Debbie Shapiro The mind heals the body. ©Debbie Shapiro from the book “The Mind Heals the Body”

FROM HEAD TO TOES

Everything that is on earth is mobile and exists in every dimension beyond the boundaries of earthly reality. Form is only one manifestation of the essence of things. The form of expression changes countless times, which correspond to different realities on all levels. There is no such thing on earth that does not also exist on all other levels of reality.

The head is our communication center, here our perception of the world occurs through sight, hearing, taste and smell, and from here the world perceives us through our speech and self-expression. All our sensory sensations and information pass through this “central control.” But the head is not only the center of communication. As has been seen in intrauterine development, it is also associated with the stage preceding conception and with the absolute energy that symbolizes this period of time. Here is the energy of the mind descending from infinity to form and reuniting with infinity again. Therefore, we can say that all types of mental and psychological problems appear in the unborn child even before conception, since the incoming energy attracts certain mental states, approaching matter. This means that there is a strong connection between our mental characteristics and conflicts and our spiritual energy.

This confirms the interesting fact that in the head there is a bone - hard tissue (or spiritual energy) surrounding soft tissue and fluid (mental and emotional energy), that is, the skull, protecting the outside of the brain. On the other hand, the remaining bones (skeleton) are located inside the body and are covered by soft tissues and fluids. This shows that the head, which represents abstract reality and our connection with the infinite, relates primarily to the spiritual, and mental and emotional energy are influenced by it. As the rest of the energy finds expression through the body, the spiritual energy becomes less noticeable, more subdued. It goes deep into us, affecting mental and emotional energy from the inside. The head is the center of everything that is free from matter. This is where our energy enters the physical realm to be expressed through the pineal gland, pituitary gland and the body's central control system. Thus, the head is also connected with the abstract world. Having taken shape (the neck is the moment of conception), energy from within influences the body, its movement and direction.

If we suffer from a headache, it means that the arteries in the head are narrowed and the pressure increases. Blood carries our feelings, especially those associated with love and benevolence and their opposites: hatred, anger and hostility. Through arteries and veins we receive and give love. A feeling of constriction of the head usually indicates a lack of ability to express and receive these feelings in response, it is a inhibition, if not a complete suppression of self-expression. Allowing ourselves to freely express feelings and accept strong emotions from someone is not easy, because after we have experienced them in our heads, we will have to transfer them to the body, which is more tangible and material. This is how a disconnection between the body and consciousness may appear: the body will feel one thing, and the head another, and it will be difficult for us to unite the sensations. Tension and pain in the head arise from the tension and pressure we experience during this process. More details about headaches are discussed in chapter six.

The head is a place where we can hide from the world and reach higher levels of consciousness. Here we communicate with the external, physical world, our inner world and the higher spheres. Each part of the head represents a specific aspect of this universal communication, receiving our bodily sensations and expressing them outwardly. However, when there is no connection between the head and body, communication is difficult and suppressed.

The face is the part of the body with which we meet the world; judging by the face, the world forms an impression of us, decides how pleasant we are. The face shows how we look not only from the outside, but also from the inside: whether we are open or closed, whether we are ready to communicate, whether we are trustworthy or cunning and insidious, whether we are cheerful or full of sadness. This is a mask behind which we can hide, and at the same time an open expression of our essence. You can unmistakably identify the face of an enlightened person: it does not hide anything, but radiates only inner peace. And an exhausted and sad person will have a face furrowed with wrinkles, closed, dark, heavy.

The shape of the face corresponds to our character, as well as our opinion of ourselves or how we want to appear. We smile and frown to express our true feelings or, conversely, to hide them. If we wear a mask frequently, the facial muscles will become tense and distorted, and the mask will grow on us. Remember how, as a child, you were told not to make faces, otherwise your face will remain with that expression forever? If we make an ugly face too often, our muscles will get used to this position and freeze in it. A mask can hide our feelings from the world, but it can just as easily hide them from us. We usually hide ourselves because we don’t like something about ourselves.

The face also speaks about our personality, our “I”. When we fall flat on our face, it means that our dignity or position has been dealt a blow. If we have enough courage and inner strength, we can “face” danger, if not, then we will fail. Feelings of powerlessness or inadequacy, irritation with ourselves, criticism, dislike of ourselves or others can cause damage to the skin, which expresses our inner state of confusion. The skin is soft tissue (mental energy) and imperfections on it will indicate internal irritation. This can lead to skin problems also becoming the cause of our suffering. The skin will invariably clear up as our inner confusion and anger pass. Read also about inflammation of the sebaceous gland in chapter six.

