SELF-HEALING
MIND - HEART COHERENCE
Most of us have been taught in school that the heart is constantly responding to "orders" sent by the brain in the form of neural signals. However, it is not as commonly known that the heart actually sends more signals to the brain than the brain sends to the heart! Moreover, these heart signals have a significant effect on brain function—influencing emotional processing as well as higher cognitive faculties such as attention, perception, memory, and problem-solving. In other words, not only does the heart respond to the brain, but the brain continuously responds to the heart.
During stress and negative emotions, when the heart rhythm pattern is erratic and disordered, the corresponding pattern of neural signals traveling from the heart to the brain inhibits higher cognitive functions. This limits our ability to think clearly, remember, learn, reason, and make effective decisions. (This helps explain why we may often act impulsively and unwisely when we’re under stress.) The heart’s input to the brain during stressful or negative emotions also has a profound effect on the brain’s emotional processes—actually serving to reinforce the emotional experience of stress.
In contrast, the more ordered and stable pattern of the heart’s input to the brain during positive emotional states has the opposite effect—it facilitates cognitive function and reinforces positive feelings and emotional stability. This means that learning to generate increased heart rhythm coherence, by sustaining positive emotions, not only benefits the entire body, but also profoundly affects how we perceive, think, feel, and perform.
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Two great techniques which incorporate mind-heart coherence are yoga and qigong. Both teach us to work with the life-force energy (called "prana" in yoga, "chi/qi" in qigong) which related to nutrition is predominant in fresh fruits and vegetables. A mindful approach to nutrition is essential for any holistic practitioner in order to improve the energy flow in the body, enhance healing and improve cognition. The diet recommended consists of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and whole grains. The consumption of processed foods, meat and animal products it is known to weaken the flow of vital energy and create blockages which can cause all kinds of health problems: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, obesity, diabetes. Practising yoga and qigong can help, but without adequate nutrition it is impossible to benefit entirely from these practices. Only with a complete approach to health and by developing mindful eating habits, we can purify the body, calm the mind and open the door towards higher states of consciousness and healing on all levels.
YOGA
Yoga has its roots in one of Yoga is a philosophy of life, the principles of which can be applied to all aspects of life. Originary in ancient India, aimed at controlling ('yoking') and stilling the mind, and recognizing the detached 'witness-consciousness' as untouched by the activities of the mind and mundane suffering. In its simple form it is a system for healthy eating habits and personal hygiene, but it can lead to meditation through physical postures and breathing techniques, with the aim of experiencing a clear consciousness. There are many types of yoga, with hatha yoga being the most popular in the west. Hatha means balance of mind and body: through regular breathing and a relaxed body, mental relaxation is achieved. Popular variations of yoga are iyengar and ashtanga, yoga with fast movements and syncronised breathing and yoga restorative.
The practice of yoga cultivates awareness and teaches us that the most of our fundamental attitudes have their counterparts in the body. Each unfulfilled area of tissue and nerve, of brain or lung, is a challenge to our will and integrity and a source of frustration and disease.
Sometimes, due to bad posture, emotional problems or an imbalanced life-style the energy gets blocked. This initially results in stiffness, muscular tension, lack of proper blood flow and minor functional defects, but can also lead to bigger health problems.
Yoga is a technique ideally suited to prevent physical and mental illness and to protect the body generally, developing an inevitable sense of self-reliance and assurance. Its many mental and physical benefits have been confirmed by multiple studies. Yoga postures (asana), breathing exercises (pranayama) and meditation all work to help lower the blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol levels (the stress hormone) in the body, which in turn benefit the mind. Making yoga a habit will make a noticeable difference when it comes to your overall health, well-being and your capacity to deal with change and unpredictability.
QIGONG
Qigong is a moving meditation exercise composed of soft, flowing bodyweight movements. The movements are designed to stimulate the acupuncture meridian and their associated organs to promote self-healing. Qigong is one of the traditional Chinese exercises and healing techniques, originally was part of the Traditional Chinese Medicine and Chinese Martial Art in ancient China. Confucians practice Qigong to cultivate mind and body, Taoists and Buddhists do it to transcend worldliness; Chinese medical physicians use it to cure illness and keep fit; and martial art learners practice it for self-defence. Qigong is a psychosomatic practicing skill that adjusts body, breathing and mind into one. The movements are very simple and practical self-healing techniques.
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Qigong has its roots in Chinese medicine, philosophy and martial arts. With flowing movements you practice good posture and your breathing. You stretch and strengthen your body and at the same time it is also a form of meditation.
“Qi” means life energy and “gong” is often translated as work. Qigong is thus a holistic approach to enhance and cultivate a healthy life energy. Energy that you already have in you, but also energy that you get from the universe around you.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, symptoms are seen not as illness, but as a sign of 'disharmony' and attribute this to a disturbance in the flow of qi. Qigong, with the combination of movement, breathing and meditation aims to harmonize the flow of qi/chi, the 'life energy'.
Qigong is quite literally “Moving Meditation”. As with all meditation practices, Qigong has an incredibly calming effect on the central nervous system. As the mind, breath, and body are connected to the moment, the parasympathetic nervous system is engaged and the brain releases all sorts of feel-good hormones, such as serotonin and dopamine.