Manifesting: The Mind-Body-Spirit Connection

Frownies is all about whole health. Yes we want to balance the body’s protective layer, the skin, but there is more to health than just the physical.  The mind and the spirit must also be balanced to have health and even more success. Success is when our dreams come to fruition. Maybe you’ve heard of manifesting your dreams to make them reality.

There is much to learn when it comes to manifesting our dreams and harnessing the mind body spirit connection—and it’s potential for healing.  The mind-body connection works in wondrous ways. Those of you who have personally experienced natural healing trust and believe healing can and does happen. It is quite interesting to observe others who do not believe they can heal naturally but instead hold fast to the belief that they are sick. A belief in sickness can cause one to writhe in pain, or even to fear death. The power of suggestion and a subconscious belief are affecting the ability to heal. 

By tapping into the mind-body-spirit connection you can intentionally influence your overall health and well-being. Resolving negative mental and emotional cycles releases stress and opens for positive healing energy. Visualization, hypnosis, and energy flow are techniques that help the subconscious to accept suggestions that heal and improve your life. 

The power of the mind-body connection is not only its ability to manifest better health, but more than that it helps you to achieve more in other areas of your life. The law of attraction and manifestation provide us with the proof that when the energy of your mind, body and soul are in alignment with your purpose, you can obtain everything you want, but what you manifest energetically will occur every time.

Tap into your mind-body connection

Some metaphysical practitioners use muscle testing and pendulums to access the subconscious for information about anything from food allergies to which remedies or treatments to choose. Subconscious mind power techniques like visualization, hypnosis and emotional releasing techniques are popular methods of positively and purposely accessing  the mind body spirit connection for healing and manifesting.

These techniques are used to: reprogram and shift previous patterns of limiting beliefs, offer new suggestions to your mind—neutralizing negative charges from upsetting emotions, and free up energy in the mind, body, and spirit that can be used for creating a healthier, happier existence. Spiritual wellness methods bring healing to your entire self and to others as well. In the wisdom and energy of the spiritual realm we find unity where we all are one. Such practices are free for all to access—regardless of religious beliefs (or lack thereof). Most faiths share common practices such as meditation, gratitude, prayer, and forgiveness. Spiritual consciousness can be called many names: God, the universe, creator, source, origin, universal super conscious, etc.

Once the spirit touches the mind, the mind then begins to heal the body. Believe that the truth will always set you free. As we initiate awakening our level of consciousness rises, the possibility and frequency of healing will also increase —individually and collectively. When this happens spiritual wellness will be a true reality.

Syncing of the mind and body improves overall health (and happiness). The key is doing it. The results are transformative and profound when we do. Candace P. Pert, PhD and author of Molecules of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine says, “mind doesn’t dominate body, it becomes body—body and mind are one.”

Ten tips from experts to move mind and body into a powerfully peaceful relationship

Take A Breath

Maybe you’ve heard this when making a big decision. Maybe you’ve experienced how this little tip can largely impact how you think, feel, and experience the present situation. Focusing inward on breath brings calmness throughout the entire nervous system and clarity for thought almost instantaneously. Soft-belly breathing—relaxes your body as muscles calm and your lungs soothingly breathe in and out. Soft belly breathing stimulates parasympathetic nervous system to control the relaxation response. Take a slow, soothing, deep belly breath and watch as your mind and body relax and find contentment. 

Mindfulness and Meditation

Find a comfortable position sitting or standing, allow the body (and eventually the mind) to relax, focus on deep belly breathing, and succumb to the silence. You are practicing meditation! Meditation helps one become more conscious and present. Research shows meditation reduces stress, fatigue, nausea, anxiety and pain and improves sleep, mood, attention and concentration due to the positive changes in the brain’s structure.

 Mindfulness is when you strive to understand experiences objectively in the present—moment-to-moment awareness—as much as possible. Studies show mindfulness (and all sorts of meditation practices) enhances your focus, memory, cognitive functions, relationship satisfaction, and insight. All-the-while lowering emotional reactivity and supporting complete health by improving overall well-being due to strengthened immune functions.Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh states, “Our breath is the bridge that unites body and mind.” 

To achieve stillness: use a mantra (which is a word or sound repeated to bring one into a focused meditation and overall peace.  “Om” is a common mantra that has healing vibration properties. A recent study involving mantra-related meditation practices showed that using mantras can indeed generate psychological calm (among many other benefits}. Cultivate a steady breath through mindfulness and meditation.

Stress to success

Stress is much too common and it has several sorts of negative impacts, including disease. Replace chaos with productivity. A quote from Lissa Rankin, MD, New York Times best-selling author of Mind Over Medicine, “There is scientific data proving that certain miraculous stories of healing happen because people radically alter their body’s physiology by changing their mind.” 

She recommends identifying long-held beliefs in blind spots not known for years, and reflecting on the past, present and future. “If you’re fearless enough to face the truth about yourself, your life and any illness, you’ll have the opportunity to awaken to the bliss that comes with living in alignment with your Inner Pilot Light. And when you do, you relax your body, flip on your self-repair mechanisms and make the body ripe for miracles. Remember, anything is possible,” proclaims Rankin.

