “ too much change in too short a period of time.” Do you feel future shocked? What ways are you coping with it?

The 7 Habits for a Healthy Mind in a Healthy body are simple daily lifestyle choices. These 7 principles are the foundation of The Athlete’s Way philosophy :

7 Habits for a Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body:

Daily Physicality : Exercise for at least 20 minutes most days of the week.
Intellectual Curiosity : Spend some time in focused thought, exploring new ideas every day.
Foster Creativity : Challenge your mind to connect unrelated ideas in new and useful ways.
Human Unity : Create and maintain close-knit human bonds and a social support network.
Spiritual Connectedness : Identify a Source of inspiration that is bigger than you.
Energy Balance : Balance Calories in/Calories out, and reduce your carbon footprint.
Voluntary Simplicity : Embrace the liberty that comes with wanting and needing less.

Technology vs. Evolutionary Biology

A visual image that I find useful for putting human evolution in perspective is to picture that if the entire length of your arm represented human evolution, the past 200 years would be represented by the white tip of a freshly clipped fingernail. We often forget the lightning speed with which recent modern inventions have reshaped our lives after hundreds of millions of years of very gradual change.

Here is a quick timeline of major inventions that have changed our lives since the 1800s: The steam engine and locomotive were invented in 1804, the telephone in 1876, the first electrical power plant in 1882, the production-line automobile in 1902, the television in 1927, the jet airplane 1943, the ATM in 1967, the cell phone in 1973, the internet in 1983. Isn’t it amazing to realize how recently these changes have occurred considering the first primate fossils date back some 20 million years?

The first seeds of the information age began in 1888 when an American inventor, Herman Hollerith, developed a successful computer, using punched cards and electricity. In 1911 he sold his company, the Tabulating Machine Company, which then became the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company. In 1924 this company became IBM. Analog computers were developed in 1930 and the first electronic computer was in use by 1946.

The digital revolution was officially born late in 1947 when two Bell Labs scientists demonstrated a transistor that could take electric current, amplify it, and switch it on and off. By the late 1960s, large companies used computers. Personal computers were introduced in 1975. The internet and social media have changed the way we live, work and communicate in ways that would have seemed unimaginable just a decade ago. We are all scrambling to keep our bearings in this digital whirlwind.

Like many people, I believe that we have to be proactive in order to combat the potential of digital technology to zap our minds and bodies of their vitality. Obviously, digital advances have improved our lives in so many ways, but there are so many uncertainties. For example: As a parent, I wonder if iPads as a learning tool help raise a generation that is being spoon-fed too much over-processed everything or do they enhance learning and creativity? I think it’s a dual-edged sword.

Technology can greatly enhance our lives, but it also has the power to cause our bodies and brains to atrophy. What are the consequences to our biology of living in a virtual reality, where we don’t have to work physically to stay alive? Will our children be able to adapt to these changes better than we did or will it only get worse? The advice herein is a prophylaxis to help insulate your biology so you can continue to climb ever-higher and maximize the potential of your body and mind.

Humans Are Built to Run

As hunter-gatherers, the human body evolved to run great distances hunting prey and gathering food. The ability to spring through the air using our gluteus maximus muscles is what sets us apart from primate cousins. This pogo-stick ability of each leg allowed us to travel long distances and to hunt and gather a high protein diet , using relatively little fuel. We are very fuel-efficient machines. As our brains grew, so did our prefrontal cortex, the seat of human intelligence , and we became better hunters. It also kept our cerebellum bulked up, which gave us the benefit of a strong ‘up brain’ and a strong ‘down brain.’ I wrote a Psychology Today post about this split-brain model that you can check out here .

Endurance running is unique to homo sapiens among all other mammals except for dogs, horses and hyenas. Drs. Lieberman and Bramble, paleontologists at Harvard, established that our slender legs, shorter arms, narrower rib cage and pelvis, skulls with overheating prevention features, and the nuchal joint, which keeps our heads steady when we run, set us apart from chimpanzees.

The scientists concluded that running improved our chances of survival and reproduction. Although we were not as swift as our four-legged competitors, we could (and still can) outrun and hunt over greater distances than other predators. Lieberman says, “Endurance running may have made possible a diet rich in fats and proteins thought to account for the unique human combination of large bodies, small guts, big brains, and small teeth.” It also imbedded the need to stay active in our biology.

Unity, Creativity, and Adventure Are in Our DNA

One reason the Neanderthals may have become extinct is that they stayed in certain caves in France and parts of Spain for endless generations, relying on the same simple chiseled tools. Homo sapiens, on the other hand, were inclined to keep pushing into new areas, and inventing new technology. This is believed to be one reason that human lineage did not become extinct.

The first jewelry that archeologists have discovered dates back as far as 75,000 years ago. It is believed that homo sapiens in Africa began making beads, and piercing holes in the teeth of deceased loved ones to wear as adornment around this time. These findings illustrate that creativity and a deep need for human connection are embedded in our DNA. As the hunter-gatherers traveled the land in small bands, they also made sharp spears and other tools. Creative thinking and innovation have been linked to human survival for millennia.

Early agriculturists faced many challenges that hunting-gatherers didn't have to deal with. Farming meant the agriculturists needed to figure out how to exploit a relatively small amount of land very intensely, rather than taking advantage of a large amount of land as hunter-gatherers did. Early agricultural life, didn't require us to run, but it did require superior intelligence, physical stamina, and close-knit human bonds. Humans were able to do this and continued to evolve.

Agrarian society created a new lifestyle and social network . Pre-industrial farming required intense physical labor. The harvest cycle required a sustained physical effort a few times of the year based on seasonal weather patterns. Just as hunter-gatherers traveled in bands together, agrarian farming built tight communities. The necessities of agrarian life molded human behavior and society in ways that were uprooted by industrialization and commercialized farming.

Early farmers had to store food and to refrain from consuming whatever was available at the moment. If an agricultural community behaved like hunter-gatherers by grazing as they gathered food, they would starve to death in the winter. As agrarians, we had to practice delaying gratification and not feast when there was abundance. Given the abundance of calorie-dense, nutritionally low food constantly at our disposal today—and the innate hunter-gatherer wiring embedded in our biology—it is understandable why so many people binge and have trouble delaying gratification.

Industrialization + Energy Gluttony = Global Warming

The first Industrial Revolution occurred in Great Britain between 1750 and 1830. The use of automated machinery and the arrival of mass production created a new consumer society in the late 18th Century. Industrialization was a shock to the human system. Developments in Europe moved the population from a largely rural population, that made its livelihood from agriculture to a town-centered society increasingly engaged in factory manufacturing. Later in the 19th century, similar revolutionary transformations began occurring in the United States.

Homo sapiens evolved to be very fuel-efficient machines. This is one reason it’s so easy for us to gain weight when we don’t have to do physical work to hunt or harvest our food. With industrialization, physical expenditure dropped drastically. A typical hunter-gatherer required only 2,000 to 5,000 kilocalories of energy a day obtained through direct caloric consumption. Early agricultural societies required the equivalent of 20,000 kilocalories per person daily to maintain a farm. Early industrial societies required 60,000 kilocalories worth of energy, and modern post-industrial information societies require the equivalent of 120,000 kilocalories. The impact of this energy consumption on our environment are well known and one reason voluntary simplicity will benefit us all in the long run.

Socio-Economic Stratification

With industrialization, people moved into cities and began to work in factories. The human relationship to physicality and nature changed. Much of the Romantic movements of the 19th century were a reaction to industrialism, by a class of people who could afford to appreciate nature and translate it into art. The Romantics wanted to reconnect with nature for creative and spiritual reasons. They realized that in gaining a command over nature, humans had lost something visceral and mystical that occurred through a connection to nature. How is the disconnect from nature and our own biology impacting our spiritual connectedness today?

I decided to embrace voluntary simplicity and live closer to nature a few years ago. Getting out of the city and de-cluttering my life was the most liberating thing I’ve ever done. Today I can fit all of my material possessions in the back of a small station wagon, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I keep the overhead very low and am able to live by the seven principles here on a spartan budget. You can, too! One great thing about the digital age is that it allows you to work from anywhere. I have chosen to live closer to nature with visits to the city. I find that it is the perfect balance for optimal creativity and well-being. I feel very lucky to have the best of both worlds.

The socio-economic stratification of those who make a living doing creative jobs and who also exercise regularly is a point of interest to me. When I look at the record number of high-achievers entering local road running races, marathons, triathlons...and compare those statistics to the nationwide averages of obesity, I ask myself the chicken-or-the-egg question of which came first: their creative success or their dedication to regular physical activity? I fear that exercise, obesity, and creativity will become more and more of a class-divider in years to come. I am working to combat this through everything I do with The Athlete ’s Way platform and corporate partnerships geared at funneling resources towards wellness initiatives aimed at underserved American youth.

Conclusion: Sweat Is the Most Effective Elixir for Future Shock

I strongly believe that the 7 Habits for a Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body presented here are an antidote for future shock. Adopting these habits into your daily routine will keep you healthy, happy, and young at heart. Daily physical activity is ultimately the single most important elixir for staving off the negative impacts of modern life. Just 20 minutes most days of physical activity makes a huge difference in your state of well-being.

As Hippocrates said, “Walking is the best medicine.” A short, brisk daily walk could make all the difference in your long-term mental and physical health. If you want to be a resilient thought leader or innovator, you need to flex muscles in your mind and your body. Physical activity clears the cobwebs from your mind and makes you more creative. Almost every successful person I know who has an enduring career and remains prolific with fresh ideas has made the connection that regular physical activity is a requisite for his or her mental, physical, and professional longevity.

You don’t have to become an exercise fanatic, but nobody can sweat for you. If you want to stay competitive in the modern world you have to make physical activity a part of your daily routine. A generation ago before the digital revolution, in accepting his 1950 Nobel Prize in Literature Bertrand Russell—who was a zealot for the power of physical activity—addressed the pitfalls of modern living and offered some advice. I close with a quote from his speech titled: What Desires Are Politically Important?

Our mental make-up is suited to a life of very severe physical labor. I used, when I was younger, to take my holidays walking. I would cover twenty-five miles a day, and when the evening came I had no need of anything to keep me from boredom , since the delight of sitting amply sufficed. But modern life cannot be conducted on these physically strenuous principles. A great deal of work is sedentary, and most manual work exercises on a few specialized muscles. Civilized life has grown altogether too tame, and, if it is to be stable, it must provide the harmless outlets for the impulses which our remote ancestors satisfied by hunting… More seriously, pains should be taken to provide constructive outlets for the love of excitement. Nothing is more exciting than a moment of sudden discovery or invention, and many more people are capable of experiencing such moments than is sometimes thought.

Christopher Bergland is a retired ultra-endurance athlete turned science writer, public health advocate, and promoter of cerebellum ("little brain") optimization.

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“A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body”: An Overview on the Effects of Physical Activity on the Brain

First Online: 30 August 2023

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Anna Maria Malagoni 4 , 5 &
Francesco Maffessanti 6

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It has long been proven that physical activity is associated with meaningful benefits on the function of many organs and systems, as well as on general health and overall well-being. In recent years, growing attention has been paid to the evaluation of the impact of physical activity on brain health. The powerful role of physical activity on the brain expresses itself through a variety of positive effects: in modulating brain plasticity, in attenuating neurodegeneration, and in maintaining and improving the cognitive and psychological functions. In addition, physical activity has been shown to be a key element in effective therapeutic strategies for many neurodegenerative diseases.

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Malagoni, A.M., Maffessanti, F. (2023). “A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body”: An Overview on the Effects of Physical Activity on the Brain. In: Demarin, V., Battistin, L., Budinčević, H. (eds) Mind, Brain and Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-33013-1_9

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Why You Should Take Care of Your Body and Health

Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.

Daniel B. Block, MD, is an award-winning, board-certified psychiatrist who operates a private practice in Pennsylvania.

Why It Matters
Eat a Balanced Diet

Make Sleep a Priority

Stay Active
Avoid Harmful Substances
Manage Your Stress

Taking care of your physical body is good for your mental health. The mind and body interact and influence one another in complex ways. Physical illness can make managing your mental well-being more difficult. Stress, lack of energy, poor sleep, and other problems can also take a toll on how you feel mentally.

This article discusses why you should take care of your body and how it can support your mental health. It also explores what you can do to take better care of yourself.

Why Taking Care of Your Body is Good for Mental Health

There are a number of reasons why taking care of your body is good for your mental health:

Health problems affect functioning : Health problems, even minor ones, can interfere with or even overshadow other aspects of your life. Even relatively minor health issues such as aches, pains, lethargy, and indigestion take a toll on your happiness and stress levels.
Poor health habits can add stress to your life : They also play a role in how well you are able to cope with stress. The stress that comes from poor health is significant.
Poor health interferes with daily living : Health challenges also affect other areas of your life. Health problems can make daily tasks more challenging, create financial stress, and even jeopardize your ability to earn a living.
Stress can worsen health : Stress itself can exacerbate health issues from the common cold to more serious conditions and diseases, so maintaining healthy habits can pay off in the long run. This article looks at some healthy habits that have a positive impact on your life.

One way to improve your ability to cope with stress and feel better is to make a commitment to healthier habits .

