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This blog is another opportunity to feel grateful. Thank you, dear Universe, you continue to bless me with recovery and health.
Aristotle (the great Greek Philosopher) once said ‘Give me a child until he is seven and I will show you the man’.
From the age of 0-7 years, the theta and delta brainwaves start getting develop. Both these brainwaves also show their association with meditative and hypnotic states. The ideologies created during that age remain deeply ingrained. It shows up in our attitude and various other daily practices. These strong ideologies may also be responsible for manifesting in the form of serious diseases.
Even modern science is now confirming a deeper role between mind, body, and our problems.
In simple words, Mind-body therapies are techniques that enhance the mind’s interaction with the body. The idea is to induce relaxation and improve well-being. The technique works on the relationship between one’s physical, mental, and spiritual experiences. It is Holistic by nature.
In 2016, I was diagnosed with a rare disease called Isaacs’ Syndrome. Isaacs’ is a neuromuscular health condition that stems from muscle hyperactivity. In the process, I also discovered that I had Lyme disease. Lyme is a bacterial illness that gets transmitted through ticks.
Glaucoma also accompanied me. Glaucoma is an eye-related disease that damages the optic nerves. And Membranous Glomerulonephritis is a progressive kidney disease. I faced tremendous issues with my gut, stomach acid, and digestive enzymes. During my journey, I also developed Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Diabetes, Frozen Shoulder, Eczema and Blood Pressure.
Easy, tough, good, or bad times, all come in an instant. Everything around me happened automatically without any of my control.
I get goosebumps recollecting those moments of fear, anxiety, and utmost confusion. After diagnosis, I was bedridden with painkillers. I had stabbing pain in my calves and felt very weak with no energy and got back to sleep more often. I had less food appetite, drastic loss in body weight, and excess inflammation in the body. It followed, making me vulnerable to infections. I had a list of symptoms including fasciculations, cramps, pain, and body weakness. Food indigestion and muscle loss were severe.
For me, the way the extrinsic stimulus unfolded evoked a shocking biological response. It aggravated and created further complications in my neurological condition. I felt physically, morally, and emotionally fatigued. It was traumatic and had an ongoing impact on my psychological and physical state of being. I was deeply affected by my ability to cope with the situation.
Apart from most Western medicines, I was recommended to try other therapies. The idea was to penetrate deeper with a cleansing tool and unify my body, mind, and spirit.
Techniques used in Mind-Body Therapy include yoga and meditation. They are accompanied by hypnosis, Tai-chi, relaxation, and exploring the power of prayers.
I took professional help to understand how my ‘mind-body problem’ could percolate to ‘mind-body wellness’:
In simple terms, our physical and emotional health are intertwined. It is known as the mind-body connection. Our biology and chemistry are designed in a way to impact our moods and emotions. They also influence our thoughts and beliefs. Combined they control our stress and physical health.
Therefore, the concept of integration toward a connected mind and body brings well-being. With me, it helped curb the ill effects of Isaacs’ Syndrome and other chronic diseases.
The following findings helped me start and continue my practice better: –
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By getting inspired, we start. However, it’s perseverance and patience that gets us there.
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The practice is more individualistic. One can enhance as they get better with their focus on visualization.
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Everything we do is an experiment.
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The key purpose is to ‘accept the body, as it is’.
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The practice is an important tool that assists in overcoming emotions.
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Yes, it’s possible to meditate and give instructions to our body for their recovery.
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It does not matter how slow we are with our practice as long we do not stop.
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Keep experimenting to get new experiences.
My preparation and the practice:
I lay down in a comfortable position, completely relaxed with no body tension. Accept and let go of the noises around. Watch the breath and feel it flowing in the entire body. Hands should rest gently by the side. Allowed the eyes to close and straighten the spine.
Took several long, deep breaths without any jerks or pressure. The breath should free flow. With every inhalation of breath, feel the stomach expand and relax with exhalation.
It is recommended to shift attention or focus from outside to inside. It is better to continue with the process till one gets comfortable.
The Practice began:
Thanked each body part and organ. The idea is to be grateful for their generosity, kindness and support. I asked forgiveness if anytime I ill-treated them:
FEET:
Began to notice the sensations in my feet and imagined the breath flowing down and relaxing. I was apologetic for misusing them at any time in life. I also thanked them for ensuring stability, and balance. They helped maintain my body temperature and supported my mobility.
ANKLES:
I gradually moved my attention to the ankles and relaxed them. I then repeated the same process of being apologetic and thanking them.
CALVES:
During my illness, this body part derived the most focus due to muscle knots, pain cramps, and weakness.
I spent some extra time observing sensations and fasciculations. I requested them to relax. The idea was to overcome my constant fear of cramps and pain.
I thanked them for supporting my fitness and their performance for all these years. Simultaneously, I felt sorry for what they had to go through due to Isaacs’ Syndrome.
A similar exercise was followed for the KNEE JOINTS.
THIGS:
I focused my breath and spent some quality time.
The health in this area was quite challenging due to muscle loss, weakness, and constant pain. The aim was not to stop thinking about the loss. Instead, train the mind to have a positive conversation. Over time with such positive observation muscles can rebuilt.
A similar exercise was followed for the PELVIS.
LOWER BACK:
My story, falling prey to the disease started with the lower and lumber back.
It was another fragile region. I remember how the temperature of this region was always cold. It was quite discomforting.
With constant practice, it slowly started to change.
MID and UPPER BACK: tried breathing out the tension, pain, and discomfort.
A similar exercise was followed for the STOMACH.
CHEST:
I focused on the heartbeat.
ARMS:
There were several occasions when fasciculations were distinctively noticeable. I tried pacifying them.
A similar exercise was followed for the NECK and SHOULDERS then FACE and HEAD.
After the head region, it was back to scanning the body following a breathing rhythm from head to toe. I slowly opened my eyes, turned towards my right side, and got up.
Initially, the exercise took longer but with practice, it was less time-consuming. I noticed the practice becoming effective with time.
The practice had a positive impact on managing Isaac’s Syndrome symptoms. I saw drastic improvements in my physical well-being. It reduced my muscle stiffness, pain, and digestive issues, and boosted my immunity.
The way we think can have an immense effect on our lives and lead to suffering. The most obvious benefit was that it opened doors for me to relax. The mind-body therapies helped me promote general healing. It amalgamated the body, mind, and spirit.
Overall, our minds and emotions impact us at a deeper level. They often play a very important role in the way we experience pain. Therefore, this therapy reduced my risk of further complications.
I encourage my readers to find strength within themselves. We all are born with the inner strength that is required to fight a situation. However, in my experience, it requires patience and perseverance to get to where we want. You can consider mind-body therapy as a complementary approach to traditional medical treatments.
As a patient, I can promise that as long as you know what you want from yourself, nothing is going to stop you.
It took constant practice for 45 days to develop the interest and get some results.
DISCLAIMER
The views expressed above in this article are the author’s own and do not represent any kind of medical advice.
