Understanding the Body-Mind Dichotomy, and How Bridging it Can Benefit Our Bodies
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Ever since embracing Ayurveda, I have become ever more confident about the several hidden connections between things.
Which was why, one day, I wondered if it was possible to make a small change in your diet to see a bigger change in your mood. After all, haven’t we all been indoctrinated into believing that one thing is somehow related to another, butterfly effect and what not .
It doesn’t have to be a big change. Just think about the time when you felt “good” after eating some foods and “bad” after eating others.
It doesn’t have to be a burger, even something as small as drinking a cup of tea or coffee can have such a huge impact on how we “feel.”
The only reason I put “feel” in quotes is because I am not talking about body’s emotional response to that food, although it could very well be that.
What I am talking about is shift in mood or even energy levels. The slight but noticeable change in mood that wasn’t there before you had that tea.
The mind-body dichotomy in Medical Science
Even though it may seem very obvious to us, it’s shocking that medical science is largely based on the dichotomy of body and mind and largely ignores a co-relation between the two.
Edward Bulmore, a medical professional stated in a Guardian article:
“Doctors like myself, who went to medical school in the 20th century, were taught to think that there was an impermeable barrier between the brain and the immune system. In the 21st century, however, it has become clear that they are deeply interconnected and talk to each other all the time.”
This is interesting, considering that a lot of Eastern medical traditions thoroughly believe in body-mind unity.
This Harvard Medical School article that talks about how acupuncture, that involves inserting needles at certain pressure points, releases endorphins, that cures pains.
It’s not surprising then, that Albert Szent-Györgyi, the Nobel Prize for Medicine Winner said:
“In every culture and in every medical tradition before ours, healing was accomplished by moving energy.”
AYURVEDA AND THE BODY-MIND UNITY
It came as both a surprise and relief to me that what Ayurveda had established thousands of years ago was now being slowly recognized by the modern, 21st century science.
The Ayurveda has always believed that through the right food and thought, with a sort of complete body-mind unity (otherwise known as Yoga)
The word Yoga, translates to sum of all parts. It doesn’t necessarily point only toward the physical poses involved in it.
According to Ayurveda, your body needs to be in balance all the time, this is often measured with doshas (Kapha, Vata and Pitta).
Without going into too much technical detail, Ayurveda believes your body needs to be in balance all the time.
Vasant Lad, in his book Ayurveda, The Science of Self-Healing states:
“A state of health exits when: the digestive fire is in a balanced condition; the bodily humors (vata-pitta-kapha) are in equilibrium…
“…the three waste products are produced at normal levels and are in balance; the sense functioning normally; and the body, mind and consciousness are harmoniously working as one…”
“…when the balance of any of these systems is disturbed, the disease process begins. Because a balance of the above-mentioned elements and function is responsible for natural resistance and immunity. Thus, imbalances of the body…are responsible for physical and psychological pain and misery.”
One of the reasons I reproduced this entire passage was because of the emphasis of the harmony in the body, something that is still not taken seriously.
I have talked about my rosacea and how it is caused by inflammation of the body.
It’s quite telling of the medical profession that when I went for a cure for my rocasea, my doctor didn’t really ask me anything about my food habits or my health otherwise.
The modern medical science emphasizes the body-mind dichotomy, but Ayurveda bridges it.
She just wrote me a prescription of an antibiotic ointment. And it worked very slowly.
Going back to the Guardian article! The medical profession as a whole is moving more toward establishing how the workings of the mind can affect the body.
In fact, doctors even prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs to cure depression, which makes sense.
Of course, Ayurveda works a little differently here, given that it tries to learn about your body depending on your symptoms.
Which is to say that rosacea, isn’t a problem, but a symptom of a problem.
Especially if you have pitta disorders that cause rosacea, it’s always helpful to change the diet and I for one, have definitely benefited from it.
Many such cures appear in Ayurveda as well.
The cornerstone of all acu-treatments is that our bodies contain a flow of energy that needs to circulate. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) refers to this energy flow as ‘Qi’ (pronounced ‘chi’). Qi is the energy force that supports all life.
The Guardian article also talks about how the inflammation can also cause “cognitive impairment” as we grow older.
This is not good news for a world where mental health disorders are on the rise.
Eat your way into good mental health
So, then how does one tackle inflammation in Ayurveda? Is it even possible to eat your way into mental health or think your way into physical health?
Absolutely!
There are plenty of emotions that don’t bode well when it comes to the health of the body. For example, repressed anger is not good for your gall bladder and we already know that peptic ulcer is caused by stress.
There is an entire series of articles on how repressed emotions can cause disease.
Sample this passage from an excellent Ayurveda book I read:
“Toxins are also created by emotional factors. Repressed anger for example, completely changes the flora of the gallbladder, bile duct and small intestine and aggravate pitta, causing inflamed patches on the mucous membranes of the stomach and small intestine...”
“…in a similar manner, fear and anxiety alter the flora of the large intestine. As a result, the belly becomes bloated with gas, which accumulates in pockets of the large intestine causing pain…”
“…often this pain is mistaken for heart or liver problems. Because of the ill effects of repression, it is recommended that neither the emotions not any bodily urge, such as coughing, sneezing and passing gas, should be repressed….”
When I read this passage for the first time, I was totally blown away. How was it possible that everything was somehow related to each other?
Body-mind unity is where the future is.
Ever wondered why “allergies are closely related to immune response of the body?” Yes everything is somehow connected, somehow related in ways that we perhaps know but don’t pay attention to.
So, what’s the answer?
This is not to say everyone should start meditating an hour a day, even though that would be great!
Just as quitting coffee led to me being more mindful, it is totally possible to cure a disease by changing the way we think.
I think the answer is to first be aware of what is going on with us, inside us.
Going on not in the most superficial way, not on the surface, but really what’s going on within our minds and bodies.
It all starts with examining your thought but making sure we don’t come to any conclusions before we being to inquire.
Coming to conclusion before beginning to inquire? What does that even mean?
It means doing so without any preconceived notion. What happens when you have preconceived notion? You essentially end up coming to conclusions that aren’t authentic.
Which is why admitting to yourself what is going on with your mind is of utmost important.
“Currently, physical and mental health services are sharply segregated, reflecting a philosophical prejudice against viewing the mind and body as deeply intertwined,” says the Guardian article.
It’s true. We are almost scared by the idea that what goes on in our minds, can affect our body. That popping a pill won’t cure everything.
That, we may have to change ourselves from inside out.
Is it surprising that bacteria are changing our mood? “Mood microbes” or “psychobiotics” are a thing.
The scientific studies are coming from every corner, and it’s almost like there is no going back from acknowledging what Ayurveda has already said thousands of years ago.
The doctors, have already stated: Restoring the natural balance within your body, eliminating the root cause of your pain or ailment and maintaining a healthy circulation of energy.
References:
Lad, V. (1984). Ayurveda: the science of self-healing: a practical guide. Wilmot, WI: Lotus Press.