Press Play for Advice On Creating Good Habits

This episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast , featuring Katy Milkman, PhD, shares how to build healthy habits to create lasting change. Click below to listen now.

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Eat a Balanced Diet for the Right Reasons

Rather than eating right solely for the promise of looking better in your jeans, you should also make a commitment to eating foods that will boost your energy levels and keep your system running smoothly. This is because what you eat can not only impact your short-term and long-term health, it can affect your stress levels.

It's much harder to cope with stress if you are hungry or malnourished. Hunger can make you more emotionally reactive to stressors, leaving you irritable or even angry in the face of minor daily annoyances. Watching what you eat can be a stress management tool as well as a health preserver.

Another reason it's a good idea to maintain a healthy diet is that your diet can have an effect on your mood.

While the effects of an unhealthy diet are cumulative and become more apparent in the long-term, you are also less likely to feel well in the short-term if you are eating a diet heavy on sugar-laden, fatty, or nutritionally empty foods.

Some of the more immediate effects poor diet include feeling:

Eating well has important long-term consequences, but it may also help you feel more energetic and optimistic in the short-term as well.

Stay Motivated

If you remind yourself that what you eat now will affect how you feel in the coming hours, it may be easier to stick to a healthy diet.

Sleep can have a serious impact on your overall health and well-being. Poor sleep can take a toll on mental health and contribute to problems including anxiety, depression, mood changes, and behavior changes.

Make a commitment to get enough sleep at night. If you haven't gotten adequate sleep, you may be less productive, less mentally sharp, and otherwise more prone to the effects of stress.

Some good habits that can help:

Try to get a full eight hours of sleep each night
Avoid caffeine after 2 pm
Avoid eating foods in the evening that might disrupt your sleep
Go to bed at the same time each night; wake up at the same time each morning
Create a restful sleep environment; make sure your bed is comfortable and keep the room at an optimal temperature for sleeping (between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit)
Adopt a calming technique such as meditation to help yourself relax each night before bed

You may be surprised by how much less stressed you feel when you're not tired. Following good strategies can help if you have trouble getting quality sleep when stressed . Not only will you sleep better, but you’ll feel better all day.

Find a Fitness Habit That Works for You

We've all heard the advice to eat right and exercise. However, it can be difficult to fit in workouts around a busy schedule, particularly when you're feeling exhausted from stress.

Make It a Habit

One effective strategy for making fitness a regular part of your life is to build an exercise habit around your other habits—either attach a workout to your morning routine, or your lunchtime habits, or make it a regular part of your evening.

If you make a morning jog part of your getting-ready-for-work routine, for example, it is much more likely to happen than if you wait until you feel like jogging and happen to have a free half-hour, especially if you lead a busy life like most of us and are tired at the end of the day.

Do Something You Enjoy

Another important way to make exercise easier is to choose an activity that you actually enjoy. Some examples include walking while listening to an audiobook or attending a class at your gym where good music drives up your energy level. Finding an activity that you enjoy means that you are more likely to stick with it.

Find a form of exercise that you'd like to do and then find a time when you can make it work with your schedule.

Watch What You Put Into Your Body

Avoid putting unhealthy substances into your body; nicotine, excess alcohol, and even excessive caffeine can take a toll on your health in the long run, but also make you feel lousy overall in your day-to-day life.

In addition to watching what you put into your body, it also helps if you can avoid allowing toxic thinking patterns from exacerbating your stress levels as well. Find healthier ways to manage stress, and you'll enjoy double health and stress management benefits .

Find Ways to Manage Your Stress

Stress is an inevitable part of life, but it can take a serious toll on your mind and body if it gets out of hand. Excessive stress is linked to a number of serious health ailments, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and ulcers.

Stress management strategies that can help include:

Practicing mindfulness : Mindfulness is an approach that involves focusing more on the here and now instead of fretting over the past or future. It can help increase your self-awareness and improve your ability to handle the daily challenges life throws your way.
Utilize stress management techniques : Incorporate a variety of stress management tactics into your life, such as deep breathing, guided imagery, and positive self-talk. Making these a habit can help you combat stress in the short-term, as well as later down the road.
Eat a balanced diet : A poor diet can exacerbate the negative effects of stress. Instead of reaching for high-sugar snacks or fast food meals, focused on following a balanced diet that incorporates fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates.

Finding ways to manage your stress effectively can minimize the negative impact on your health. It can also be beneficial for your emotional health and reduce your risk of burnout, anxiety, and depression.

A Word From Verywell

These are three important ways to take care of your body that you may not naturally think of as stress relievers. If you set goals to make these ideas a reality in your life, not only will you feel the difference immediately, but you will also see results in multiple areas of your life in the coming weeks and months. Few habits come without effort, but these three can make a significant impact on your life, and are well worth the effort.

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By Elizabeth Scott, PhD Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.

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Total Health: Body, Mind and Soul, Essay Example

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Introduction

Mind, body and soul are based on the existence of the principle of dualism that the physical world is a poor reflection of the true spiritual world. Plato’s goal was to elevate the conscious world into a more mystical and spiritual presence. There is the idea that we cannot fully know anything beyond our own psyche. Dualism is associated with a belief in God or Theism “wherefore the fate of a person does not have a meaningless existence that would end in extinction.” (Kazlev1998). Metaphysical Dualism is Moral Dualism and stands by the principle that there are two principles the spirit and the matter. It is based on old Medieval Persian belief systems that are obsessed with the belief of the Light or Jesus and the existence of Satan. There is a danger though for extreme totalitarian to take over hence even denying that the soul exists separate from the body. The purpose of this thesis is to explain how these principles play a role in the description and function of the complete body, mind and soul with relation to the professional practise of metaphysics.

The importance of a belief in the non-physical existence in healing is attributed to substance dualism where the immortal souls have an independent realm of existence apart from the physical world. The significance of this is that the existence cannot be materially attributed but it does exist. Property dualism suggests that there is an importance when such exists because mental properties emerge through organized consciousness of matter. The mental and the physical existence seem to have very distinct differences between properties. Mental properties are laid out very subjectively whereas physical properties to not have that ability to attract such subjectivity.

There is one issue that needs to be explained which brings rise to the fact that if consciousness exists quite independently from the physical world of reality or the brain how are physical memories created using the consciousness. Dualism for the most part fails to state how the conscious and the physical work together. A very simple explanation of how something immaterial affects something material is if a person receives a burn on their finger and as a result feels pain. Therefore this explanation would give rise to a philosophical explanation rather than a scientific explanation. As suggested through information provided and research, I strongly believe that the physical and the consciousness can work together effectively in a most abundant physical sense to guide the mind, body and soul into healing itself.

“Our thoughts inspire action and our bodies and soul transform the thoughts into reality.” Research shows that the human body cannot implement thoughts into reality without the help of the body and soul simultaneously. (Jade, 2008). Soul, mind and body working together have extreme forces to heal with such extreme forces that there is no need for Western medication. Energy is as large as the universe itself and flows through energy circles in the physical world influencing the mental world and the soul. “ The Ren and Du meridians create vertical energy flows promoting the healing process of internal organs.” (Sha 2006). It is through these energy forces that the mind, body and soul work together to make mystical healing a very powerful alternative to modern Western medicine.

“Jesus did his healings in the context of Isaiah 53:5 accroding to Matthew 8:17. This healing was based on an atonement between God and human beings brought about through life, death and the resurrection of his only Son Jesus Christ.” The atonement principle was based on humans making amends for their personal sins. Such amends is extremely relevant to internal healing of the spiritual soul. (Spiritual Healing of the Body).

Mystic healing as an alternative to orthodox medicine has proved to be more gentler than traditional means of Western healing methods. After World War II the use of tradional medicine for safe surgery, medical science and the treating of infections were put ahead of mystical uses and alternative medical practises were put on the back burner. The New England Journal of Medicine has posted results of telephone conversations with randomly selected adults that postured to having used alternative methods of traditional medicine at the rate of 1:3 in the past year. “In 1990 there were 425 million visits to unconventional therapists which exceeded the 388 million visits to primary-care physicians.” (Angell, 1997). Harding feels that alternative medicine is forced nature and throwing out years of practical scientific evidence is incongruent to the process of healing. Further “science is the only means we have to sort out the truth from perceived reality.” (Angell 1997). Good scientists will attest the tradition of alternative medication.

Changes in energy flow in life are necessary for the harmonization and maintenance of psycho physiological functioning of a human being. Homeopathy, mind/body medicine, light therapy and magnetic field therapy all work together to use these methods for promoting mystical healing. This principle is unique to the direct contact between the patient and the healing agent used to produce such results.

Review of Literature

“The Art of Spiritual Healing is the touch of God in Man’s Soul” (Goldsmith, 1959). Until the turn of the century the prerogative to healing was based on medicine and doctors but now the Church is turning to spiritual healing of the mind, body and soul. Physical healing is not the prominent healing needed but only a small facet of healing needed. Spiritual healing is a mental healing far greater than one can experience within the realms of himself alone. It encompasses a full healing of the inner self and produces an inner glow that shines through giving youth, vitality and further is considered a gift from God. Joel Goldsmith’s teachings contribute to the spiritual awakening of humanity and the transparencies of the light that God has to offer to those who choose to surrender (2004).

Dyer states that there is a spiritual solution to every problem (2003) and further St. Francis states that when a person experiences injury or harm they have been disconnected from God. St. Francis chose not to heal himself because he wanted the world to know it was not he that did the healing but God. When healing occurs it is like bringing the body as one with the consciousness of God. God wants you to believe in miracles and let go of your conscience ability to make things happen and let him make things happen.

A medical doctor McGarey relates to his mother “if you think that you are the one that does the healing you should be scared as a doctor.” (Dyer 2003). A doctor is a healing force through which God allows people to be healed through a physician’s skilled hands and skilled minds. If you live your way with that plane of thought your body and mind will become instruments of God and you will be able to bring a consciousness to the ill people around you. The presence of love and spiritual energy will lie upon the sick person through the presence of God. “Healing occurs when we approach our own healing power through faith of unconditional love for our self and others. It is said that a perfect love will cast out all fears and bring a strength that is higher than life itself.” (Dyer 2003). When you facilitate the energy of spirituality and the healing process you have the power to heal. This can be accomplished by focusing your energy on the ‘energy itself’ rather than the actual illness or disease. Often the Prayer “St. Francis of Assisi” is used to bring spiritual healing to a person. (Dyer 2003).

If we create peace and harmony in our lives it then becomes reality for us and everyone that is affected by our lives. Though people may have influence on our lives, no one can take control over our thoughts. “What we believe about our life becomes true for us”. (Kelly, 1990). If we react to outer experiences they are just reactions to our inner thoughts. Something in your thought pattern attracts people towards you hence it can be a positive or a negative attraction. “When we create peace and harmony in our lives it becomes a reality in our lives.” (Kelly1990). In contrast if we feed ourselves negative thoughts we will act out with negative actions in our lives and our spiritual lives will be hampered as such. If we allow others to influence our thoughts we lose control over our spiritual being and our lives. We will in fact lose our peace and harmony in our life and our life will become out of control and we will have a lack of harmony within our self. It will show in our life through our mannerisms and our lack of faith and lack of peace.

Often people state that they are confused about the existence of God or whether God is working in their life. We realize that the world is full of powers of mystery that is unexplainable. A simple thing like a curling iron not coming on may prompt us to say, “Oh God, help me please!”. Then we realized that God did not help us with our curling iron and we thought that God does not help us when we need him most. Though at times when we may have a child that is very ill and the child has not much hope without the prayers of God and others and we lift it up to the Lord with all faith in God because there is no other thing we can control and suddenly the child is healed. This is the work of God through our prayers and others prayers. Works as such help to reveal that God is a powerful force of reality in our lives. Agnes Sanford states that God has the power to work through us and he is omnipotent (1947). God further does not break his own laws when he helps us he rather enforces his rule through inevitable presences such as the sunrise and through his miracles he creates for people and further through the presence of His Kingdom. If we adapt our thinking to the Laws of Love and Faith our life will prosper towards a more meaningful commonplace in which we can live with the natural flow of spiritual guidance and fullness. Sanford states that “he has seen pneumonia destroyed in less than fifteen minutes by the miracle of day and night and the presence of sunrise and nightfall.” (Sanford 1947). These cosmic forces beyond the realm of man are unlimited miracles that are within the hands of spiritual forces that are readily available through faith and power of belief of a higher being.

When a scientist looks to understand science he looks to the simplest form of something hence when we look to understand mysticism we look to its simplest form which is understanding consciousness. The methodological principle to understand something is going to its simplest form and building your way upwards. “Mystical experiences represent the simplest form of human consciousness.” (Shear 1999). When one reaches the level of consciousness that he is aware of it illuminates through his thoughts, feelings and actions. This is known as ‘purusha’ or ‘sheer content less presence’ that is often non-intentional. (Larson, 1979, p. 77). The ‘self’ emerges as it is not engaged in taking objects because the self becomes aware of its presence. This is through obliterating consciencessness from objects or things. Pure Consciousness suggests that the object is not one of culture but rather one of definite experience. Researchers suggest that if we can understand how to tie perceptions and thoughts together then we will be able to understand consciousness “ipso facto”. Consciousness appears even without awareness of its existence.