As the “mirror of the soul,” the eyes are the deepest expression of our inner world. With their help, so much can be read, understood, expressed, given away. Here contact with another person is established, and then it becomes difficult to hide what is inside us. If the look is empty or distant, then we understand that there is nothing there except a feeling of enormous emptiness. If the look is meaningful and bright, we feel the inner joy emanating from the person. All our emotions are expressed through our eyes, from excitement to distrust and anger. With our gaze we accept or reject, caress or cause pain. The eyes represent our entire being so completely that even a whole direction in medicine related to them has appeared - iridology. From the eyes, an iridologist can draw a conclusion about what is happening in various organs and parts of our body.

We not only communicate through our eyes, but we also see and therefore comprehend the world around us. vision problems are invariably associated with our understanding of the world: we either do not want to admit to ourselves what we actually see, and therefore we do not trust our eyesight and vision. Nearsighted people can only see what is ahead of them, but their field of vision remains limited. They also find it difficult to look at themselves from a distance, which is why they often turn out to be timid people or introverts. It was as if vision had been pushed back, perhaps due to injury or fear of the future. Farsighted people have access to distant and beautiful vistas, but they find it difficult to deal with what is happening at the moment, with immediate reality. By nature, they are extroverts and adventurers and therefore often lose touch with their true feelings or are afraid of the present. A blurry picture may appear because we do not accept reality as it is, when our inner world does not agree with the outer world. Tension and stress are also of great importance for vision, as they easily distort our vision of reality. Poor vision may be a consequence of the fact that we consider ourselves too timid and fearful. To avoid any conflict, we look away, allow poor vision to develop, and wear glasses. Vision problems are discussed in more detail in chapter six.

Our ability to accept what we see, or lack thereof, also affects our eye health. One patient contracted an infection that, as a result of inflammation of the optic nerve, led to blindness in her left eye. The woman realized that when this happened, she did not fully accept the reality around her, since at that time her marriage was falling apart. the left side represents our inner, emotional life. The blindness of the eye showed her that she was blind to her own emotions about the situation: her emotions told her that the marriage was becoming unbearable for her. She was easily irritated and became angry. By fully understanding the situation and pouring out her true feelings about her relationship with her husband, she was able to recover from the infection.

Tears help us relieve pain in many ways; being a liquid, they represent an outpouring of emotions, a release from them. Interestingly, one eye is often less open than the other, or more tears flow from one eye while the other remains dry. The left eye represents our inner, emotional, intuitive side, and the right is more associated with situations from the external world, with more aggressive energy.

The eyes are related to the third eye chakra and thus signify both physical and metaphysical vision. We can look at the world or at ourselves, as in meditation, when we turn to our inner world. Here lies the potential for higher wisdom.

With the help of our ears we hear, that is, we perceive sound and form our impression of it. When we don't like what we hear, we withdraw energy from that part of the body or block the hearing function. If a person is “hard of hearing,” he often does so absolutely consciously. When we talk to older people, we soon discover that they hear perfectly well what they want, but immediately become hard of hearing if they don't like something. I had one patient who could easily hear from across the room that I was offering her chocolate, but when we were talking about her daughter, about whom she had nothing good to say, I had to shout to her. Hearing loss or ear pain can result from being criticized too much - either by ourselves or by someone else. In this case, the daughter got too carried away criticizing her mother, and as a result, the mother stopped hearing her. Ear pain can occur if what we hear causes us internal pain or suffering.

The ears are also a means of achieving balance, including self-control and poise. If there is something wrong with our ears, it means that our life is out of control or out of balance, that events in it are baffling us and we are at a loss. If we do not acknowledge what is happening in our lives, our ears will let us know that we need to find a new balance and harmony. If hearing is impaired on only one side, then you should take into account its inherent qualities (left and right sides, see Chapter 2) and apply them to what is happening in everyday life.

The main function of the nose is breathing: together with the lungs and nostrils, we inhale the air necessary for life. This is not always a desirable feeling, especially on a subconscious level, when we are not doing well and want it to stop. Consequently, when we feel particularly frustrated or exhausted, we may develop a runny and stuffy nose in a subconscious attempt to stop the process of breathing or living. A runny nose represents another aspect - our desire to cry, which we will certainly feel in a state of confusion and hopelessness. After all, many of the symptoms coincide: both tears and a runny nose are associated with the release of emotions - the release of fluid. Therefore, if we have a cold, we should ask ourselves, is there something in our life that makes us cry? Perhaps some deep grief is tormenting us?

