Why Mind Over Matter Matters
Okay, so you made the decision to improve your health. You're
taking your vitamins, you've given up smoking and junk food, and
you've decided to buy a juicer to take advantage of the health
benefits of juicing. All good things. And, according to the
latest studies, all things that may help in cancer treatment and
prevention, as well as the treatment and prevention of a host of
other ailments, including heart disease, asthma, allergies and
high blood pressure. But, don't overlook one important element
in helping your body stay healthy.
Your mind.
That's right, your mind. It's called the Mind/Body connection.
In a nutshell, what you believe in your mind can influence
things in your body.
It's known that anxiety can make any illness worse. Anxiety can
make pain feel worse, lower defenses that allow a cold virus to
take hold, and can aid in raising your blood pressure. Sometimes
the simple act of relaxing can do wonders for your health.
That's all part of the mind/body connection.
You've heard of the "placebo effect" haven't you? That's when
you get better thinking you're taking a certain medication, only
to find out you were really taking a sugar pill. In almost all
studies of medications, there's a certain percentage of people
who improve taking the placebo. Why? Because they thought they
were taking the real thing. They expected to feel better and
they did.
Now, am I saying you can conquer any illness just by thinking
yourself healthy? No. And, if you have any symptoms that concern
you, you should see a health-care professional. But, using the
power of positive thinking, belief and relaxation techniques in
conjunction with healthy eating and modern medicine can
certainly help with the treatment of any disease. It can lower
anxiety, which can help improve any anxiety-related illness. It
can ease nausea in cancer patients, which can help with certain
procedures. It can lessen the effects of pain.
One way to increase positive belief is with hypnosis or
self-hypnosis. Hypnosis allows you to get to that deep state of
relaxation where you bypass the critical beta mind. Once in a
relaxed trance state it's good to imagine or visualize your body
as perfectly healthy, and repeat positive affirmations to
yourself about your body being in perfect health.
How does one get into a trance state? One way, of course, is to
see a hypnotherapist who will use techniques to hypnotize you.
Another way is to hypnotize yourself using self-hypnosis. The
simple version is this: Sit in a comfortable position. Close
your eyes and begin actively imagining your body relaxing. Take
several deep breathes, breathing in relaxation and exhaling any
tensions. Start with your feet and imagine them as deeply
relaxed. Work your way up your body, imagining that every breath
you take brings the relaxation up into the rest of your body.
Take your time. It's not a race. When you're through actively
imaging your body relaxed, take yourself even deeper and imagine
yourself going down an elevator, or a staircase, imagining every
step down you're getting even deeper. I use a staircase of 21
stairs and count down. You can use any number you like. When
you've reached 0 tell yourself you're in deep sleep, and tell
yourself that every time you go down the staircase in your mind
you will be deeply relaxed. At this point you imagine your body
as healthy, while repeating your affirmations to yourself. Then,
when you're through, just count yourself up and out from 0 to
five, telling yourself to open your eyes, and that you're wide
awake and alert.
Your self-hypnosis session needn't be long - 5 or 10 minutes
will do. But, practiced daily will certainly help in relieving
tensions and anxiety that can weaken your health.
And, remember, don't throw away the juicer or the vitamins.
Juicers and vitamins and walking and eating healthy, as well as
regular medical checkups, are all part of staying healthy.
Remember, it's called the mind/body connection.