The unitive mystical state was explained with relation to consciousness by German idealist Malwilda von Meysenberg. “He was alone at the seashore and felt that he had transcended into a state of consciousness of unity. There was a unity of the heavens and the earth into one vast circling harmony.” (Shear 1999). There are no definitive boundaries that exist between consciousness and a specific object. This suggests that Nirvana can be a permanent change in a person’s mental make-up. There are several implications of our understanding of consciousness. Strikingly parallel to the physical field of energy is a quantum vacuum field of which to reside the basis of all matter. These are imminent and transcendent to any particular expression. Unity holds with it the idea that consciousness may be connected to any physical nature in the universe permeating all levels of being. It should further be noted that not everyone who practises meditation will experience mysticism. “Mystical experiences point towards an awareness and the functional processes of sensation, process and thought.” (Shear1999). One must tap into these given senses.

Ken Keyes (1975) developed a way of reprogramming your mind to rid the negative thoughts that may have influenced you throughout your life into adulthood and filter in changing negative addictions to the here an now based on having control over them and making them a ‘preference’ rather than an addiction. We all have choices over how we want our life to become and do not have to run victim to influences from our past. This can be accomplished through a series of learning our inner self and teaching our self to love our self through the grace of God. We do not have to be prisoner to our past or past influences. Just as one might say we are genetically dependent to become an alcoholic because our parents’ were alcoholics are dependent to be abusers because our parents’ were abusers. That does not mean we have to continue the viscous cycle into our adult life. Through intervention and faith we can make choices and live happy and healthy lives.

Shaki Gawain (1979) focuses on self-help books that enforce spiritual growth through visualization techniques. She suggests taking fifteen minutes in the morning and evening to meditate with hopes of focusing on positive things in your life in order to create positive, conscious power in your life. Negative powers in your life can last a long time and may be difficult to break so don’t give up so easy.

Louise Hay (1988) suggest that behind every disease is a negative thought force and that force can be overcome with a positive spirituality force. The force of a positive spiritual sense can overcome just about any negative situation in your life.

Extraordinarily Joel Goldsmith (1962) interjected to his students not to pray for certain things to God but to pray only for the consciousness of God for God would take care of things as they would best be suited. He focuses on the effective way to pray. Further he teaches “the secret of harmonious living is the development of spiritual consciousness. In that consciousness, fear and anxiety disappear, and life becomes meaningful with fulfilment as its keynote.” (Practising the Presence).

I agree with the philosophy of Agnes Sanford (1949) that the power of love can heal all because I honestly feel that this was probably one of the strongest bases of spirituality that commenced in the earlier years. Believing that power is coming through the force of the light and love that God offers is the first step towards becoming one with the body, soul and mind. Agne’s word possesses the core that is needed to achieve the unity of healing.

Methodology

The Western viewpoint denies the very existence of spiritual and metaphysical thought because it is simply easier to flow with the known existence of Western medication and traditional modes of thinking and believing. Reducing the existence of physical terms is very essential to the continued obscured reality of rejecting minds. Platonist thinking has been discarded by Muslim intellectuals in order to batter traditional Islamic thoughts and traditions. Scientific investigations are simply a lot easier to prove than the existence of metaphysical and spiritual thoughts. The entire ancient world was founded on the basis of sacred text of the Quran, the Bible and the Vedas. “All great modes of thinking have developed on the basis of metaphysics and spirituality.” There is a concept of joining scientific principalities with those of spirituality to gain a full sense of wholeness; the art of bringing together all noumena and phenomena.” (The Horizon of Hope: Spiritual or Metaphysical Thought). “The only way to fully comprehend and value life and existence is to experience existence through the prism of spirit and metaphysical thinking. Neglect of this way means forcing reason to comment on things beyond its reach and imprisoning intellectual effort within the confines of sense-impressions. But when we heed the sound of our conscience or inner world, we perceive that the mind is never content and satisfied with mere sense-impressions.” (The Horizon of Hope: Spiritual or Metaphysical Thought).

If you are feeling like there is a struggle in your life chances are that there is friction between your conscious desires and your subconscious beliefs. In order to achieve a balance you must first believe there is something revolutionary beyond the physical in life. All matter in the world is made of a sea in infinite possibilities and the non-physical is engaging in the study of nature in its basic form. When you decide to undertake the spiritual or metaphysical aspect of life you find yourself asking questions such as “Is there a God or What is one’s free will and is it connected to the basic mind-body relation?” Epistemology is connected to the study of metaphysical because it peers into what knowledge do we know about anything at all and how can that knowledge be justified? Further studies on ethics and logic play an important role in metaphysics because it peers into what is good and bad and how do we decide if a piece of information is based on good or bad reasoning? Studies in philosophy have bee essential to the understanding of the metaphysical such as the philosophical teachings of Plato, Aristotle, Locke, Hume and Marx. Philosophy deals with the understanding of principles and how others have understood the principles in history.

Studies have shown that certain types of food delivered to juvenile delinquents have played a role in their behavioural patterns. Food is the life force and water is the speech of fire for the body. Religious scripture is a food for the mind and soul. The amount of trust we put in an individual can be a limiting factor to our spiritual growth further taking us away from the infinite power of faith that awaits us. Faith has the power to change your life in miraculous ways you may have never seen. “Sir Edmund Hillary became the first person to reach the summit of Mount Everest but only after falling several times.” (Faith and Belief).

It is very easy to have faith when situations in your life are going very well but having faith through difficult times takes a strong commitment to your spiritual bond with God. This is what defines true faith and spiritualism.

Studies of spiritualism show that truth, righteousness, love, peace and non-violence are all factors related to spiritual traditions. Human values are learned throughout life and unveiled through spiritual essence, cross-cultural expressions and a person’s individual experiences which reflect our motivations for our behaviours. I can remember a time when I was a child of the timid age of thirteen and my younger first cousin lay dying in the local Children’s Hospital with fatal Cystic Fibrosis Disease. I did what I had been taught all of my young age which was to go to church and pray for him. I remember riding my bicycle approximately five miles to get to the nearest Catholic Church to be alone with God to pray for young Jonah to survive through his latest tainted episode. The doctor’s said he was not going to make it home from this trip to the hospital and I did not want to believe this and I was a strong believer in God so I went to god with faith in mind to ask God for his help. Upon arriving at the church I parked my bicycle on the side of the church and entered alone with complete solace and knelt in the pew and began to pray. I was all alone in the huge church and not a pin could you hear drop. Suddenly upon me I felt the strangest feeling that God was present in the church but instead of praying for God to save Jonah and keep him with us for a bit longer I decided to pray to God to do what he thought was best for Jonah and if that was for Jonah to go to Heaven and end his pain then that shall be his will and not mine and I would certainly accept that. As I left the church I was very sad but as a thirteen year old I felt this inner peace that God had heard my prayers and would take care of Jonah, age 9. Needless to say, cousin Jonah died two short days later. I was so sad. I began to feel angry at God after Jonah’s death because I wanted him back with us but then I realized that this was a selfish request because Jonah was in Heaven with God and was no longer suffering to breathe, no longer having to take treatments to breathe and no longer having to wonder if tomorrow would be his last breath. At the young age of thirteen I had experienced my first true selfless experience with God and the spiritual world. Throughout life I have experienced many of the same feelings as that same day and have often doubted the presence of God many times but I have in fact seen God work miracles in my life. One thing I do know for sure is that God does give me the necessities in life and may not always give me what I want but will always give me what I need. This is the power of faith that has worked in my life thus far.

Another touching story I have seen through the miracle of spiritualism not necessarily the presence of religion but the faith of a supernatural is a situation with the law when a neighbourhood friend of my mother’s son was accused of raping a younger girl. He and the girl were dating in high school; he age 17 and she age 14. This relationship was present for about 2 years until the parent’s of the girl found out and though the child might be pregnant for the young man. The father of the daughter got especially upset when they found out the young man was of black colour and their daughter was of white colour. The small town they reside in is a very small Southern prejudiced backwards small-thinking town. The young man had already graduated and gone on to commence his college career. His parents’ were upstanding people of the small community but the girls parents had tight connections with the law in the town and pressured the situation with pressing charges against the young man for statutory rape. Without giving full legal details, the father of the young man is a bus driver in the town and was about to quit his job for embarrassment and stress due to the nature of the charge against his son but instead he held strong through faith and prayer from the community. His son was looking at a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison which would ruin his life. Evidence came out that the mother of the young girl knew the two children were having sex and actually did not try to stop the relationship. This weakened the prosecutions case and showed that perhaps the charges were brought through a racial and vindictive nature by the young woman’s parents. The charges are still pending but through the grace of God which is working through the attorneys’ the trial has been getting postponed over and over again which is certainly in faavor of the young man. The whole town is supporting the young man and his family in hopes that he will be found not guilty or receive a small probation. Of course, the two children will not be able to see each other again but by the grace of God he is able to carry on his life thus far.

Spiritualism does not always necessitate a positive outcome as detailed in one of my stories. The belief that we will accomplish something one day or things will work out for the best according to God’s well or a higher powers will is the basis of spiritualism-Let Go and let God!

Dr. Deepak Chopra has been infinite at bringing the understanding of spirituality from the East to Western Culture. In his 1989 book Quantum Healing he tells us that our bodies are fields if information, intelligence and energy involving the healing of consciences of healing the mind, body and soul. Even with this revolution spiritualism is still in its infancy stage because people are more open to traditional medicinal ways. Spiritual healing is accomplished through a force other than that of a physical nature. It is often inferred that laughter can make one well. Lester Robinson from Pennsylvania stated ‘they told me I was not going to live but God overruled them.’ The key factor is to see what is in store for yourself and others in your life.

Deepak’s seminar on the quantum mechanical body and mind spoke of a conference in Boston defining the mind-body connection whist the practical implications were not so important but rather how we perceive things. Our sensory experiences tests what is actually real; hence if we can see it is real. The crisis of perception is what we create our material universe to be. For example an initial sensory experience may make us believe that is the limit of the universe. In India they tie a baby elephant to a tiny flimsy rope. When the elephant grows up you can tie the elephant to a tree and it will snap the rope. But if you tie the elephant to the tree with the flimsy rope it will stay because it has made a commitment to stay, a premature cognitive commitment in it’s body and mind to structure it’s reality.

At Harvard Medical a group of kittens were presented with vertical stripes and one with horizontal stripes in different rooms. As they grew up they could only see what they grew up with. There were no nervous system brain connections to see other stimuli other than what they were exposed to, the sensory perception. Our initial sensory experience and interpretation structures the nervous system. It is accomplished through reinforcement over the years. Seeing is believing is not true rather believing is seeing is true! Our nervous systems are programmed to take in bits of perceptions rather than the whole system.

In order for a person to experience healing through spiritualism they must be in an ideal healing condition; one that promotes a peaceful ambiance and free of negativism. The person must feel the innate ability to relax and consume him/herself in the freedom to be one with nature. Nature is a sign of peace of mind and one of true healing. That is why when a person goes to a counsellor for therapy the therapist creates an environment that is safe which creates a freedom and security for the person being counselled.

Deepak Chopra recommends ridding your body of emotional toxins to experience a true sensation of spirituality. You must first realize that you are responsible for changing your own life then feel the feelings. Realize what the emotions are then share it with a loved one. Further release the emotions with a loved one and then give yourself a treat for doing so by going out and celebrating the release of the negative energy.

There are secrets of spiritual healing that can free you says Doctor Gibson. Many world class healers illustrate on a mental and spiritual level that self-healing can take place in healthy ways instead of using psychiatric medications. A child had been depressed and a psychiatrist asked the question if the mother had had abortions before giving birth to the child. This child’s spiritual sense was still alive and had experienced these abortions and was angry with the mother. The psychiatrist recommended speaking to the child about the previous abortions. The mother spoke to the psychiatrist days later and stated the child had experienced a new perspective and was not angry anymore. This was a between-life stage of allopathic to spiritual. Now the mother has a better relationship with the child through the essence of apology and spiritual healing. There was no need for traditional Western medication that most doctors would have prescribed.

The mind, body and spirit can be healed in ways that have never been spoken about in public before. Psychiatrist Mitchell Gibson states that illness comes through the body and we should look for spiritual causes rather than effects. We should look to the forces that come together to create disease.

“In Hinduism no human relationship is closer than that of the mother and child. It best mirrors our relationship with God. India itself is looked upon as the Mother. The Hindu religion itself is regarded as a mother and its teachings are her milk.” (Fawley 2009). In contras, followers of the Catholic religion believe the Father at the top of the list to worship. Hindu’s live by the principle that “However, man is blinded by his ignorance and his concern with the externalities of the world. He is caught, enthralled, bound by karma.” (The Goal of Life and the Spiritual Path).

Reiki is derived from God’s wisdom and life force energy. Reiki treats the whole body including the mind, spirit and emotions leaving behind a sense of relaxation and security. There is no dogma attached to the practice hence anyone can be successful at the therapy. Dr. Mikao Usui, founder of Reiki firmly believes that in order to reap the full benefits of the therapy a client must take full responsibility for the healing and take an active part in the healing process. The principle behind Reiki is aligning yourself with a Higher Self or true harmony. The practitioner simply places his/her hands on the client so that the energy will flow from the practitioner to the one in need of healing. The idea is to cover all parts of the body evenly and slowly to distribute the energy.

