What is Mind/Body exercise all about?

Mind/Body exercise is growing in popularity. Is it a fad? Or is it a reflection of a great need for change in our health and wellness regimes? We see mind/body exercise featured in magazines and discussed on television and radio. World-class spas advertise the stress-reducing benefits of mind/body exercise, and even physicians are recommending that patients take up its practice as new scientific studies demonstrate its effectiveness. But what is mind/body exercise?

Mind/Body Principles

The biggest difference between a traditional exercise and a mind/body exercise is the focus. Instead of looking at the movement that the body makes and keeping your focus outward, in Mind/Body, work is done inward, connecting thought or breath to movement creating a holistic connection between mind & body. Much of our day is spent doing tasks mindlessly, with no thought about where we are or what is going on inside us. Often our exercise regimen takes on this same quality. We push out repetition after repetition of bench presses with little or no thought except the number of reps. Maybe we jog mile after mile on the treadmill while watching CNN. This kind of mindlessness disconnects us from ourselves and the world around us. By bringing our focus inward (focusing on the inhale and exhale, seeing our life energy flow through different parts of the body, etc.) we create a powerful connection to mind & body that also connects us to the here and now.

A few techniques to bring mind/body principles into your everyday life:

· Find a quiet spot and sit in a straight-backed chair. With your hands down by your sides, close your eyes and become aware of the rhythm of your breathing as you breath slowly in and out through your nose for five or six breaths. With the next breath, inhale and begin to slowly raise your arms upward, reaching chest height, as your lungs get completely full. Exhale as you slowly lower your hands back to their original position.
· Take a few minutes during the most hectic time of your day to become aware of how your body feels. Breathe slowly and deeply as you notice a few things: Are your shoulders tight? Are you clenching your jaw? How rapid is your breathing? By becoming truly aware of your feelings and what your body is doing when you’re not thinking about it, you become more in touch with yourself and increase your ability to control how you react during those stressful moments.
· Do this simple breathing exercise: Find a comfortable position. Begin by placing the tip of your tongue gently against the roof of your mouth just behind the front teeth. Inhale through the nose for a mental count of four. Hold your breath for a count of seven. Then exhale completely through the mouth making a whoosh sound to a count of eight. Repeat for four breaths.