Welcome to *our* healing journey!
Your body hears everything your mind says. — Naomi Judd
Part I
Wow! Does my body hear everything my mind says? And if so, how can I change what my mind is saying? Meditation.
Do a web search on science-based benefits of meditation. I’ll wait. 😉 The scientific data is overwhelming in linking mediation to reducing stress and anxiety, improving sleep, controlling pain, and improving emotional health. But how is this related to what our mind is saying?
Since I began meditating, I experience more awareness of my mental chatter. If my thoughts are going in a direction that I don’t like, I’m able to stop them and begin a more positive train of thought. One study by Yale University found a physiological reason for this (https://www.pnas.org/content/108/50/20254.short). Subjects in the study that had a regular meditation practice had reduced activity in the Default Mode Network (DMN). This part of the brain is active when the mind isn’t engaged, in other words, it’s the part of the mind that wanders!
So, if meditation decreases activity in the part of the brain that wanders aimlessly thought to thought, then we can have more control over what our mind is saying. Choosing thoughts that are positive towards ourselves is a wonderful first step on this healing journey!
In Part II, I will discuss the ways in which our thoughts affect our bodies.
Michelle Dial Wellness 