This week I wanted to share a thought with you about the Mind-Body Connection.
Did you know it’s only since the middle ages that the mind, body and spirit have been considered separate?
Before that, we were considered whole integrated people.
Writing as I am from the UK, it’s noticeable how our Western culture has been influenced by reductionism – splitting into parts and specialisation. Each aspect is now cared for separately: surgeons for the physical, psychiatrists for the mental and clergy for the spiritual.
Matters of health tend to be viewed by many as purely physical however, it’s not that simple. For example, the Reticular Activating System connects the cortex and the sub-brain; physical stimulation affects the mind and mental stressors affect the body, generating physical responses. In other words, our physical state of health affects our mental health and vice-versa.
Let us look for a moment at what we think, believe and meditate on and it’s relation to our physical state.
The belief of the mind has enormous influence over our physical abilities to the extent that sports psychology is the determining factor in many athletes physical performance.
Most people know the basic story of Roger Bannister, who, on May 6, 1954, broke the 4 minute mile with a time of 3 minutes 59 seconds. But what many people forget is that runners had been chasing the goal seriously since at least 1886 and that the challenge involved the most brilliant coaches and gifted athletes in North America, Europe, and Australia. For years runners had been striving against the clock, but the elusive four minutes had always beaten them to the extent that it had become as much a psychological barrier as a physical one.
When Bannister eventually broke the record, even his most ardent rivals breathed a sigh of relief. At last, somebody did it! And once they saw it could be done, they did it too. Only 46 days after Bannister’s feat, John Landy, an Australian runner, broke the barrier again, with an even faster time of 3 minutes 58 seconds! Then, just a year later, three runners broke the four-minute barrier in a single race. Over the last half century, more than a thousand runners have conquered a barrier that had once been considered hopelessly out of reach (the current record is 3 minutes 43 seconds).
Many studies have reviewed this phenomena of a sudden surge of success in the physical realm. They concluded that a positive mindset based on a belief of what could be possible is actually what helped those runners beat that record.
So does that mean we can all run a sub-4 minute mile if we simply believe it?
No. Because as whole integrated people there are other factors around health and fitness we also need to take into consideration. It does mean, however, that when it comes to success and wellbeing, in whatever sphere of life, what we think, believe and meditate on is key.
So, take control of those limiting thoughts that come your way; remember you have a purpose in this world that you can fulfil through a life of integrity.
If you have a dream in your heart, you don’t have to work out every detail of it before you take your first step. Instead, take one small step today and leave the other steps for tomorrow. Focus on what you can do now. Believe you will succeed and you will!
Here’s to fulfilling your dream!
Ruth