“Therapeutic Touch (TT) practitioners, (a.k.a. healers) believe that a Universal Life Force Energy flows freely in, through, and out of the body when a person is healthy. But illness, pain, injury etc can interrupt or unbalance this life force. Skilled practitioners believe that they can detect these fluctuations by passing their hands above the patient’s body. The energy imbalances can be equalized, and a contribution made to the patient’s healing. There are about 40,000 practitioners in the world. As of 1988, TT was taught in 80 colleges and universities in the U.S. and in 65 foreign countries.” (Therapeutic Touch: Healing or Hoax?). The theory is used in the form of gently gliding the hands over the body ‘without actually touching the body’. The practitioner will then decide where the energy flow is ‘blocked’ and use such techniques of acupressure and aromatherapy. “Tapping essentially calls for using the forefinger and index finger to lightly tap on specific points on the face, upper chest, and hand in order to facilitate release from negative emotional or physical factors that are causing difficulty for the patient.” (What is Therapeutic Touch Therapy?). This method is used to facilitate energy through therapeutic touch.

Medical practitioners have been experimenting with Chi Gong for the past twenty-five years with efforts to approve acupuncture as a legitimate form of therapy. Americans are consonantly trying to figure out how and why something works but the Chinese are quite happy with the idea that something actually works! The principle of Chi Gong is to determine where the energy flow has become despondent and to fix the situation to return the body back to it’s normal function. This practise is acupuncture without the use of needles. Infared, magnetic, acoustical and electrical forms of energy are used to promote the natural healthy flow of energy in a person’s body. This practise is used to regain strength, improve appetite, free irregular defecation amongst other ailments known to man. Further practises have been done to return a patient to normal liver function with a 45% success rate.

Studies suggest that the discussion of spirituality in medicine is a sticky topic for doctors because the subject is not incorporated into their studies in medical forms and the basis of spirituality cannot be scientifically defined as in medicine. Spirituality is about taking hold of a damaged spirit and reclaiming it and making it whole again. Often psychiatrists use spirituality programs as recommendations whilst prescribing medications to patient’s for full recovery. Further it’s about realizing you only have control over yourself and not others. You only have control over your own thinking and behaviour as a result of that thinking.

Life is a continuous journey of paradoxes that we cannot escape hence the way we view life and its trajectories and handle the situations determines the amount of stress and happiness we will have in our life. Having a strong sense of spirituality in our life will ease the burden and pain in our life when difficult times arise.

When applied properly in your life metaphysics will work from a cause and effect premise. Your health, mental functioning, business affairs, friendships and other affairs will simply improve. Applying metaphysics with the use of prayer and mediation in your life on a regular basis will compliment your life in more ways you can imagine. “That the finding of spiritual truth begins with intuitive recognition of the intellectual reality of spiritual truths, but is only an individualized reality when mystically accepted and experienced as the first priority of one’s life.” (The Centre for Awakening Spiritual Growth).

Sardello speaks of confronting fear with all your might in order to free your soul from fear. It is through actually facing our fears that we rid our soul of the fears that taunt us. One must have an imagination to see the world in a different view one that is free from fear. This freedom is accomplished through participating in freeing the soul rather than running away from the fear itself. In order to achieve a true nirvana or sense of harmony in your life there must not be any taunting fears that restrict freedom and happiness.

Ernest Holmes (1961) speaks about the science of mental healing in his book The Science of the Mind . Perhaps his philosophy provides one of the most detailed and strongest arguments for the metaphysical practises. “Both medical doctors and spiritualists come to the agreement that there is a constant flow of ideas in our minds and that ours are for the asking.” (Holmes, 1926). People put too much emphasis on the material source of an idea rather than thinking outside the box of their own interpretation beyond the obvious interpretation. God is the source that we have come to believe is responsible for creating everything, causing everything and an idea becoming true through him. A great example of the expression of God is through the source of electricity. Electricity is an invisible source yet it is projected to make light, energy and other mediums, yet it still remains invisible. This contributes to the power of self-consciousness and living as seen through electricity and the use of mathematics to create forms of medium with electricity. “Man must make use of the conscious forces within him to and give force to the evolutionary forces around him.” (Holmes 1961).

Just as the discoveries of laws are laid on by accident so are the revelations of spirituality of the mind. No one has ever literally seen the science of a mind or spirituality yet we believe that they exist. As we process our thoughts they become part of our memory and this happens over and over again subjectively. As miracles happen in our life and we see the presence of God and spirituality creating these things we reference them as miracles or unexplained phenomena in our life. Just as suggestions planted in the subconscious mind become part of the memory for tangible things in our life, the same can happen for intangible beliefs. Research shows that certain types of thoughts produce certain types of results or behaviours in our lives such as positive reinforcements or healing of the sick. God is a Universal Medium through which all of our thoughts and ideas pass. With that in mind things happen for a reason but keep in mind God gives us a choice in life to make good and bad decisions. The concept is that man comes from God and there is a conscious mind that controls the sub-conscious and the body. There is a common knowing through the Unity of knowing “The Father Dwelleth in Me.”. (Holmes 1961). The Soul is another medium through which the Spirit operates to achieve harmony. The subjective mind does not purport illusions but often yields images to protect the psyche. It is through true union with the self of spirituality that one if free to see his true conscious.

The idea that our mental can be healed through positive thinking is surrounded by the idea that our mind is one of an Infinite Mind that reacts to our personal thoughts. Despite living in a world of Law and Order faith has healed contrary to the principles of Law. Hence we assume that God is not of human form. Why do some people’s prayers get answered and not others? The answer is simply because some have reached their full capacity of belief in their mental attitude where as the others that prayed simply have not believed in full. Prayer induces a certain mentality and a certain Law of the Universe. As man’s mental health is healed so will his physical body be healed? “The Complete Nature of God is reflected in man, and he uses the same law that God uses; for there is but One Law, as there is but One Spirit. Both God and man use the same Creative Medium or the Universal Subjectivity. It is the law of all thought and all action. Things come from One Source through One Common Law and One Common Creative Medium. We think of our lives as One with the Whole on all three planes of expression. We are one with the Conscious Mind, one with the Creative Law, and in our bodies we are one with all matter.” (Holmes 1961).

“One of the most illuminating things that mysticism has revealed, is that evil is not an ultimate reality. Evil is simply and experience of the soul on its journey toward Reality; it is not an entity but an experience necessary to self-unfoldment; it is not a thing of itself but simply a misuse of power. It will disappear when we stop looking at, or believing in, it.” (Holmes, 1961). Further if you turn your life to God all of your burdens will disappear. Mystics have sensed a deeper meaning of true Reality than the average person. “They have all agreed that the soul is on the pathway of experience, that is, of self-discovery; that it is on its way back to its Father’s House; and that every soul will ultimately reach its Heavenly Home. They have taught the Divinity to Man.” (Holmes 1961). It would be safe to say one should listen to his Inner Voice for guidance under what a mystic believes.

Reality is part of an all-comprehending mind realizing that the relative is part of a whole experience of the inner self. It is important not to deny the relative because it is not absolute hence “time, space, outline, form, change, movement, action and reaction, manifestation and creation, all are relative; but all are real.” (Holmes 1961).

With respect to evil it is real and will dissipate in the same proportion that we choose to let it go in our lives. We must rid evil from our lives by ceasing to talk about it and from doing it in our lives. We will be punished for our sins so as long as we start doing good we will not be punished. Man must choose what fruit he wishes to eat from the Garden of Eden or what life he wishes to live. We will be saved by the Grace of God to the extent that we believe that God can save us. Through the use of visualizing we can make things happen in our life. The power of thought is very moving.

Holmes further suggests it is through the use of meditations that the body, mind and soul can be healed. This is one of my favourites which depict cleansing of the body so that energy can flow through the body to heal itself.

Summary and Conclusions

Kevin Wilbur summarizes the seven major points of perennial philosophy as being the existence of a spirit, the spirit lives within us, we are living in a world of sin or one of a duality state, there is a way out or a path to liberation, we must follow this path to liberation if we want to experience a re-birth, there is an end to the suffering and finally “i ssues in social action of mercy and compassion on behalf of all sentient beings.” (Roger 2007).

Wilbur created neo-perennial philosophy by combining Aldous Huxley’s philosophies with cosmic evolution philosophies. He believed similar to Sri Aurobindo that reality is non-dual and develops over time. Some of his philosophies were seriously criticized but later he brought other philosophies to light to support his original thoughts and findings. He supports his findings with philosophy, mathematics and spirituality. His mentality is that we have access to the universe through our own conscience mind and the purpose of our life is to become one with a Universal Consciousness or one with God. This can be accomplished through the practise of mediation through which the body expresses itself most abundantly and expressively. God expresses himself to us at our subconscious level. Further God is responsible for how we materialize our thoughts. Going back to the traditional teachings of Jesus we are taught to express ourselves by the manner in which Jesus lived. Seeking a spiritual self with God at any level will unite us with our fellow human beings.

Let’s briefly explore the ramifications and influence of the mystical and spiritual world on facts of marriage and divorce and the level of recovery this metaphysical presence can have on those going through such stressful time in their life. With any stressful situation in life metaphysical can aid in relieving stressful toxins from the body and bringing peace and harmony to the self. However, I will examine the direct connection with divorce proceedings and the aftermath relating to the benefits of practising mysticism during these difficult times.

Divorce is one of the highest rated situations in a person’s life. It can bring unwanted stress related illness to a person’s life. Paying attention to your emotional needs and trying to relax is one of the most beneficial things you can do for yourself during this stressful time. Another thing to consider is taking up some physical activity and joining some self-help groups to keep your mind occupied. During this period your mind and spirituality is prone to be at its weakest point. There will be all sorts of feelings running through your entire body that you may not be accustomed to feeling but there is help that can minimize the effects on your mind, body and soul-metaphysical spiritualism.

Rumination can cause health effects and mental problems. Having a strong sense of spiritualism can help to change the way you think about your anger, hurt and other strong feelings associated with divorce. Often it is during time of great distress that we have an ‘awakening’ to renew our spirituality. Further we begin to explore our inner self and our weaknesses and strengths and decide it is time to build a new life. In order to heal from divorce a person must go through the steps of “ acceptance, surrender, divine guidance, responsibility, choice, forgiveness, and creation.” (Ford 2009). Pain can act as a pre-determinate to self-discovery. In order to get closer to God we should take responsibility for our feelings, feel them then let them go. This notion will allow us to feel softer inside and get closer to God during this trying time. “ The overarching theme here is transformation — finding the alchemy of meaning and wholeness in the midst of loss, disappointment, and frustration.” (Ford 2009).

The whole image of divorce is against the vows of marriages so we wonder how we can think in a Godly manner when referring to divorce. This is when you should look at the reason why the divorce is taking place and if it is for a good reason remind yourself of that and if it is not for a good reason then remind yourself that it is not your fault and you will get through this rough time with the grace of God because God has something more special in store for you in the long haul. Though you may not see God’s purpose at present it will surely surface one day soon because God does not want you to be unhappy-take one day at a time or even one minute at a time if you have to as in 12 step programs. Twelve step programs are not religious based but spiritual based.

“With the experience of spiritual healing there is a fundamental transformation of the mind and personality that is healed.” (Minjiras, 2001). There must be a surrender of the ego and active participation through the art of participation to heal the soul. The hope is to lift the consciousness to a level with God where spiritual energy is allowed to flow freely through the body and back to that of God. It is not simply good enough to think good thoughts but one must actively maintain a state of awareness during the entire healing session for the consciousness and flow of energy to be transferred. “A person’s mind will be open to a new way of perceiving reality.” (Minjiras 2001). This feeling of peacefulness is often referred to as a feeling of love. The reason church’s are used for healing is because they present an atmosphere that is relaxing and free of any unpleasant sensory stimuli. “As demonstrated in the placebo-effect the confidence in treatment can certainly influence the acceptance of theoretical explanations for medical science wonders.” (Minjiras 2001). Further the unexplained healings by Jesus are great examples of the consciousness and the healing. Jesus has laid his hand upon the blind and they were able to see and further healed lepers. This demonstrates a clear linkage between the “outward healing of the body and the internal language and experience of the consciousness.” (Minjiras 2001). The implied meaning of the Bible is often difficult to interpret in a physical sense but if we look deeper into the philosophical meaning behind the verses of the Bible we will see that there are insights to consciousness transformation transpiring during those times. Anything in this world that possesses an external meaning is capable of having an internal explanation. The most important factor to remember with this thesis is that consciousness and healing are interconnected thorough a force that is unexplainable to man.