And although a runny nose can be contagious, it is worth noticing who gets it and when. We are always surrounded by millions of microbes, but we only get sick at certain times. A cold often means that we need time to reconnect with our inner world, with the desire to live. It is a way to release pent-up confusion and emotions associated with internal change. The nose contains the sinuses, spaces filled with air and associated with thought, comprehension, knowledge and communication. When they are clogged, it means that we are internally constrained, unable to communicate or overcome our own limitations.

The nose also provides the sense of smell. Some smells are associated with certain memories, so blocking the nose may have something to do with repressed memories or a painful situation. Through smell and breath we “smell life,” as when we smell a beautiful rose and are filled with joy. As our consciousness develops, our sinuses can become more sensitive to the metaphysical "smells" around us.

The mouth is our direct organ of communication. Here our thoughts and feelings are expressed, food is taken and the digestive process begins. Here we kiss, smile, pout, snap, spit, chew and bite. We accept reality and spit it back out if we don't like it. Here we talk, sing, whisper and shout.

With so many functions, many problems often arise with the mouth. Difficulties may arise due to the fact that at the moment it is difficult for us to perceive and “swallow” reality, “digest” what is happening, or perhaps we do not have enough nourishment in life, and our mouth begins to “starve”. In addition, there may be a desire to throw out negative emotions and thoughts that we do not allow ourselves to show and therefore hold back so as not to say them: or we fight the desire to kiss and love someone who actually rejects us.

Lips are especially sensitive to our feelings. Here is one example. Annie developed a cold on her lips during the first two days of her honeymoon. Soon after it passed, Annie went to the hospital with tonsillitis! What her body wanted to communicate was quite obvious: the new marriage brought her many problems that she did not want to deal with. Her confusion was expressed in such a way that by stopping kissing she could create physical space around herself. At the same time, it was very difficult for her to tolerate the fact that she was not prepared for the current situation. Hidden irritation especially often manifests itself this way - towards oneself or another person. Infections in the mouth indicate irritation caused by what we eat and how we express ourselves.

Teeth are of particular importance because they represent our deep energy or spiritual aspect of personality, while the tongue and other soft tissues correspond to the mental aspect, and saliva and other fluids correspond to the energy of emotions. Teeth are on the border between us and the outside world, they act as a filter that monitors what comes in and goes out. They are associated with first impressions of what we are about to ingest; here our feelings, information and sensations are shared; before mixing again. In the process of chewing, we destroy external reality in order to find out what it is like from the inside. so we can determine. what we want and don’t want, spitting out what doesn’t suit us. By gritting our teeth, we seem to close the entrance to what comes from the outside, and hold back what should leave us.

Rotten teeth indicate a lack of ability to distinguish, evaluate and select what we want from what comes to us. Such a contradiction can make us quite vulnerable. This also means that what comes to us has an irritating and therefore destructive effect. The moment of eating turns out to be painful and unwanted. Rotten teeth in children are often associated with problems in the family and what the child gets in food. Parents compensate for their guilt towards the child with sweets and chocolates, which contributes to tooth decay. Teeth represent the first step in receiving love and food; the assimilation of what we receive depends on them. When teeth don't do their job, we swallow things that are actually hard to digest and absorb.

So, Rosemary had problems with her teeth. She said that she felt irritated with her mother because she tried to control her life. Since childhood, we associate mother with love, support and food. Therefore, the girl’s irritation manifested itself in her mouth, especially affecting her teeth, which presented a barrier to her mother’s attempts to get to her. It also pointed to the need to open up her feelings and talk to her mother, instead of gritting her teeth and continuing to hope that her mother would leave her alone.

The teeth and jaw are closely related: when we tense our jaw, we clench our teeth. In this way we stop the absorption process and can remain in this position without changing anything. We grind our teeth in anger, and to stop expressing these emotions, we stop the movement of our jaw. All this can cause the jaw muscles to stretch and lose their shape.

