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You Are What You Think

In ancient times, it was believed that the mind and the body are all one system instead of a bunch of parts. Recently, Western medicine has rediscovered this theory and started exploring it, and some of the complementary modalities are being used. For example, hypnosis, acupuncture, and reiki are becoming more popular in the United States. To discuss all the ways that your mind and body work together would fill a book, so here are some ways your mind and body connection can affect your well being.

Everything that we experience gets stored in some form of memory. We remember the significant moments with a meaning or belief attached to them, and these beliefs produce emotions and behaviors that eventually lead to habitual behavior. This is the most obvious way that the mind affects the body. Positive beliefs create positive actions, and negative beliefs create negative ones.

How we talk to ourselves and others has a strong impact on our thoughts, behavior, and health. Phrases like "pain in the neck" or "he makes me sick" become real physical symptoms the more often they are repeated. Changing the way you talk can cause you to feel different. Keeping a positive tone on both your mental and verbal dialogues can actually cause you to feel better.

Everything you say, see, or hear affects your mind. Keep in mind what you listen to and what you watch throughout the day, and see if it inspires or depresses you. Skip the bad news for a few days and see how you feel. Pay attention to how much violence or negativity that you get a day, and try to balance it out with things that make you feel better.

We get more of what we focus on. If you focus on things that make you angry, sad, or fearful, you will continue to feel these things. This can eventually lead to disease or physical health problems. It is a case of you are what you believe - focus on the positive things and you will eventually become more positive yourself.

The "fight or flight" syndrome can be activated any time we are in situations of stress - which for some of us is every day. Too much of the hormones produced in this state can lead to depression, obesity, and brain atrophy, and can greatly decrease your life expectancy.

The autonomic nervous system works without you being conscious of it, controlling all of your bodily function. The sympathetic branch of this handles the fight of flight response, and decreases the activity of the immune, reproductive, and digestive systems. The parasympathetic branch is the opposite, and handles the relaxation response and increases the activity of immune, reproductive, and digestive systems.

Hypnosis can help focus your attention, relax you, and increase responsiveness. In doing so, you can create a more positive and healthy mindset. When your mind is healthy, your body will follow - and as you learn to think, speak, and act more positively and with more relaxation, the better you will start to feel.