Works Cited

Angell, M. Science on trial: The clash of medical evidence and the law in the breast 18 Oct. 2007. 23 Oct. 2009 http://books.google.com/books?id=F7VdoIS37o4C&pg=PA185&dq=uses+of+alternative+medicine+mystic+healing&ei=VUviSpbULo7WNciE7e4L#v=onepage&q=&f=false

The Centre for Awakening Spiritual Growth 14 Feb. 2009. 18 Oct. 2009. http://www.awakeningspiritualgrowth.org/id44.htm

Dyer, W. There’s a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem 23 Oct. 2008. 16 Oct. 2009. http://books.google.com/books?id=FnuQh3bICekC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_navlinks_s#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Faith and Belief 25 June 2009. 17 Oct. 2009.

http://www.experiencefestival.com/faith_and_belief

Fawley What is the Importance of the Divine Mother? 23 Jul 2009. 18 Oct. 2009. http://www.hinduwomen.org/spiritual.htm

Ford, D. Spiritual Divorce 31 June 2007. 19 Oct. 2009. http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/books/books.php?id=2648

The Goal of Life and the Spiritual Path 22 Jan 2005. 18 Oct. 2009. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_7210/is_199904/ai_n29891633/

Holmes, Ernest The Science of Mind New York: NY Dodd, Mead & Co., 1961.

The Horizon of Hope: Spiritual or Metaphysical Thought (2006) Retrieved October 17, 2009 from, http://www.fethullahgulen.org/about-fethullah-gulen/as-a-teacher/805-the-horizon-of-hope-spiritual-or-metaphysical-thought.html

Jade, I. (2008) Mind, Body and Soul Working Together Retrieved October 23, 2009 from, http://beyoumag.com/2008/10/30/mind-body-soul-working-together/

Kazlev, A. (1998) Dualism Retrieved October 15, 2009 from, http://www.kheper.net/topics/worldviews/dualism.htm

Kelly, K. (1990) You Can Heal Yourself Retrieved October 16, 2009 from, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1510/is_n67/ai_9120989/

Minjiras, A. (2001) Spiritual Healing Become What You Believe University of Metaphysics

Practising the Presence (1958) Retrieved October 17, 2009 from, http://www.spiritsite.com/writing/joegol/part10.shtml

Roger (2007) Perennial Philosophy Retrieved October 19, 2009 from, http://sunwalked.wordpress.com/2007/08/12/perennial-philosophy-two-views-a-by-ken-wilber-and-b-by-deb-platt/

Sanford, A. (1946) The Healing Light St. Paul, MN Manchester Publishing Press

Sardello, R. (1999) Freeing the Soul from Fear New York, NY: Riverhead Books

Sha, Z. (2006) Soul mind body medicine: a complete soul healing system for optimum health Retrieved October 23, 2009 from, http://books.google.com/books?id=rl35p6V3o-4C&pg=PA119&lpg=PA119&dq=mind+soul+and+body+working+together&source=bl&ots=hBcfplxOc2&sig=v1Db40y0wuhuwLbfKExf5t-Gs0E&hl=en&ei=qATiSuXlN47qMayYrb4B&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CBcQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=mind%20soul%20and%20body%20working%20together&f=false

Shear, J. (1999) Models of the Self, Part 2 Retrieved October 16, 2009 from, http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=JJPu71MUfF4C&oi=fnd&pg=PA361&dq=the+psychology+of+consciousness+robert+ornstein&ots=jIffJVImxO&sig=w-SnvBGgtSyJ-b1nzc51p531qXY#v=onepage&q=the%20psychology%20of%20consciousness%20robert%20ornstein&f=false

Spiritual Healing of the Body (2009) Spiritual Healing of the Body Retrieved October 23, 2009 from, http://www.spirithome.com/healings.html

Therapeutic Touch: Healing or Hoax? Retrieved October 18, 2009 from, http://www.religioustolerance.org/ther_tou.htm

What is Therapeutic Touch Therapy? (2009) Retrieved October 18, 2009 from, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-therapeutic-touch-therapy.htm

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Home / Healthy Brain / Keys to brain health as you age

Keys to brain health as you age

Discover valuable insights from our second edition of 'Mayo Clinic on Healthy Aging,' delving into the keys to aging gracefully for everyone

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It’s never too early to engage in habits that can help offset age-related cognitive changes and enhance your mental well-being. Taking steps now to protect your brain can help it stay healthy as you age. Researchers have found that about a third of the time, dementia is caused by risk factors that you can control. This means, in theory, if you can manage specific aspects of your health, you may be able to reduce your risk of developing brain-related conditions.

Keeping your brain healthy is a lifelong process. Challenging and engaging your brain throughout your lifetime may increase your cognitive reserve and the brain protection it offers. Addressing general health issues, such as physical inactivity, high blood pressure, tobacco use, stress and anxiety, has also been shown to be helpful for brain functioning and mental health.

While paying attention to these issues is important at any age, it’s especially important in midlife. Caring for your overall health can help protect your blood vessels, for example, which may prevent cognitive decline later in life.

Good cardiovascular health is good for not only your heart but also your brain. Following are more details about what researchers have found to be most helpful in promoting brain health and mental well-being across the life span. Overall, these measures provide a road map for better brain aging.

Keep physically active

In one study, researchers divided participants into two groups. One group took part in aerobic exercise; the other group performed stretching and balance exercises. After one year, researchers noticed that the individuals involved with aerobic exercise had a larger hippocampus — the part of the brain that makes new memories.

In another study, researchers found that people with a gene that causes Alzheimer’s disease who exercised for 150 minutes or more each week delayed onset of the disease by several years. People with the gene who exercised less than 150 minutes a week developed Alzheimer’s disease more quickly. While it’s not certain that exercise can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, this research suggests that it may.

Physical activity helps provide protection against other diseases that can increase your risk of dementia, including high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. It may also give your immune system a boost and help combat chronic inflammation. Finally, physical activity helps offset symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression.

Make sleep a priority

It’s not news that getting enough good-quality sleep is essential for overall health and well-being. Most people are aware that sleep is important. But in terms of dementia risk, good sleep seems to be especially critical. Research suggests that not getting enough good sleep over a number of years may increase the risk of dementia. In one analysis, researchers found that people whose sleep is interrupted over many years are more at risk of developing dementia. Researchers also have found that individuals who don’t get enough sleep may be twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

Why is sleep so important? Earlier, we learned that clumps of the protein beta-amyloid harden into plaques. These plaques cause nerve cells in the brain to die. This process is thought to lead to Alzheimer’s disease. During sleep, beta-amyloid and other toxins are cleared from the brain. If you don’t get good sleep, especially over a long period of time, this process may not work as well. Lack of sleep can increase risk of dementia in other ways, too. (Poor sleep can also increase your risk of other diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.)

Stay socially engaged

People who have many social contacts and regularly engage with other people may be half as likely to experience memory problems. How many people are part of your social network, how diverse your connections are and how often you’re in touch with the people in your social circle all play a role in how well your brain functions. That makes staying connected with others, especially later in life, an important factor in preserving brain health and preventing brain changes that can lead to dementia.

Social connections are thought to benefit the brain in many ways. Research suggests that engaging with others triggers the release of chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine, which improve mood and outlook and protect the brain from dementia, especially dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease. Social connections are thought to boost a person’s cognitive reserve, which helps buoy the brain against age-related changes.

Social isolation, meanwhile, increases the risk that you will have trouble with thinking skills and memory. It also makes Alzheimer’s disease more likely. And it may increase the odds of developing conditions linked to Alzheimer’s disease, such as high blood pressure and heart disease, as well as increase your risk of depression and other mental health disorders.

Keep stress in check

Several studies show that chronic stress — the feeling of constantly being overwhelmed by one or more of life’s challenges — can result in shrinkage (atrophy) of an area of the brain known as the hippocampus, important to the creation and storage of memories. High levels of stress and prolonged states of stress can increase chronic inflammation and affect cell aging. Stress is thought to affect the length of telomeres, genetic structures at the end of cell chromosomes.

Stress can affect brain health in other ways. When you’re faced with a stressful situation, a surge of hormones temporarily increases your blood pressure and causes your blood vessels to narrow. While there’s no proof that stress can cause long-term high blood pressure on its own, it’s linked to factors that can increase your risk of having high blood pressure. In times of stress, some people turn to unhealthy habits such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol and eating unhealthy foods, all of which can lead to high blood pressure.

There are several strategies that can help keep stress in check. They include exercise; mind-body therapies such as deep breathing, meditation and yoga; and simplifying your daily schedule. These practices may also improve overall emotional well-being. Mind-body therapies are based on the idea that the mind and body are intricately connected and that the mind has the capacity to affect the body. Mindbody practices are discussed in detail in Chapter 16 of the book.

Eat brain-friendly foods

Following a mostly plant-based diet, such as the Mediterranean diet or the Mayo Clinic diet, may help prevent dementia. These diets, rich in fruits, vegetables, olive oil, legumes, whole grains and fish, are thought to be good for overall brain health and may also play a role in reducing dementia risk. Studies have shown that people who follow a Mediterranean diet seem less likely to have Alzheimer’s disease than those who don’t follow such a diet.

Studies also suggest that following a Mediterranean diet may slow mental decline in older adults, keep mild cognitive impairment from progressing to Alzheimer’s disease and reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment. The foods emphasized in plant-based diets may lower cholesterol and blood sugar, which helps protect blood vessels and, in turn, reduces the risk of stroke and dementia. They may also help prevent the loss of brain tissue associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Reduce your risk of stroke

The health of your blood vessels is critical to brain health. If your blood vessels weaken or become damaged, they can’t get nutrients and oxygen to nerve cells in the brain that need them to function.

Relevant reading

Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease Bundle

Dementia is a serious health challenge. By some estimates, the number of people living with dementia could triple by 2050. In Mayo Clinic on Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias you will learn the earliest signs of abnormal aging, features of each stage of Alzheimer's disease, how dementia is diagnosed and…

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Essay: Yoga and the healthy mind in a healthy body

On the international day of yoga, a look at the yogic arts of ancient india and their modern applications.

While yoga has become immensely popular across the globe, most of us – whether in India or abroad – think of it in terms of a series of asanas designed primarily to make us more flexible. We think of it as a practice that confers dexterity and physical well-being. However, Patanjali, the compiler of the foundational text on yoga, the Yoga Sutra , was at least as interested in mental wellness as in physical health. In fact, King Bhoja, who wrote a commentary on the Yoga Sutra , thanks Patanjali for using yoga to “remove the impurities of the mind”.

The ancients recognised that yoga was also effective in removing “impurities of the mind”. (Shutterstock)

Patanjali defined yoga as suppressing the tendency of the mind to wander, when one wants instead to concentrate ( yogah chitta-vritti-nirodhah ). In the types of mental distraction he discusses, he mentions getting lost in past memories, or daydreaming about the future, instead of focusing on the task at hand. Current day psychologists and counsellors and countless TED talks advocate living in the present moment, not in the past or the future. Apparently, Patanjali had the same idea a very long time ago (scholars disagree on his actual date, estimates range from the 5th century BC to a few hundred years later). In fact, Patanjali even lays down mindfulness as one of the ways to train the mind for intense concentration. This involved fully savouring a sensory experience of one’s choice – without letting any other thoughts or acts detract from the experience. Mindful meditation is, of course, a buzzword now, but most of us have no idea of it being initially discussed in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra . Interestingly, Patanjali mentions several other meditation techniques that are popular in modern times, including visualization and focusing on the breath. He also advocated training the mind to remember dreams. Dream analysis is a crucial tool used by modern day psychoanalysts as well.

Statue of Patanjali at Patanjali Yogpeeth, Haridwar, Uttarakhand. (Alok Prasad via Wikimedia Commons)

For Patanjali, the ultimate goal was being able to concentrate so intensely that one immerses oneself fully in the subject, losing all sense of being separate from the topic of one’s focus. He recommends a sequence of steps for getting to this goal, one of which entails cultivating contentment. Patanjali advocates achieving contentment in two ways. The first involves consciously feeling gratitude for the gift of being alive, while the second involves acceptance of oneself and one’s circumstances. Both these methods – gratitude and self-acceptance – are emphasized repeatedly by modern day psychologists. For instance, Robert Emmons, regarded as the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude, has authored books detailing the benefits of expressing gratitude, especially in the form of a sense of awe and wonder at the miracle of simply being alive. (Empirical studies on this mainly focused on the positive effects of gratitude on health and productivity). Self-acceptance is also commonly seen by modern psychologists as being a key component of happiness and mental health. In Patanjali’s opinion, feeling grateful and accepting oneself would make one contented, and a contented person has a relatively untroubled mind, making concentration easier for such a person.

Coming to yet another remarkable similarity between Patanjali’s way of thinking and current day psychological thought requires us to talk about Patanjali’s prohibition against murder. This was one of the chief prohibitions that, according to Patanjali, needed to be observed if one wanted to develop powers of intense concentration; a murderer could not become a yogi. Interestingly, Patanjali was completely non-judgmental of the fact that a person might feel like killing someone else. He even explains what one can do in such a situation to avoid actually acting on the impulse. In this, Patanjali was very like modern psychologists, for whom censoring thoughts is completely unnecessary (they only restrict actions, which ought not to hurt oneself or others). This is also in sharp contrast with a lot of philosophies which condemn “sinful thoughts”.

Yoga was actually much older even than Patanjali, who simply compiled existing theories on yoga into a high-quality text. For instance, the physician Charaka mentions quite another form of yoga in his ancient medical text the Charaka-samhita , thought to be even older than Patanjali. Perhaps to help aspiring medical students, Charaka’s yoga simply aimed at making people better at memorising facts! It, too, emphasised mindfulness.

