| Q.1. - Could
you give me some tips on accessing different parts of the Balance Mind & Body
Module? Answer - The different sections that are included in this module may be accessed by clicking on the different topics on the Top Frame. Please note that regardless of your location in the module, the top frame is always present, providing an easy way to navigate, or to go back to:
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| Q.2. - What is the
mind/body connection? Answer - In a nutshell it is the fact that states of mind can affect your physical health. For example, mind/body approaches reduce the severity and frequency of medical symptoms such as reducing the frequency of chronic headaches, speed recovery from surgery and reduce pain from arthritis. It can also be used to boost immunity and strengthen the body’s resistance to disease. "Mind and body are inextricably
linked, and their second by second interaction exerts a profound influence upon health and
illness, life and death. Attitudes, beliefs and emotional states ranging from love and
compassion to fear and anger can trigger chain reactions of every cell and organ system in
the body – from the stomach to the gastrointestinal tract to the immune system. All
that is now an indisputable fact. However, there is still great debate over the
extent to which the mind can influence the body and the precise mechanism of the
influence. There is even greater debate over whether, and how, the mind-body connection
can be harnessed to help people stay well or recover from illness."
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| Q.3. - What is the
scientific evidence for mind/body connection? Answer - The scientific evidence for the mind’s influence on the body comes from three converging areas of research:
There is strong evidence to support the connection between mind and body and the branch of medical science that looks at this is called psychoneuroimmunology or PNI: psycho for mind, neuro for neuroendocrine system (the nervous and hormonal systems), and immunology for the immune system. We have learnt a great deal about hormones and neurotransmitters that brain cells use to communicate with each other and with all the organs of the body. This is an exciting field of science that has been underutilized and will change the way we use the traditional Cartesian (the mind and body as separate) model of health and the way we understand the mind/body connection. Research has shown there are numerous connections between the central nervous system and our immune system that are a testament to the role of the mind/body connection in health and disease. "Mind does not dominate the
body, it becomes body. Body and mind are one. I see the flow of information
throughout the whole organism as evidence that the body is the actual outward
manifestation in physical space of the mind. Every second a massive information exchange
is occurring in your body. The neuropeptides and receptors that are the biochemicals of
emotions are the messengers carrying information to link the major systems of the body
into one unit that we can call the bodymind".
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| Q.4. - How do
emotions affect our health? Answer - Emotional expression is always tied to a specific flow of chemicals in the body that impacts every organ in the body. To help us understand the role our emotions play in our health, Candace Pert, a research professor at Georgetown Medical Center in Washington published a wonderful book, "The Molecules of Emotion: Why You Feel the Way You Feel". This book explains the theory of the biochemicals of emotions that carry information throughout our body. Her research on mind/body cellular communication is consistent with the concepts of energy explained by many alternative therapies. We are moving away from the concept
of an "electrical brain" to a new paradigm of a "chemical brain" where
chemicals travel long distances throughout the body and cause changes in cells.
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| Q.5. - What is the
stress response? Answer - The body’s stress response, or "flight-or-fight" response is the body’s physical response to a real or imagined threat. The human nervous system activates the "flight-or-fight" mechanism. The activity of the sympathetic part of your nervous system increases causing an increase in your heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, oxygen consumption, glucose metabolism and perspiration so you can increase your physical strength to battle this "real or imagined" invader. As you can imagine, if you are
under a "real or imagined" stress repeatedly, the effects can be very harmful.
It is not uncommon for us to maintain high stress levels most of the time and this is
causing an increase in hypertension and heart disease in our modern society.
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| Q.6. - What is
the Relaxation Response? Answer
- Herbert Benson’s book, The Relaxation Response, topped the
bestseller lists in the mid-1970’s, and is still widely read. It was the outcome of
his research at Harvard in the early 1970’s that demonstrated that the relaxation
response is the physiological opposite to the stress response (See Question 5 above).
Inducing the relaxation response via meditation, visualization, imagery, prayer, yoga etc,
reduces your heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate and metabolism and boosts your
immune system leading to better health and wellness (see Question 7 below).
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| Q.7. - What is
meditation and how does it work? Answer - Meditation is the act of using a technique that quietens the mind and cultivates stillness or focused attention of the mind. Herbert Benson has scientifically demonstrated the following benefits of meditation:
There are many different meditation methods. Some of the goals of religious meditation extend far beyond its potential physical health benefits. Many of them may be controversial for people who do not identify with specific religious meditative techniques. Herbert Benson popularized a meditative technique with no religious overlay. This approach allows for those whose beliefs may conflict with the teachings connected to a particular meditation system or those who are not religious. Benson explains that his relaxation response technique produces the same physiological changes and benefits, as does Transcendental Meditation. Here are Benson’s directions for evoking the relaxation response:
If thoughts come into
your mind, just imagine them as birds flying away and return to your breathing.
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| Q.8. - What is the
placebo response? Answer
- Some researchers think of the placebo effect as the experimental static that can
interfere with an otherwise clean study. In many ways, mind/body medicine is an attempt to
harness the same forces that are behind the placebo effect, but in ways that enable
patients to become active partners with their physicians in helping to heal themselves.
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| Q.9. - How can I
talk to my doctor about these ideas? Answer - The important integration of alternative and conventional medicine relies on an open communication between you and your physician. Following are eight steps that should help you assess your doctor’s openness to alternatives, talk honestly about your experience with other modalities, and share what you have learned in a way that will benefit both of you.
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| Q.10. - What is the
research on heart disease and this connection? Answer - In 1995, The American Journal of Cardiology published a study, which showed the detrimental effects of mental and emotional distress on cardiovascular functioning in humans. In his book, Love and Survival: The Healing Power of Intimacy, Dean Ornish explains the scientific research on the power of love and intimacy on heart disease. The following is a list of some of the major mechanisms that can reduce our risk of heart disease by literally "opening your heart for healing";
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| Q.11. - What is
mental imagery and does it work? Answer - Mental imagery is exactly what it sounds like. You can picture in your mind an image and your body’s physiology does not know the difference between actually being there versus just "imagining it". It is like a "movie in your mind", where you close your eyes and "see" an image. If you can picture a quiet, relaxed place, your body also quietens down and sets up the relaxation response in your body (see FAQ # 5). Mental imagery is being used in many
health care settings including cancer treatment, childbirth, stress management and
women’s health.
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| Q.12. - What
recommended reading do you suggest on this topic? Answer - Suggested Readings on Mind-Body Medicine
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