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Women Living Well: Mind/Body Connection - 2002
Student Papers
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The relationship between the mind and the body is something that is constantly explored and questioned by people all over the world. All signs so far point to the fact that there is indeed an extremely strong connection between the mind and the body. It has been found that it is possible to combat an illness, reduce stress, or gain mastery over your inner life through mind-body techniques. The various lectures throughout this seminar have all dealt with this connection that is vital in the lives of humans.
I'm sure all of us have experienced sometime or the other, the fact that the state of the mind does have a strong bearing on the health of the body. Studies have found that students studying for a test are at higher risk for becoming ill closer to the time of the exam. Our thoughts definitely influence the way we feel physically. Psychological states such as depression and anxiety can alter immune function and other biological processes, leading to poor health practice and diminished use of the health care system. As we have seen over this whole seminar, dealing with day to life in a balanced way definitely bettters your health and decreases the risk of any illnesses. Keeping my mind active and functioning and maintaining a positive attitude towards life, I have found, is a great way to stay healthy.
The mind-body relationship extends both ways – the condition of the body has a great impact on one's state of mind. Feeling physically well definitely helps ones mental peformance. Unhealthy living conditions often lead to altered mental states like depression, anxiety etc. Keeping the body fit is a great way to maintain the quality of life. I often find that the days I exercise better, I am more confident, energetic and perform much better in general. Days that I havent' slept enough, I am moody and my energy levels are down. This semester I have made it a point to exercise regularly and have definitely seen a change in the quality of my peformance and my life in general. I have also found that Yoga is a great way to become aware of the connection between one's mind and body and to develop this connection. In my opinion, the real way towards mental and physical well-being is through the mind-body connection. Recognizing this can help humans eliminate a lot of unnecessary troubles.
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