The best known of the Mohenjo-daro seals is the “Pashupati” seal, which shows a three-faced figure seated in a yogic posture. (Mohenjodaro archaeological site via Wikimedia Commons)

Even more intriguingly, as described by archaeologist Rita Wright in her 2010 book on the Indus valley civilization (IVC), many seals found in IVC sites depict figures in what seem to be yogic postures. One shows a seated figure immersed in a yogic trance, paying no attention at all to the wild animals surrounding him, or to the fact that a man next to him is spearing a water buffalo! The yogi remains in his inner world, tranquil and undisturbed. In another seal, two kneeling people present an offering to a figure seated in a yogic stance. The best known of the Mohenjodaro seals is the “Pashupati” seal, which shows a three-faced figure seated in a yogic posture, surrounded by Indus animals such as lions, elephants, and buffaloes. Pashupati is associated with Rudra, an early version of Shiva, the ultimate yogi.

The figures in the seals show utmost concentration, of the sort described much later by Patanjali. They are not distracted by all the hunting going on around them, or by the various humans or animals approaching them. So, it is unlikely that the people who made the seals were beginners exploring and experimenting with yoga – yogic practitioners seem to .have already attained a very high degree of proficiency by the time of the Indus valley civilization (which itself was at its height in the third millennium BC). They evidently commanded reverence and were known for their powers of deep concentration. While Mesopotamian and Persian seals from the time of the IVC exist, that also show narrative imagery, they lack figures in yogic poses, suggesting the unlikeliness of foreign influences. Archaeological evidence suggests that yoga was most likely even older than the seals in the IVC.

Arjuna receives the Pashupatastra from Lord Shiva. Painting by Raja Ravi Varma, 19th century. (Raja Ravi Varma via Wikimedia Commons)

The regard in which yoga was held is evident in ancient Sanskrit literature. For example, in Bharavi’s sixth century epic poem, the Kiratarjuniya , Arjuna is a hero not because of his prowess in battle, but because of his yogic abilities. He was able to still all contemplation and meditate. (The sixth canto of the poem describes how Arjuna’s meditation made even wild beasts in the forests on the hill feel more tranquil, by the power of influence).

A key component in achieving concentration in Patanjali’s system was the state of dhyana = which became known as zen in East Asian Buddhism, where it was taken by a fifth century South Indian prince, Bodhidharma. Documentary evidence about Bodhidharma comes not from India, but from other countries – primarily China, but also Indonesia, Tibet and Japan. The oldest Chinese source about him dates from the early sixth century. He is first mentioned by Tanlin (506-574), followed by other Chinese sources like Jingjue‘s(683-750) The Chronicles of the Lankavatara masters , Daoxuan’s seventh century Further biographies of Eminent Monks , and the tenth century Record of the Patriarchal Hall . Japanese and Indonesian sources also mention him (according to the modern Japanese scholar Tsutomu Kambe, who studied the manuscripts about him, Bodhidharma was from a Brahmin royal dynasty (a rarity) and was probably from Kanchipuram.) All these sources recount how Bodhidharma, a practitioner of yoga, travelled to China via a harrowing voyage by sea, had a spectacularly unsuccessful interview with the Chinese emperor, whom he managed to offend, and then made his way to the Shaolin monastery. His reputation as an eccentric having probably preceded him, Bodhidharma was refused admittance into the monastery by the Shaolin monks, but remained completely unperturbed. He literally settled down next to the monastery and spent the next nine years gazing at a wall. There were plenty of wild animals in the area surrounding the Shaolin temple, but they did not attack Bodhidharma. One is reminded of the Indus valley yogis meditating undisturbed by dangerous animals nearby, or of Arjuna’s calming influence on the animals of the forest during his penance in the Kiratarjuniya .

Bodhidharma depicted in a Ukiyo-e woodblock print by Japanese artist Yoshitoshi, 1887. (Yoshitoshi-Wikimedia Commons)

Gradually, the Shaolin monks, who had started bringing Bodhidharma food and water, grew curious and in awe of his mental discipline, his perseverance and physical hardiness. After nine years, Bodhidharma was finally given a room in the monastery, and taught the monks – at their behest – dhyana or Zen meditation. With its emphasis on meditation, quieting the mind and focusing on the breath, the popularity of Zen subsequently spread from East and South-East Asia to the West and is finally making its presence felt in the homeland of Buddhism, India.

From the intrepid yogis of the Indus valley civilization, to scholars like Patanjali, who sought to harness its powers for mental concentration and contentment, to Buddhists like Bodhidharma who spread it worldwide, yoga has gone through many avatars. On International Yoga Day, aficionados can rejoice in the enduring legacy of yoga across the globe, and in its holistic approach to both mental health and physical endurance.

Brishti Guha has a PhD in economics from Princeton and is currently an associate professor at the School of International Studies, JNU

The views expressed are personal

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A Healthy Mind in A Healthy Body: Ways to Prove It True!

Most individuals often ignore the fact that our mind and body are linked to each other. Everything that our body performs results from the commands that come from our brain. These activities contribute to a healthy mind and healthy body in human beings. In addition, certain alterations occur to encourage our body to act in a certain way. Inversely, our body also affects our brain. The body comprises a wide range of nerve endings that sends signals to the brain. According to these signals, our brain reacts further in the required manner. Moreover, the brain regulates the internal organs functioning, and sends signals to the brain. Based on these signals, the brain further sends signals to the organs causing them to respond accordingly.

Therefore, it is crucial to maintain a healthy body that influences a healthy mind directly and vice versa. In this regard, physical fitness is a beneficial activity in the upcoming years. Routine physical exercise helps to maintain such a body. The required maintenance takes place with blood flow regulation, improved oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, internal organs care and maintenance, and toxins elimination from the body. All these internal functioning contribute to the development of a healthy body that ultimately leads to a healthy mind.

Healthy and positive mind.

What are the top ways to achieve a healthy body and healthy mind?
How do I balance building a healthy mind and body with studies?
How can I keep my mind and body healthy during the exam preparation journey?
Is building and maintaining a healthy mind and body an expensive task?
Is there any coaching institute that prioritizes creating healthy minds and bodies among students?

A healthy and positive mind is extremely beneficial. A healthy mind can perform mental work. It works similarly to a healthy body that performs more physical work. The toxins responsible to degrade the functioning power of the mind are not just limited to stress signals. The mental stress and disturbances also destroy the balance required to maintain a healthy and active mind. Such toxins harm the mental health of a respective individual. This includes increased fatigue, excess tiredness, anxiety disorders, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Another most commonly observed mental health condition includes Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). You will be surprised to know that eating disorders also harm the maintenance of a healthy body .

The brain works at a super-fast speed to find smart and beneficial solutions to handle day-to-day scenarios. It is highly responsible for bringing the right level of productivity to life. Moreover, a healthy mind helps increase one’s memory performance with retention abilities.

A physically fit healthy body encourages the release of feel-good hormones. In turn, it reduces body-induced mental stress. Our brain releases chemicals to make us feel positive and satisfied at the same time. Therefore, a healthy body significantly contributes to a healthy mind. Now, talking about the factors that have proven impact on the body. This mainly includes stress. Stress is an inevitable part of our daily lives, including students and competitive exam aspirants.

Chronic stress is making everyone including students and exam aspirants feel less empowered. A feeling of discouragement surrounds such people for a long time. Presently, it is a significant issue in the world affecting billions of people. It causes harm to the respective individuals, especially students in the following ways:

It depletes the salt content in our bodies.
It accelerates fat formation.
It destroys the body’s resistance power.
It increases the chances of diseases, infections, illnesses, etc.
The immunity of the body weakens.
It increases the risk of diabetes.
It improves heart rate and functioning.
It increases cholesterol levels.
It may accelerate the chances of heart attacks.
It increases the chances of blood clotting.

Therefore, one must focus on finding the right ways to reduce these stress levels to an extent that does not influence the body and mind negatively. Activities such as workouts, physical games, and other sports activities aimed at improving mental and physical wellness come into play. These activities contribute to a healthy mind in a healthy body . Both these aspects help in creating a balance and reducing stress in one’s life.

Besides physical activities, meditation and yoga also play a vital role in achieving these aspects of a healthy life . Meditation helps in relieving mental and physical stress. These activities also focus on improving the flow of energy through and around the body. Along with this, it also improves the systems that function toward the body’s welfare.

Therefore, these activities are known to eliminate various medical anomalies right from the scratch. These activities cure the body and mind in the best possible manner. These activities are essential to improve the overall health of the respective individual’s body and mind.

Student life comprises several ups and downs that most students and exam aspirants face during the phase of full-fledged exam preparation. Therefore, experts recommend students and exam aspirants study and play games to the fullest capacity. Ever imagined why this is so? This is simply because this helps the students divert their minds from stress-related activities and keeps the body, including the internal organs, active and healthy. In turn, this leads to a healthy mind and healthy body . The latter is a major factor that keeps a person happy and active. Therefore, all-round development is necessary. This includes keeping one’s body healthy for a similar mind. Healthy life also depends on these aspects largely.

Several institutions with excellent reputations present across the world have taken steps to ensure the all-round development of their students. Pupils are encouraged not just to study but also to play or exercise their bodies to develop a sharper and clearer mind. In today’s world of competition, even coaching centers have now started adopting this policy. Even they have now started to develop strategies to ensure the mental well-being of their students along with preparing them towards reaching their target.

One of the best coaching institutes – MADE EASY works prominently on such crucial yet unaddressed issues. The primary aim of the institute is to provide the best educational facilities to crack the respective state-level and national-level competitive exams and focus on their mental well-being. MADE EASY encourages its students to engage their minds in positive aspects. The experienced faculties at MADE EASY encourage students to build a healthy body with a healthy mind throughout the exam preparation journey.

If you are a competitive exam aspirant, you must understand that it is crucial to deal with mental health influencing factors such as stress, unhealthy lifestyle, and other aspects in the best possible manner. Now, let us find out the proven measures to eliminate stress and depression among youth (mainly youth).

Measures to Eliminate Stress and Depression among youth:

Calm your mind and put efforts to divert your mind toward natural and beautiful aspects.
Focus on stress elimination and energy-purifying activities.
Keep a motto of Healthy Body – Healthy Mind . Motivate yourself as much as you can towards fulfilling your daily schedule of maintaining physical fitness. You must keep in mind that this will keep you active all day long.
Speak to your loved ones about your mental state. However, choose the respective individuals wisely to avoid further chaos. It will lessen your blood pressure levels and heart rate.
Choosing to be happy is one of the best solutions to all your problems. Happiness and laughing can decrease your stress levels. It acts as a stress-destroying element, thus contributing to a healthy life and healthy mind.
Quality social support possesses the power to relieve the effects of stress and increase longevity in people. There are many social support groups that you can join.
Act and behave as if you are healthy. Schedule and maintain a daily physical activity program and aim towards achieving optimum health as soon as possible.
Prioritize adequate sleep every day. The optimum number of hours varies from one age group to another. Therefore, if you are a student or exam aspirant, you must dedicate your energy to 6-8 hours of quality sleep. Improper sleep leads to lots of problems. Sleep affects many conditions of our body besides affecting brain functioning. Irregular sleep will affect your activities for the next 24 – 48 hours.
Focus on improving your nutrition and eating habits. One must make it a point to build and follow healthy eating habits for a healthy body . It requires the individual to balance different forms of nutrients. This includes proteins, healthy fats, carbs, minerals, and vitamins. We must intake the right quantity of water at regular intervals. Avoid either too much or too less amount of water daily. The proper level of hydration helps to keep the body hydrated and energized.

Therefore, you can refer to the above-mentioned points and ensure that you eliminate stress from your life, which is one of the major points that influence the overall well-being of the respective individual. In this way, you can live a fulfilling and healthy life.

After understanding the measures that will eliminate stress and depression among exam aspirants, it becomes important to know the answers to some commonly asked questions. You can find some of them below.

1. What are the top ways to achieve a healthy body and healthy mind?

Ans. The best ways to achieve a healthy body and healthy mind includes keeping the mind calm, focusing on eliminating stress, consuming healthy meals, getting proper sleep, living in your present life instead of focusing on the future, and getting a proper and timely good night sleep. Most importantly, put your efforts towards staying active in your daily routine. In this way, you can keep a check on your mind and body with the best efforts in the above-mentioned activities.

2. How do I balance building a healthy mind and body with studies?

Ans. It is important to balance a healthy mind and healthy body with studies as it helps to create a fulfilling life in the long term. Along with this, you need to make sure that you pick up a few habits that will take you to the next level. This includes prioritizing your self-care and work sessions at their respective times.

3. How can I keep my mind and body healthy during the exam preparation journey?

Ans. You can keep your mind and body healthy during the exam preparation journey if you decide to do so. The exam preparation journey comprises many ups and downs. Therefore, you need to emphasize your efforts towards accomplishing a complete balance in your healthy life .

4. Is building and maintaining a healthy mind and body an expensive task?

Ans. No. It is not an expensive task. Creating a healthy mind and healthy body takes patience, determination, and dedication from the respective individual’s end.

