VITAL BODY, VITAL MIND: Biological terrain and your state of mind

by Cara Gallucci, M.A., Revitalization Therapist,
It's Spring; sap begins to rise in trees. Humans, too, react to changes in temperature and sunlight. Although our response is more complex than that of plants, our metaphorical sap also rises. But unlike the vegetable kingdom, we may find our sap sludgy, stuck, or blocked. We experience a variety of ills, such as depression, anxiety, fatigue, lethargy. What is the solution? Do we treat ourselves with mental and emotional approaches, such as psychotherapy, or with physical approaches, such as exercise, medication, or vitamins? Is it mind over matter, or matter over mind?

In truth, both aspects of being constantly interact. Therefore the most effective way to change old, stuck patterns of thought and behavior is to use a multi-faceted approach that addresses both mind and body. We can take a lesson from Ayurveda, the ancient healthcare system of India from which Chinese and Western medicine evolved. Mind and body are treated as a unit. To return to the metaphor of sap, Ayurveda defines a healthy flow of vital, life-giving energy as "ojas" and its unhealthy, sludge-like equivalent as "ama," which harms rather than nourishes. These subtle substances are at once energetic and physical. Just as sap nourishes the tree, ojas nourishes the physical body. It also nourishes the mind and the emotions, contributing to clarity of thought, peace, joy, and equanimity. Ojas develops from nutritious food, positive thoughts and feelings, appropriate lifestyle, and spiritual practice. It circulates freely throughout the body-mind system, producing a healthy body and a balanced, stable mind. Poor nutrition, unhealthy habits, trauma, stress, negative thoughts and feelings, and lack of spiritual connectedness create toxic conditions in the mind and body, turning ojas into ama. The result may be a variety of symptoms, including fatigue, depression, and a range of physical ills.

As the multiple causes of illness assessed by Ayurvedic medicine suggest, multiple levels of treatment can help turn ama into ojas and get one's sap rising again. A good way to address old patterns is through Archetypal Counseling, an unusual, enjoyable method which combines techniques for deep relaxation with methods of resolving inner conflicts through symbolic reverie. It is also a good means of re-conditioning attitudes and beliefs. Another excellent mind-body technique is Reiki energy work. Through combined techniques of archtypal counseling and Reiki, the body is filled with additional life energy or "chi." As the organs, glands, and cells are energized, balance is restored and healing is enhanced. At the same time, energy radiates into the mental and emotional auras surrounding the body. One's mood frequently improves after receiving Reiki. In addition, through the architypal counseling, specific attitudes, beliefs, and patterns can be re-programmed.

These techniques highlight the importance of the mind in restructuring the emotions. At the same time, the body plays an important part in how we think and feel. Old patterns can more effectively be released when the physical aspect is recognized and treated through nutritional supplementation, detoxification, and strengthening of the immune and hormonal systems. Think of it this way: physical body is the soil; thoughts and feelings are seeds sprouted in that soil. Through psycho-energetic techniques, one can sow new seeds or prune existing plants. But if the soil is not suitable, those seeds will struggle to take root or wither and die. Similarly, if one treats the soil through nutrition and energy work, the plants may be strengthened, but if the wrong seed has been placed in good soil, the desired plant will not result.

Take depression as an example. It may be rooted in childhood experiences, a poor self-image, a traumatic memory, or a stressful event. These elements are psychological seeds which may respond to mental treatment. At the same time, physiologically, the thyroid-adrenal axis might be suppressed, contributing to the physical experience of fatigue, depression, and related symptoms of anxiety, irritability, anger, or feeling overwhelmed. Dealing with these matters from a strictly psychological angle is like drinking fresh water from a dirty cup: it helps somewhat. The best approach is to clean the glass and add fresh water to achieve the most thoroughly refreshing results!

 

You may contact Rita Roberts, M.A., N.C., and Cara Gallucci, M.A., of the OMNI Institute for Optimal Health at 781-749-4908.