The transition from incorporeal to physical conception occurs in the neck; food and air pass through it, nourishing us and giving us life. The neck is the bridge that connects the body and soul, allowing the incorporeal to take shape and the spirit to form. Through the neck, our thoughts, ideas and ideas are manifested in action, and at the same time, here we give vent to our inner feelings coming from the heart. Crossing this bridge requires our awareness and decision to live life to the fullest; lack of this determination will lead to loss of connection between body and soul.

Through the throat we “absorb” our reality. Problems in this area may be associated with our resistance, our unwillingness to accept this reality. Food nourishes us and keeps us alive, it symbolizes all support and is often used in this sense.

And yet, how often in childhood were we asked to take back our words, that is, to swallow our feelings? Serge King in his book “Imadgineering for Health” writes: “We tend to associate food with ideas, this is evident from such expressions as “food for the mind”, “swallow the insult”, “you feed me with promises”, “this is not for me.” taste," "he's had enough." The pharynx and all the glands and organs surrounding it can become swollen and inflamed, which is a hidden reaction to ideas that are unacceptable to us." Such a reaction may be associated with the feelings of other people or with situations that we must endure, that is, “swallow,” but which we “don’t like.”

Since the throat is a place of transition, problems in this area can equally represent a conflict in accepting reality, as well as our frustration and suppression of feelings that need to be released, be it love, affection, anger or pain. If we think that for some reason we should not express these feelings, or we are afraid of the consequences of this expression, we will stop them, and this will lead to a build-up of energy in the throat. This "swallowing" of feelings can cause enormous tension in the neck and nearby glands. Here the connection of the neck with the fifth chakra, the center of divine communication, is obvious.

The neck allows us to see all sides of this world. If the neck is tense or stiff, our movements and our field of vision become limited. This also indicates the limitations of our views and judgments, when we notice only our point of view, only what is right in front of us. This also speaks of our pride, callousness and stubbornness. callousness reduces the amount of sensations and information passing between the body and soul. Tension in the neck prevents us from feeling the reactions and desires of our body, and from getting a full picture of the world around us.

Since the neck corresponds to conception, it represents our feeling that we have the right to live, that this is our home and this is where we belong. The absence of this sensation can undermine our sense of security and presence, which can lead to a narrowing of the larynx. We will have difficulty swallowing, causing the body to lose energy and support, and a “withdrawn” syndrome will appear, caused by feelings of rejection and pain. It can also affect the functioning of the thyroid gland, as it is associated with breathing, which gives us life.

The shoulders represent the deepest aspect of action energy, expressing our thoughts and feelings about what and how we do, whether we do what we want or do something reluctantly, and how others treat us. The shoulders represent the transition from conception to embodiment, that is, action. Here we bear the weight of the world and responsibility for it, because now we have already acquired our physical form and must face all the features of life. The shoulders are also where the emotional energy of the heart is expressed, which then manifests through the arms and hands (hugs and caresses). This is where our desire to create, express ourselves and create develops.

The closer we hold these feelings and conflicts to ourselves, the more tense and constrained our shoulders will be. How many of us do what we want in life? Do we really express our love and care freely? Are we hugging exactly who we want to hug? Do we want to live a full life or would we rather close ourselves off and withdraw into ourselves? Are we afraid to be ourselves, to act freely, to do what we want? to justify holding ourselves back, we place even more internal stress on our shoulders, which manifests itself in feelings of guilt and fear. As a result, adapting to these emotions, the muscles become deformed. This can be seen in the example of stooped shoulders that cannot bear the weight of life's problems or guilt for actions we have committed in the past. We hold our tense shoulders high out of fear or anxiety. If the shoulders are pulled back and the chest protrudes forward, it means we want to show ourselves from the outside. The back will be weak and crooked.

Muscles correspond to mental energy, and very often the energy gets “stuck” in the shoulder area, since this is where many of the desires that we hold back reside. Tension predominant in the left side will be associated with the feminine principle in our lives: perhaps we are not fully expressing ourselves as a woman or we are worried about our communication with women. It also reflects our feelings, our ability to express them, and the creative side of our lives. Tension on the right side is more associated with masculine nature, the manifestation of aggression and power. This is the managing and acting party that takes full responsibility. It will reflect our activities, as well as relationships with men.

Shoulders help express our attitude: we shrug our shoulders if we don’t know what to do, we turn away if we don’t want to communicate with someone, we move our shoulders, often as a sign of invitation, including to sex. A “frozen” shoulder can indicate someone’s coldness towards us or our own - emotions “freeze” before they even have time to be expressed.