5. Is there any coaching institute that prioritizes creating healthy minds and bodies among students?

Ans. Yes. If you are searching for a coaching institute that will help you to prioritize a balanced mind and body, then your search has finally ended. MADE EASY faculties and teams ensure that students receive the required amount of encouragement and guidance to develop a healthy mind and body along with excelling in their competitive exam attempts.

Thus, you need to make a note of the points that are responsible to create and maintain a healthy mind and healthy body. In this way, you will gain significant fulfilment in your life and carry it forward to the later decades.

Hope you found the blog post useful!

Keep learning and evolving with MADE EASY!

Dear Aspirants ,

Take your GATE exam, ESE exam, and PSUs Interviews preparation to the next level with the MADE EASY YouTube channel. This popular YouTube channel comprises a lot of content for exam aspirants preparing for the ESE and GATE exams with PSUs interviews. It includes Current Affairs, Previous Years’ Questions (PYQs), GATE through Questions (GTQs), Toppers Talk (ESE & GATE), Tips and Tricks, and Job Notifications (Job Box).

So, hurry up, subscribe to the MADE EASY: ESE, GATE, and PSUs YouTube channel now, and never miss an update on new videos.

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Healthy Mind Dwells In A Healthy Body (Essay Sample)

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Healthy mind dwells in a healthy body

The mental health is indispensable for physical health. The physiological status of a person is a primary asset for good health and efficient mental functioning. Health educators recommend for physical exercise and healthy lifestyle. Eating habits are an important concern for the individual. Shockingly, the only handful of people exercise, eat healthy foods, drink responsibly and abstain from smoking. Most probably, maintaining a healthy body is an option only when high blood cholesterol detected, high blood pressure on record or possible diabetic diagnosis. However, it is never too late to keep a healthy body, take healthy diet, drink responsibly and avoid excessive tobacco smoking. Practicing good health is never too late but always appropriate to start. Indeed, healthy minds dwell in a healthy body. This mantra is essential since pure and unsullied mind helps in keeping physical well-being.

Adequate sleep and rest have great medicinal value. The modern society is incredibly committed to running daily activities. Most probably, people are stressed and racing against time to complete the daily overdue at the expense of sleeping or resting the body. Shockingly, some people are so busy eat properly but have extra time to chair meetings and claim overtime allowances. Doing physical exercise and sleeping are neither necessary but running international business and making the profit is the primary priority. The commitments extremely overwork their body to the point that some people consistently remain stressed. Most individuals are under extreme pressure to meet strict deadlines and complete targets on time. Indeed, people are concerned to achieve and accomplish so much in no time. Despite the commitments, they are failing to recognize the importance of staying healthy, mentally and physically. A healthy body nourishes the mind. In searching for stable mental peace to counter the occupation stress, the body has to be kept healthy thus healthy mind dwells in a healthy body.

How to keep healthy body for a healthy mind

Taking meals on time is inevitable to maintain a healthy body. A Proper diet provides the body with the essential nutrients necessary for the good healthy body. The three meals of the day should be adequate with and nutrient dense. The junk foods should be taken sparingly though they are not healthy. Moreover, the consumption of fried food should also be reduced. Skipping certain meals for the sake of cutting down excessive body weight should be discouraged as it may deny the mind adequate nourishment. Lastly, the fruits and vegetables should be added to the diet.

The second recommendation for keeping the healthy body to guarantees healthy mind is through physical exercise. Despite the commitments, spare some hours in the day to walk and jog for at least forty-five hours in a day. Physical exercise enhances blood flow and releases stress. The exercise also enhances smooth sleep thus releasing the mind from stress. Seven hours of sleep helps the mind to refresh and make one energetic throughout the day. Moreover, breaking from the daily routine once a week is significant to maintain a healthy body. Finally, carrying emotional baggage from past frustrations and historical events may also add stress. Focusing on the present and future activities is imperative.

In conclusion, healthy mind dwells in a healthy body is a familiar phrase that is often misinterpreted. The phrase is commonly used but hardly incorporated into the daily lifestyle. Tasks and responsibility are the primary priority in life rather than sparing the body from excessive commitments. Performing several activities over limited time frame renders lives hectic thus leading to irregularity in adhering to a healthy routine. Unhealthy body compromises the physical and mental health of the individual. It is therefore inevitable to protect and maintain physical health. Otherwise, mental health would suffer.

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11 Benefits of Crying: Why It’s Good for Your Mind and Body

Why do people cry, benefits of crying, how much should you cry.

Seeking Medical Care

Crying is a natural human response to a wide range of emotions. It's normal to cry sometimes, especially at emotional events such as funerals, graduations, or retirement parties. Both men and women cry more than you may assume. Statistics show that women cry 5.3 times per month while men cry 1.3 times per month. This difference in crying occurrence is likely due to socialization and gender roles.

This article explores the many reasons people cry and its benefits, including what to do if you're concerned about how much you cry.

aquaArts studio / Getty Images

A Note on Gender and Sex Terminology

Verywell Health acknowledges that sex and gender are related concepts, but they are not the same. To reflect our sources accurately, this article uses terms like “female,” “male,” “woman,” and “man” as the sources use them.

People may cry for many reasons, but an underlying emotional factor is usually involved. Physically, crying helps our body relieve stress and restore emotional balance by releasing stress hormones .

Psychologically, tears can be a response to sadness, joy, frustration, and relief, providing an outlet for intense feelings that might otherwise be overwhelming. Socially, crying can also be a form of nonverbal communication, signaling to others our need for support, empathy, or comfort and helping to strengthen social bonds.

We often feel better after we cry because crying releases emotion and stress. Science shows that crying is beneficial for the reasons below.

Has a Soothing Effect

Crying can have a soothing effect for some, but not all, people. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for promoting relaxation, digestion, and recovery. Shedding tears also releases endorphins , the body's natural pain relievers or "happy hormones," which can create a sense of calm. Additionally, crying can facilitate an emotional release, which helps us process our feelings and find emotional relief.

Helps Relieve Pain

The endorphins your body releases when you cry can help alleviate certain types of pain. The physical act of crying also activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which helps promote relaxation, reduce stress, and may help manage pain. The emotional release that comes with crying also helps to diminish feelings of distress and discomfort, contributing to overall pain relief.

Boosts Mood

Crying can release pent-up emotions and trigger the release of endorphins, allowing your mood to lift. Additionally, crying often leads to seeking and receiving social support, fostering a sense of connection and comfort that can significantly improve your mood.

Rallies Support From Others

When you see someone crying, you likely perceive this as a clear nonverbal distress signal, prompting an empathetic response. Crying typically elicits curiosity, support, and reassurance from those around you. Most people are naturally inclined to respond to tears with kindness and concern. Furthermore, crying can strengthen social bonds by allowing people to share vulnerabilities, fostering deeper connections.

Releases Hormones to Relieve Stress

Crying flushes out stress-related chemicals like cortisol through tears, helping to cleanse your body. Studies even show that emotional tears contain more stress hormones than other types of tears.

Aids in Sleep

The emotional release of crying can help reduce anxiety and stress that might otherwise make it harder for you to fall asleep and stay asleep through the night. Plus, the endorphins your body releases when you cry can calm your mind and help you achieve a more peaceful and uninterrupted sleep .

Fights Bacteria

Your tears contain lysozyme , an enzyme with antimicrobial properties. Lysozyme helps protect your eyes from infection by neutralizing harmful germs that come into contact with them. Furthermore, crying helps flush out debris to keep your eyes clean and healthy.

Improves Vision

Crying lubricates your eyes naturally, prevents dryness, and ensures your cornea (the dome-shaped outer layer that focuses light and acts as a protective barrier) remains moist and clear. Tears also help wash away dust, debris, and other irritants, reducing the risk of infections.

Aids Grief Recovery

Crying allows us to express and process emotions, which is essential for emotional healing after a challenging event or season. It provides a release for the intense feelings associated with grief , which can be helpful when coping with a loss and coming to terms with our emotions.

Restores Emotional Balance

As a natural outlet for pent-up emotions, crying helps release tension and stress. It can help regulate overwhelming feelings, bringing a sense of relief and clarity. Many people would describe crying as a cathartic process that allows us to process and resolve emotions and restore a sense of balance.

Helps Babies Breathe and Sleep

It can be stressful or worrisome to hear a baby cry, but crying has benefits for infants, too. It helps them breathe by clearing their airways and increasing oxygen intake, especially during distress or discomfort. The rhythmic pattern of crying can also regulate a baby's breathing. And just as for adults, crying can release tension and stress, helping babies relax and improve their sleep.

There is no prescriptive advice regarding how much you should cry. The amount varies greatly from person to person and is influenced by individual differences in emotional sensitivity, coping mechanisms, and life circumstances.

Crying is a natural and healthy emotional response that serves as a release for pent-up emotions and stress. While some people may find relief in crying frequently, others may express and work through their emotions differently.

Ultimately, there's no set quota for crying. It's essential to allow yourself to experience and process emotions authentically, seeking a balance between expressing your feelings and maintaining your emotional well-being.

When to Contact a Healthcare Provider

Crying is normal. However, if you're crying more than usual , especially if it's significantly impacting your daily life, relationships, or overall well-being, speak with a healthcare provider.

If crying episodes become overwhelming, uncontrollable, or interfere with your ability to carry out everyday tasks or responsibilities, this may indicate underlying emotional distress that could benefit from therapeutic intervention.

Furthermore, if crying is accompanied by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or despair, or if it persists despite attempts to manage it independently, reaching out to a mental health professional can be helpful.

Everybody cries sometimes. Crying is a natural and beneficial response to emotional triggers and our body's way of working through stress, calming our nervous system, and removing toxins. However, if you're crying so often that it disrupts your everyday life or causes concern, there's no shame in contacting a healthcare provider.

Seeking mental health support can help in instances in which you're carrying a lot of emotional stress and not sure how to manage it in a healthy way.

American Psychological Association. Why we cry .

Millings A, Hepper EG, Hart CM, Swift L, Rowe AC. Holding back the tears: individual differences in adult crying proneness reflect attachment orientation and attitudes to crying . Front Psychol . 2016;7:1003. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01003

Vingerhoets AJJM, Bylsma LM. The riddle of human emotional crying: a challenge for emotion researchers . Emot Rev . 2016;8(3):207-217. doi:10.1177/1754073915586226

Bylsma LM, Gračanin A, Vingerhoets AJJM. A clinical practice review of crying research . Psychotherapy (Chic) . 2021;58(1):133-149. doi:10.1037/pst0000342

Bylsma LM, Gračanin A, Vingerhoets AJJM. The neurobiology of human crying . Clin Auton Res. 2019;29(1):63-73. doi:10.1007/s10286-018-0526-y

Gračanin A, Bylsma LM, Vingerhoets AJ. Is crying a self-soothing behavior? . Front Psychol . 2014;5:502. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00502

Cleveland Clinic. Why do we cry? The truth behind your tears .

Pilozzi A, Carro C, Huang X. Roles of β-endorphin in stress, behavior, neuroinflammation, and brain energy metabolism . Int J Mol Sci . 2020;22(1):338. doi:10.3390/ijms22010338

McDermott AM. Antimicrobial compounds in tears . Exp Eye Res . 2013;117:53-61. doi:10.1016/j.exer.2013.07.014

Harvard Health. Is crying good for you? March 1, 2021.

Pflugfelder SC, Stern ME. Biological functions of tear film . Exp Eye Res . 2020;197:108115. doi:10.1016/j.exer.2020.108115

Sharman LS, Dingle GA, Vingerhoets AJJM, Vanman EJ. Using crying to cope: Physiological responses to stress following tears of sadness . Emotion. 2020;20(7):1279-1291. doi:10.1037/emo0000633

Kahn M, Livne-Karp E, Juda-Hanael M, et al. Behavioral interventions for infant sleep problems: the role of parental cry tolerance and sleep-related cognitions . J Clin Sleep Med. 2020;16(8):1275-1283. doi:10.5664/jcsm.8488

Chand SP, Arif H. Depression . [Updated 2023 Jul 17]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430847/

By Lauren Panoff, MPH, RD Panoff is a registered dietician, writer, and speaker with over a decade of experience specializing in the health benefits of a plant-based lifestyle.

What Is Tai Chi? A Beginner’s Guide to This Mind-Body Practice

A tai chi practice involves slow-motion flow — and with that comes a cadre of health benefits, too, including better balance, mobility, and coordination. Tai chi (also called tai chi chuan or tai ji quan) is a mind-body exercise that combines movements, meditation, and deep breathing, according to the American Tai Chi and Qigong Association (ATCQA) .

The word “tai” means “supreme,” “chi” means “boundary,” and “chuan” means “fist” or “movement,” according to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga , which runs a wheelchair and adaptive tai chi program. Put those definitions together, and tai chi chuan translates to a method of movement that cultivates inner peace, power, and awareness, and fosters overall wellness.

Though there are several different forms of tai chi, its movements include a series of postures that you flow through during a tai chi class with the guidance of an instructor.

History of Tai Chi

Tai chi is an ancient system of exercise that was developed in China in the 12th century A.D., according to the ATCQA. It was originally developed for self-defense and martial arts, but eventually grew into a health and wellness practice. Some consider it a great-grandchild of the older practice of qigong , which is similar in theory.

