The Mind-Body Connection

Cultivating Awareness of the Mind-Body Connection for True Harmony and Healing - By Inge Du Toit

Reading time: 3 minutes

The mind-body connection is always there, your mind* and body have been responding and developing in response to one another your whole life. Therefore, the notion of the mind being “disconnected” from the body is actually quite impossible. However, what is possible is to lack awareness of this connection. Many people go through their whole lives believing that all physical symptoms are random and spontaneous developments, and all too little do we question the influence of our minds.

The first and foremost example of where the mind manifests in the body is the breath. The moment we are anxious, our breath becomes shallow and short, increasing our heart rate by responding to the signals of the sympathetic nervous system. The moment we are mentally at ease and calm, our breath deepens, stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system. The mind and body are constantly in communication with one another and I strongly believe that becoming aware of this profound interaction and union of the mind and body is the key step to becoming the most whole and healthy version of yourself.

Similar to many, my health journey began through a process of implementing rules and routines. At that time, I believed it was a fundamental requirement for me to follow those standards that I had set for myself otherwise I had failed.

Many of the habits that I developed were healthy changes for my mind and body. However, I became attached to these rules and struggled when I didn’t follow them. The irony is that our minds can be so convinced by and attached to what we believe to be the best and healthiest lifestyle, that it actually becomes the opposite – it was my obsession with what I thought was right that made it wrong.

The body will always speak what the mind is silencing. Eventually for both my mental and physical health I had to let go of what I had told myself for years was right. The next step was to find the tools to change my relationship with my mind and body – this is where my yoga practice gently found it’s way into my life exactly when I needed it most to find my harmony again.

Yoga evolves around the central theme of union: the unity of the mind, body and spirit. The practice is about observing and tuning into the mind and body without reacting to whatever arises, but simply noticing. This awareness creates space and stillness between the observer and their thoughts.

This meant that through my yoga practice I have been able to develop a distance between myself and my thoughts, rather than simply acting in immediate response to my thoughts I am able to question and observe all thoughts that arise. This change in mindful awareness encourages more intuitive living as you notice more of what your body is communicating rather than just what the mind has to say. It nurtures an inner connection through observing and noticing without judgement or force.

There is a beautiful quote in the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali,

“If the mind has a lot of waves like the surface of a lake, you will be seeing a distorted reflection.” This quote reminds us that through cultivating stillness within the mind through awareness we perceive all with greater clarity.

This is why I believe that awareness of the mind and body and the relationship between them is the key to becoming most connected with yourself and therefore the most whole version of yourself. Tuning into the relationship between our physical and emotional selves holds truly transformative potential. The mind and body are really of the same essence, they work together to bring you to the harmonious state that enables you to flourish and heal.

I encourage you to tune in, listen to what your body is trying to communicate…

I encourage you to tune out, create space and stillness between you and your mind.

*commission earned from this link.