Wellness is a defined as, "a state of being in which the mind, body, and spirit are in healthy balance with each other, creating an overall feeling of well-being."  This well-being can facilitate healing on all levels of our human system and give us the clarity to choose and follow the right path in life. 

Yoga is an excellent tool to help support wellness in individuals because it is a holistic healing discipline, working to restore balance on all levels of the human system: physical, mental, and spiritual.  Yoga literally means "to link," and while yoga in the West has largely become recognized for its effects on simply the physical level, this link that the ancient yogic texts refer to is the link between the mind and an object.  This object might be our breath, our movement, our loved ones, or our true Self.  

Practicing yoga by establishing a link between two things, like movement and breath, or mind and sound, can help us link more clearly to the things around us as we move through our daily lives.  This link facilitates healing by helping us develop awareness and by calming our nervous systems.  Physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation, are all tools that can be used in a yoga practice to help us re-establish that link.

When we recognize that yoga can be a practice to help us enhance our wellness, yoga becomes so much more than a series of physical postures.  It is a practice that will meet you where you are at, and help you transform as you link more deeply with your Self and the world around you.

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In early 20th century England, a physician by the name of Edward Bach transitioned from a conventional medical practice to a practice of homeopathy to a practice in which, at the end of his life, he used only flower essences to treat every manner of illness of body, mind and soul. He had discovered that there were spiritual and emotional underpinnings to physical disease, and that he could heal the body by working with the energetic medicine which addressed the mental, emotional, or spiritual state of his patient.  He found the personality of the person to be a more important indicator than the condition of the body in determining what medicine was needed to heal the person. The flower essence Larch, for example, is given to those who lack the confidence to express themselves, and is the quintessential energetic remedy for conditions of the throat and thyroid.

In a similar way, practitioners of homeopathy find that, though there are scores of remedies than can be used for a child with a sore throat or a flu, the weepy, changeable child may benefit from Pulsatilla; whereas the restless fearful one may require Aconite; and the dull, droopy, drowsy child may need Gelsemium.  

Modern day Louise Hay is well known for the affirmations she has designed around bodily ailments, and those who practice the affirmations find that conditions change as they affirm and realize underlying truths relevant to the body part or condition involved.  She ascribes a probable cause and new thought pattern to each condition. For example, inability to move forward with ease is a probable cause given for athletes foot. A new thought pattern is "I give myself permission to go ahead. It is safe to move"

Science can now document the impact of mental, emotional  and spiritual practices on the physical body. Serotonin levels rise in the bodies of people living in close vicinity to a location in which dedicated practitioners meditate, and happiness is an effect. Diagnostechs Labs has graphed out the rising pattern of  Secretory IgA  (the first line of defense of all mucus membrane tissues in the body) in the hours following moments of care, and the falling pattern in the hours following angry outbursts.
Thus, when patients come to the office with a physical complaint, as they generally do, we often find that that complaint is a doorway to growth on another level of being. And when we address those other levels, the physical complaint often improves.  The body, in fact, is a reflection of an energy field that has its origin in the realm of thought. Thoughts influence every chemical process in the body. Mind, in fact, creates body.

 

The mind-body connection is the concept that the mind and body are interconnected. In essence, for optimal health, both the mind and body must be healthy. Often applied in adults, the mind-body connection is relevant in children as well. Many parents notice that their children react to stress in the home with increased colic, fussiness, or changes in sleep/wake habits. So-called somatization, or bodily symptoms that are felt in relation to (or instead of) mental/emotional symptoms, is very prevalent in childhood. A recent study of children with asthma showed that their symptoms worsened with depression or stress. Recurrent abdominal pain and headaches are more prevalent in children with depression. These studies should be reminders that our kids are exposed to stressful situations and that they need ways to cope. When considering whole child wellness, it is important to incorporate the mind-body connection and address the stressors in their lives. Although we may have agendas and requirements for our children, part of their wellness plan should include daily activities that they enjoy: art, sports, yoga, music, dancing, playing or other leisure. By having your children participate in daily activities they enjoy, it sets up lifetime habits for stress reduction. 

 
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