Stephanie Troy, LICSW

Reality:

Oy vey – this is an ancient myth that continues to be debated by those in the science field.  Obviously I have some feelings (and FACTS!) about this one. 

Let’s start with biology.  The vagus nerve is the 10^th cranial nerve in the brain and it begins behind the eyes and travels down into the heart and then all the way through the digestive organs and lands in the gut.  It takes all the information we see and translates it to the brain.  That information is then transported to the other organs picking up more wisdom from the body traveling all the way to the enteric nervous system (ENS) in the gut.  Michael Gershon, MD coined the term “the second brain” to explain the vast wisdom held in the gut. Gershon’s research shows that the ENS is responsible for the “gut instinct” and it is wiser than the brain in our head as it carries information from both the mind and body.  The vagus nerve is connected to the para-sympathetic nervous system which activates the relaxation response in the body. It is only when we are in a more relaxed place in our body that we are able to effectively connect with the wisdom of the gut.  The ENS is responsible for helping us connect with our feelings and intuition.  Mind blowing, right? 

Given that in our culture we are mostly focused on the rational, linear thoughts in our mind, we are often disconnected to the wisdom detailed above.

Keep reading below for more ways that the mind and body are connected!

Reality:

This is a HUGE myth that is being propagated by the marketing and PR on the application of mindfulness to American culture.  Mindfulness is HOT right now and has made its way into every nook and cranny including corporate America.  While being mindful can help calm the nervous system, help you to increase awareness of the positive and increase mental focus, it is NOT a skill that is about focusing on the good feelings and ignoring those that are uncomfortable. 

Mindfulness is a Buddhist practice that is about opening up the heart and mind to everything that is arising in the present moment; including uncomfortable emotions such as sadness, embarrassment and anger.  Jon Kabat Zinn, researcher of the application of mindfulness clinically, states that mindfulness is “paying attention, to the present moment, on purpose, non-judgmentally.”  Mindfulness is as much about being with the scent of a rose, the feeling of the sun on your skin and the laughter of a baby as it is about the grief over the loss of a loved one, the frustrations coming from an impending deadline and anger over being passed over for a promotion.  Life is all of it – all the good and not so good.  This is the challenge with being mindful and why it is much easier to be on auto-pilot disconnected from the moment on a daily basis.

Reality:

Candace Pert, PhD revealed her pioneering research on the realities of this myth in her book, Molecules of Emotion. Pert revealed that there are neurotransmitters and receptor sites throughout the body that are in constant communication with the neurotransmitters in the brain.  Her research found what she termed “psychoneuroimmunology” (PNI) which is the connection of the central nervous system and the immune and endocrine systems.  Her pioneering research is further evidence that there definitely IS a very deep connection between the mind and the body.  The PNI is evident when the body develops psychosomatic conditions such as migraines, hives, ulcers, sickness from depleted immune system due to increase stressors, etc.

Further evidence that emotions are intimately linked to the body is the biological fact that 95% of serotonin, the neurotransmitter low in people with depression, is manufactured and warehoused in the gut. This is where the research on the gut brain connection comes shows that what we have previously thought of as brain disorders such as anxiety, depression and ADHD, are now being linked to the gut microbiome.  There have been over 4.000 research articles in Pub Med (the hub source for evidence used by doctors) on the use of probiotics and nutrition to heal disorders such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and addictions.

So there you have it.  The verdict is in.  There definitely is a connection between the mind and body!

Reality:

So often we possess limited beliefs and can become short sighted due to past conditioning and a lack of faith in the unseen.  In the book “The Secret” Rhonda Byrne speaks of manifesting our dreams in three steps.  First we ask for what we want, then we believe that it is on it’s way and lastly we get ready to receive it.  This may sound very “woo woo” or new agey but actually several entrepreneurs participated in writing this book.  Entrepreneurs NEED to believe what they can’t see.  This is how they bring their visions into the world and breathe life into them. 

Dr. Joe Dispenza teaches about how our thoughts influence our emotions. He shares that we often wait for things outside of ourselves to occur in order to make us feel better.  But the inverse is actually where it’s at.  By believing we are already where we want to be and feel how we want to feel, we suddenly become open to seeing the possibilities for happiness and joy everywhere.  The moment we feel gratitude and wholeness we manifest this outside of ourselves in our lives.  Nerve cells that wire together, fire together.  So as we create new neural pathways through believing we already feel the way we want to, the old pathways of negativity and lack begin to die off.  If you begin with the thought that you are already that of which you want to become, you are more likely to get to where you would like to go.  It’s the ole “fake it ‘til you make it” concept.  Through feeling that you have “already arrived” so to speak, you begin to automatically change your behavior and how you interact with the world because you are seeing abundance instead of lack. And this is how, believing in what you can not see or yet prove, can help you actually feel the way you would like to feel right here, right now!