In the mid-1950s, a group of Chinese tai chi masters developed a standardized version of tai chi that included 24 postures, making tai chi more beginner friendly, notes the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

While there are many different styles of tai chi, each is based on a standard set of principles, including:

Using the mind to initiate the movement
Moving with relaxed, loose joints
Synchronizing body movements
Performing movements in circular motions
Maintaining a continuous flow

While tai chi remains a common practice in Asian countries, its popularity has been growing, says Peter Wayne, PhD , an associate professor of medicine and the director of the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Around 3.75 million people in the U.S. practice tai chi, according to the market data company Statista . More middle-aged and older adults tend to practice tai chi, but there are increasingly more martial art or sport variations of tai chi that are attracting younger people, says Wayne.

How Tai Chi Works

During tai chi, you plant your feet into the ground and shift your weight from the right to left leg as you perform various movements that flow from one to the next, notes the ATCQA . There may be anywhere from 13 movements (or positions) to dozens in a single session.

Tai chi is considered a mind-body exercise. “I would even add that tai chi is a mind-body-spirit exercise,” says Ruth Taylor-Piliae, PhD, RN , a professor in the behavioral health sciences division at the University of Arizona College of Nursing in Tucson. “The mind reflects a person’s thoughts, emotions, attitudes, and beliefs, while the body is our physical health, and the spirit represents breath. Tai chi can impact all of those aspects of a person,” she says.

Breath, movement, and awareness work together in tai chi. As you move your body through the physical motions (or positions) of tai chi, you are asked to relax and breathe deeply and naturally, as well as focus your attention, explains Taylor-Piliae. Your movements are not forced and your joints are soft (not fully extended), such as maintaining a slight knee bend.

As for the mind element, “Tai chi is a very meditative exercise. It’s done slowly and mindfully. Some people call it mindfulness on wheels or medication in motion,” says Dr. Wayne. Tai chi helps you stay present in class, relax your breathing, and focus your mind.

For people who are living with an illness, such as cardiovascular disease, heart failure, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), practicing tai chi may help improve fitness and build strength, particularly in the lower body: “In some cases, tai chi does as well as vigorous walking,” says Wayne, in his professional opinion.

Tai chi is also traditionally done in a group setting, which can enhance enjoyment, build a sense of community, and help with motivation to be physically active, says Wayne.

Common Questions & Answers

Types of tai chi.

Tai chi is based on a sequence of movements, which is called a form. Within tai chi, there are five family styles :

Chen The oldest form of tai chi, this style incorporates martial arts elements, with kicks, punches, and jumps.
Yang This popular style features slower, graceful movements and focuses on balance.
Wu Another popular style, Wu features more forward- and backward-leaning movements.
Sun This style of tai chi is more dance-like, with an emphasis on footwork.
Hao A more advanced style that homes in on qi (life force), it's rarely practiced today.

Possible Health Benefits of Tai Chi

Tai chi may be known best for its stress-buffering benefits , but there are other potential perks, like soothing pain conditions and cancer-related symptoms, and lowering blood sugar, similar to other forms of exercise, notes the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) . Here are a handful more.

1. May Help Reduce Risk of Falling

Tai chi’s mindfulness element is not only powerful for its potentially de-stressing and mood-boosting benefits, but it’s also why the practice may be especially useful in improving balance. “There is an emphasis in tai chi on mental attention, being aware of the sensations and postures of your body, and breathing, all of which [can] enhance postural stability,” Wayne says. A systematic review and meta-analysis published in BMJ Open in February 2017 found that practicing tai chi regularly may decrease one’s fall risk, especially in older adults more at risk of instability.

2. May Improve Quality of Life in Coping With Chronic Diseases

There’s evidence to suggest that tai chi may affect circulation, leading to improved blood pressure levels that reduce the risk of heart disease. Not only that, but in a study published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing in October 2020 , tai chi was found to be a generally safe practice for people who have cardiovascular disease, and a qualitative descriptive study published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing in September–October 2020 found tai chi and storytelling a useful tool in recovery and improved quality of life following a stroke. The research indicates that the practice may help decrease stress, depression, and anxiety, and increase confidence in the physical abilities in these groups.

3. May Improve the Experience of Aging

Even if you haven’t been physically active before, tai chi can make a large difference in how your body and brain age. A systematic review and meta-analysis published in the November–December 2022 Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics revealed that older adults who practice tai chi reported improved mobility, less joint stiffness, better sleep, less anxiety, better cognitive function in those who had mild cognitive impairment, and overall better quality of life.

4. May Better Brain Health and Mood

Studies, such as one published in November 2020 in the International Journal of Nursing Studies , show that anywhere from one hour to one year of tai chi (and yes, that is a large span!) can confer psychological benefits by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, and increase self-esteem and mood in a wide population of people. What does that mean for your day-to-day life? “There’s good evidence to suggest that tai chi can have long-term positive effects on your mood and your sense of self-efficacy and ability to accomplish other things,” says Wayne.

5. May Strengthen Bones

One of the potential benefits of tai chi is that it may mitigate bone loss, as the stance held during tai chi creates a weight-bearing exercise that may ultimately help minimize bone loss and therefore may help decrease the risk of osteoporosis, notes research published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience in September 2022 .

Tai Chi Risks

Tai chi is generally safe for most people without serious health concerns. In a past systematic review on 153 randomized controlled trials, Wayne and his colleagues found that tai chi is unlikely to cause serious side effects, though some people experience muscle aches and pains. That goes for beginners, too. But it’s always important to talk to a professional healthcare provider before you start a new exercise routine, to confirm whether or not it’s right for you.

Who May Want to Try (and Avoid) Tai Chi

Tai chi can be modified to fit almost everyone. If you are looking to become physically active or are currently living with a health condition (such as heart disease or COPD), you may want to consider a tai chi practice to meet your exercise needs in a way that’s gentle on the body. There are also seated versions of tai chi if you have physical limitations that wouldn’t allow you to stand comfortably for the duration of the class.

While there are no published studies on the safety of tai chi during pregnancy, the NCCIH notes it is likely safe during pregnancy in most instances, as long as you take appropriate precautions and discuss with your doctor before beginning a tai chi practice if you’re pregnant.

Tips for Getting Started With Tai Chi

New to tai chi? Follow these tips to find the right instructor — and class — for you.

1. Ask Around

According to NCCIH, tai chi instructors don’t have to be licensed and the practice isn’t regulated by the U.S. government or individual states. In other words, there are no national standards for receiving a tai chi instructor certification. Until there are standardized guidelines, talk to people in your community and your healthcare provider (your MD, massage therapist, acupuncturist, or integrative practitioner) for recommendations, suggests Wayne.

2. Look at a Teacher’s Credentials

If you are going to tai chi for a particular underlying health issue, know that some teachers may have medical backgrounds, and it’s helpful to find one aligned with your needs, says Wayne. Some may be acupuncturists, physical therapists, or medical doctors who could better understand your condition and how to modify the movements for you. When talking with a teacher, you can also ask them if they think their style of class is right for you given any limitations you may have, such as arthritis.

3. Give a Class a Chance

Ideally, search for a beginner-friendly class. Then, take a class (or a few) in your area to see if it’s a good match for your wellness goals. Ask about taking an introductory class before committing to a series of classes. Another option: Ask a teacher if you can come watch one class to get a better feeling for what the practice involves before you try it.

4. Talk to the Teacher

In addition to asking an instructor whether their class is a match for your physical abilities, also ask if they teach the fundamentals of alignment, grounding, movement, and breathing, suggests Arlene Faulk , a tai chi instructor at Faulk Tai Chi, based in Evanston, Illinois. Stress that you are a beginner and ask if they offer any beginner classes.

What to Expect Before, During, and After Tai Chi

Your first tai chi class may be a wonderful experience. All instructors have their own teaching style, but follow these general tips to remain comfortable in class.

Dress comfortably. Wear nonrestrictive clothing and footwear.

Introduce yourself. If you are coming to tai chi with health issues (for example, knee problems), let your teacher know before you begin class, so they can help you adapt any movements.

Warm up. Each instructor will have their own warm-up. In Faulk’s classes, she instructs students to stand with their feet hips-width apart with knees soft and bent. Then she has students move around side to side to feel where they are, and asks them to visualize their legs as the trunk of a tree, rooted and grounded.

Go easy on yourself. You may be new to the movements, and that’s okay. “The two expectations I have for beginners is to try to keep your mind in the room as much as possible and pay attention to your body,” says Faulk. If you feel as if you’re uncoordinated, that’s okay, too. “The main thing is to be open and try to let go — and tai chi will help [most people] let go,” she says. This is your own practice; it’s not about perfection.

Take five, if necessary. If you want to sit and take a break, that’s okay, says Dr. Taylor-Piliae. There’s no reason to uncomfortably push yourself.

You may feel changed. After class expect to feel … different. “It’s [generally, for most people] an unusual mix of feeling deeply relaxed and very awake, present, and invigorated,” says Wayne. Over time, with regular practice, these feelings can translate into a better overall mood.

You may want more. Wayne points out that tai chi can be a “gateway exercise” for some folks, as it improves their self-confidence in their body’s ability to handle challenges.

Set your schedule. Getting into a new exercise routine can be challenging, but the ideal amount to practice tai chi for the benefits is for one hour three times per week for 12 weeks, says Taylor-Piliae, in her professional opinion. If that’s too ambitious, then aim for one hour twice a week for 16 weeks.

Take it home. If doing tai chi a few times a week is not yet doable, yet you want your skills to improve, you can practice at home. Take 10 minutes and put yourself in the hip-width positions with your knees soft, and the backs of your hands on your lower back and move forward and backward, suggests Faulk. Keep your chest lifted and body weight over the center of your feet. Do this three times per week. “It takes the pressure off to practice the movements at home, while allowing you to empty your head and mentally be there in the moment,” says Faulk.

Adjust your expectations. If you are new to exercise or have been more sedentary, you may see benefits from tai chi early on, says Taylor-Piliae. Alternatively, if you are already regularly active, it may take more time to experience these potential mind-body improvements.

Tai Chi Resources We Love

Best organizations.

Tai Chi Foundation

Find live online classes for beginners, use their search tool to find in-person classes near you, and watch videos to help you hone your form in tai chi.

American Tai Chi and Qigong Association

The ATCQA accredits teachers, schools, and practitioners in tai chi. Use their class locator to find a credentialed teacher, sign up for their monthly newsletter, and bookmark Supreme Chi Living, the online journal of the association to learn about how tai chi fits into your life if you have arthritis, diabetes, pain, and more.

United States Tai Chi Community

This not-for-profit organization features a handy Find an Instructor tool on the homepage of their website — simply pop in your zip code and you’ll get a list of instructors near you, what they specialize in, and their contact info.

Best Website for Lessons

Tai Chi at Home

It's recommended to start with an in-person class so that the practice can be modified for any injuries or risk factors you have. But when you want to learn tai chi in the comfort of your own home, this is a great place to start. There is a fee ($12.99 per month or $79.99 per year) and you’ll get a three-day free trial to learn if the style of instruction is right for you. Here, you can find lessons in tai chi, qigong , meditation, stretching, and balance.

The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi: 12 Weeks to a Healthy Body, Strong Heart, and Sharp Mind

Coauthored by Peter Wayne, PhD, this book takes you through the research on the health benefits of tai chi, how to use the practice to enhance your everyday life, the principles of tai chi, and a program that you can start at home.

Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking

Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy . We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.

What Is Tai Chi? American Tai Chi and Qigong Association .
A Brief History of Tai Chi. American Tai Chi and Qigong Association .
Tai Chi Forms. Ji Hong Tai Chi & Qi Gong Mississauga .
Number of Participants in Tai Chi in the United States From 2008 to 2018. Statista . February 22, 2021.
Wayne PM, Berkowitz DL, Litrownik DE, et al. What Do We Really Know About the Safety of Tai Chi?: A Systematic Review of Adverse Event Reports in Randomized Trials. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation . December 2014.
The Story of Tai Chi (or Taijiquan). University of Tennessee Chattanooga .
Huang ZG, Feng YH, Li YH, Lv CS. Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Tai Chi for Preventing Falls in Older Adults. BMJ Open . February 2017.
Wen J, Su M. A Randomized Trial of Tai Chi on Prevention Hypertension and Hyperlipidemia in Middle-Aged and Elderly Patients. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health . May 20, 2021.
Taylor-Piliae RE, Finley BA. Tai Chi Exercise for Psychological Well-Being Among Adults With Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing . October 1, 2020.
Taylor-Piliae RE, Zeimantz MA, Dolan H, Rosenfeld AG. Stroke Survivors’ Feelings and Perceptions of Their Recovery After a Tai Chi Exercise Intervention: A Qualitative Descriptive Study. Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing . September–October 2020.
Leung LYL, Tam HL, Ho JKM. Effectiveness of Tai Chi on Older Adults: A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews With Re-Meta-Analysis. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics . November–December 2022.
Liu X, Jiang C, Fan Rong, et al. The Effect and Safety of Tai Chi on Bone Health in Post-Menopausal Women: A Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience . September 13, 2022.

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