Alter your Ego

The ego is the part of your identity as an individual, this part is the “self”. The comprehension of “self” is often developed in each developmental stage.  Be present in the here and the now is vital for mind-body wellness. When intentions stem from the ego obstacles arise. Negative thoughts and emotions create barriers and repetitious patterns of behavior that influence who you are in the now.

“Our words and our thoughts, and the words and thoughts of those around us, have very strong influence over our genetic expression. The effects occur within seconds. The reason: The immediate early genes swing into operation within seconds of any negative thought or emotion or trauma,” states James L. Oschman, PhD, an internationally recognized expert on energy medicine, mind-body, bodywork, movement, research with cells and tissues and other topics. 

Separate the positive and negative emotions, thoughts and beliefs that come from past events and behaviors—to change them and better your life. Gain self-awareness and self-understanding by practicing body scans (relaxing and checking in with every part of the body from head to toe. Practice some emotional freedom techniques (EFT): dance, move the body, listen to drums, jazz, or classical music, create art, journal or write poetry, be in nature, practice yoga; and study religious and spiritual rituals. 

Be Vulnerable

We’ve attached negativity to being vulnerable, but there’s power in viewing vulnerability as a positive. The author of The Power of Vulnerability Brené Brown, PhD explains “We associate vulnerability with emotions we want to avoid, such as fear, shame and uncertainty, yet we too often lose sight of the fact that vulnerability is also the birthplace of joy, belonging, creativity, authenticity and love.” Brown says that extreme vulnerability can turn into shame, leading to social isolation. As an alternative, she recommends “wholeheartedness” as a life practice. You’ve heard of living your best life—that goes for emotionally, too. Brown says we must harness the courage to be vulnerable, express our vulnerability, and cultivate compassion for others and self, as a means to healthy, intimate connections.

Find your calling

To identify and pursue your purpose takes openness and a curiosity to discover who you are. It can happen through a negative event (a wake-up call) that transforms adversity into opportunity and you begin to understand what you should do with your life. This understanding can also be obtained through self-exploration practices such as: reading inspirational books, journaling, attending topic specific retreats or personal development conferences, asking what makes your spirit glow or following how you feel upon waking-up in the morning as you ask what all you love about life. Listen to the messages in the magical moments these are serendipitous signs of your unique path. Knowing your purpose will give you the energy you need to grow your innate capacity to heal. Believe that healing and success will happen, be still, listen, and engage in karmic acts of good.

Love yourself 

“A mountain of evidence has now shown that positive emotions such as love, compassion and joy provide a healing bath of biochemical’s, not only improving the health and function of the heart, but also the entire body and brain,” says Bruce Cryer, author of From Chaos to Coherence: The Power to Change Performance. Ancient Chinese doctors wrote of “silk threads” connecting heart and brain. Research in the mid-1990s discovered the presence of an intrinsic nervous system in the heart, a multifaceted network of tens of thousands of neurons processing information in the heart and transmitting that information to the brain.

There are several ways to love, they all start with loving yourself. One of the first steps to loving self is addressing your past wounds. Jack Kornfield, PhD, author of The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness, and Peace explains “One of our greatest blocks to lovingkindness is our own sense of unworthiness, Love and compassion must begin with kindness toward ourselves”. Forgive yourself and let whatever is blocking your path pass away.

Watch what you put in your mouth

Foods can make you sick or healthy. Consuming organic fruits and vegetables, nuts, herbs, spices, and good fats support total health. When you eat red meat and chicken, processed carbohydrates, wheat, other glutens, dairy and sugar it is negatively impacting more than just your physical health. Eating these foods affects your brain’s neurotransmitters and disables brain function, including mood regulation. Watch what happens to your brain, body and overall health when you watch what you put in your mouth.

​Learn to properly sleep 

Melatonin is a vital hormone that is produced while you sleep. Melatonin regulates the body’s circadian rhythms (the internal clock) along with other hormones. A healthy circadian rhythm supports mind-body balance. You’ll sleep best when you take melatonin supplements, eat healthy, exercise, get early morning and end of the day sunlight, wind-down before bedtime (no phone or tv), and sleep in total darkness. The average adult should get 7-8 hours of sleep. Though some manage with only 6, and some still sleepy after 9 (such as LeBron James, who has said he sleeps up to 12 hours). Try these six steps for restorative sleep and see over all health 

Shake your body

Regular exercise makes you totally glow. There are many forms of practice so shake it up and keep it fun. Exercising several times a week develops body awareness and fosters mind-body-spirit connection. Exercise provides many benefits: lowered blood pressure and cholesterol, decreased body fat, improved mood, balanced emotions, heightened confidence, increased energy and stamina, enlarged strength and flexibility, and reduced stress—just to mention a few. The more you move the more motivated you will be to keep moving! So exercise at the gym or do a home workout video, walk, run, bike, practice yoga, try tai chi, take Pilates or dance classes, swim laps or hike outdoors. Make a personal commitment to your health (and thrive).