A broken shoulder indicates a deeper conflict - a violation of deep energy, when the contradiction between what we plan or should do and what we actually want becomes unbearable. Not long ago, one of my friends, Simon, was faced with very serious problems in communicating with his wife and decided that the best solution would be to leave home. It was Valentine's Day when he was clearing snow from the porch when he suddenly lost his footing and fell five feet. He had a severe bruise of the round joint in his left shoulder. This incident meant a lot. Simon made the decision to leave, but deep down he didn't want to do it. The contradiction between the energies of the two decisions was reflected in his shoulder. It was precisely the left side, corresponding to emotional and inner life, it expresses the conflict of his own feelings and feelings for his wife, and the bone speaks of the depth of this conflict. The physical step that Simon took corresponded to the step he wanted to take in life, and he realized that it would be a step into the void. What he really wanted to do was pay attention to what was happening in his home, to address his deepest feelings. As a result, he was unable to leave. as he became increasingly dependent on his wife, who did almost everything for him. This incident gave them both the opportunity to remember the mutual support and care in their relationship, which had recently become too negative, and to find time to peacefully resolve the conflict.

As the energy moves down into the arms and hands, it moves away from the inner, personal aspects of action energy to more open and actively expressed ones, which manifests itself in a sense of strength and success already achieved. With the help of our hands we caress, hold, hug, give, reach, or vice versa, we hit, take, push away; We close and protect our heart. Thus, hands express our feelings and attitudes. They become a means of communication when we talk, waving our hands to better express what we want to say. Everything that is inside us, in our heart, can be expressed with our hands. With the help of our hands we receive impressions and information about the world around us. Therefore, the gracefulness or clumsiness of our movements can speak about our management of ourselves and our affairs. A lack of confidence can be observed in the right hand, since it is this side that corresponds to the masculine principle. Difficulties in expressing tenderness and love will lie rather in the left hand, associated with feminine nature.

Traditionally, this place expresses our clumsiness or ability to push through, which is reflected in the expression "to make our way with our elbows." we can push someone with our elbow and feel pushed out in the same way, we put out our elbows to look strong and in control because our elbows make our hands look like weapons. Elbows can also express doubt about our ability to respond or perform a job well. Joints give freedom and fluidity to our movements; in fact, they are responsible for movement itself. Awkward movements of our elbows indicate that we are constrained and clumsy in expressing ourselves or are completely unable to do so: try hugging someone with your elbows pressed to your body! Elbows also give us the opportunity to apply force to what we are doing (“elbowing”). If we have problems with our elbows, we are not able to stand up for our rights as well as we can or should.

Forearms

This is the area of ​​action: this is where we roll up our sleeves and get to work. The forearms are further from the inner and closer to the outer expression of the center of action. The tenderness of the skin on the inside of the forearms indicates our delicacy and the hesitation we experience before finally expressing something. It also refers to the moment when something personal is about to become public but is still private, or when we do something in public but deep down it makes us uncomfortable.

Wrists

Like the elbows, the wrists are the joints that provide movement and the final entry point for the energy of action. The wrists give our actions great ease and freedom. When they are inactive, movements become abrupt and awkward. Thus, the wrists allow us to easily adapt to any actions, to manage our affairs, and to freely express our inner feelings. When energy flows freely through the wrists, we express ourselves with ease and do what we want. If the energy is held back (for example, with a dislocated joint or arthritis), this indicates a conflict in our actions: we act constrained, something interferes with our activity, or we ourselves resist what should be done.

HANDS

Being the most characteristic means of self-expression for a person, hands are like antennas emanating from us and conveying information. When we extend our hand, we convey a message of friendliness and safety, a “friendly handshake” is good not only as an expression in language, because the power of touch is much greater than the rational mind. With our hands we draw, conduct an orchestra, write, drive a car, heal, chop wood, cultivate a garden, and so on. We become almost helpless if our hands are damaged, since it is with their help that we interact with the world around us.

The entire period of maturation during pregnancy is reflected here, in particular in the spinal reflex, which runs along the side of the thumb. Even the past, present and future, unique to each person, are imprinted in the hands - these are patterns on the pads of the fingers. I remember that when I once had to do a lot of varied work, the skin on the pads of my thumbs became very tender and sensitive. It started to crack and peel, which reminded me of a snake shedding its old skin. It was quite painful. Later I realized that that moment corresponded to a new stage of my internal development, the formation of a new personality, as I freed myself from old habits and prejudices. Although I never checked to see if my fingerprints had changed!

