Mind-Body Connections

For every change in the mind, there is a change in the body. And, for every change in the body, there is a change in the mind. It is as though they are on two sides of a ring or a circle so that there is no way to move one without moving the other.

I came across a quote to that effect by a neurophysiologist over twenty years ago.

I always think of that when someone says that anxiety or depression or something else is chemical. Well, yeah, the mind and body are electrochemical systems. So what are you telling me that everyone doesn't know?

Push the circle on either side and the whole thing moves. The hard question is, can you use that to consistently get a desired result? The drug guys are trying to get better and better at making what we want to happen happen without other stuff we don't want (side effects) coming along for the ride. More power to them. I hope they get it right.

In the mean time, if I can regulate my breathing, change my thinking, relax my muscles, be mindful of myself and the world around me in new ways, or do whatever else I can to push that mind-body circle toward health, happiness, and sanity, I want to be doing it. Side effects suck. Sometimes entering the circle from the chemical side is the best or only option, but I like to be pretty sure of that before I pop the pill.