Julie came to me with severe pain in her left thumb and left ankle. Her mother recently died, and soon after this the pain began. The death of our parents makes us aware of the fact that we are no longer children and that we are the “last link in the chain.” Therefore, subconsciously we turn to our ability to be adults, to take the place of the one we lost, because we ourselves now have to be adults. The pain that appeared in Julie's thumb was directly related to the loss of her mother and entry into adulthood (the left side is female). She told herself, "Okay, now I'm in charge, now it's my turn. I'm the next generation." The thumb expressed that all responsibility and decisions fell on her.

The pain has spread to the ankle - the area that represents our support. The loss of her mother took away the support Julie had relied on for years. Since the pain was only on the left side, Julie immediately faced doubts and fears about her own femininity, because she had lost the main example of a woman in her life. Julie had to understand that it was more important for her to find her own, even if completely different, place in life, and not to take her mother’s place. This conflict arose as a result of the fact that she always wanted to go her own way, to be independent, but her mother never approved of this desire. Now that her mother had died, Julie felt doubly guilty for wanting to go her own way in life.

The hands can easily become stiff or deformed due to a condition such as arthritis. One of my patients had very severe arthritis in the fingers of her right hand, they even lost their normal shape. A woman told me that she had spent ten years in a job she didn't like, and now her arthritis was so bad that she could barely do it. She explained that her arthritis made her feel tense, like she was being pulled from the inside. This is exactly what her body was telling her. It tried to show her that her resistance to the job had caused these feelings and had even caused her to become unable to do it. Fully realizing what she wanted to do and changing jobs provided an outlet for pent-up energy.

Since fluids are associated with our emotions, poor blood circulation that results in cold hands indicates a withdrawal of emotional energy from what we are doing or participating in. It also indicates a reluctance to reach out to show love and care. On the contrary, sweaty palms indicate nervousness and anxiety, causing an overabundance of emotions in connection with our activities. The musculature of the hands is related to our ability to maintain control over things. If we feel like we are losing our grip, this can manifest itself in cramps, weakness and damage to our hands. they can also indicate lack of self-confidence, fear of failure, or inability to accomplish what is required of us. If we reach too far, stretch too far, or rush forward at the wrong time, our hands will inevitably end up with cuts, bruises, burns, and other finger injuries.

The hands also provide touch and connection with other people. Our touch says a lot about ourselves: it is a means of deep, wordless communication. Touch is essential for us to feel safe, secure, accepted and wanted. For a healthy and harmonious life, we simply need to caress, hold, hug, and stroke. Without touch, we begin to feel alienated and insecure, rejected and unwanted. Deprived of touch, we can experience mental disorders. Through touch we can relieve another person's pain and suffering. Problems in the hands may indicate that we really want to touch or feel touched, but at the same time we are very afraid to show this desire.

Hesitation to touch speaks of a deep fear of opening up, showing who we really are, allowing the intimacy of a relationship to develop. This may be caused by past traumas or our innate tendency towards introversion. But this problem requires attention, otherwise, if neglected, it will cause even more harm. Touch makes us open and vulnerable, but also gives us the opportunity to access deep feelings more, and all this happens through the hands. damage to them may indicate a desire to avoid conflicts with oneself. They can also indicate that the touch of another person causes us pain: they are unacceptable to us and cause pain.

The back is an interesting combination of signs and symbols. On the one hand, it symbolizes everything that we don’t want to look at or don’t want anyone else to do. This is our "dumping ground" where we store all the feelings and experiences that once caused us pain or confusion, and therefore we hid them. We cannot see our own back, and we become like ostriches, thinking that others cannot see it either. And then we complain about our “sore” back, as if it were somehow to blame! But on the other hand, in addition to the fact that the back serves as a "dumping ground", it is also the place where our spine is located, the most important part of the skeleton, the frame for the whole body and the "support" of our existence.

Spine

The spine represents our deepest energy and corresponds to our highest spiritual aspirations. It is the pillar on which the whole body rests, it makes us strong and confident or makes us appear "spineless". It is connected to various aspects of our existence through the skeleton, the central nervous system and the central circulation running from the brain to the rest of the body. Thus, every thought, feeling, event, reaction and impression is reflected in the spine as well as in its corresponding parts of the body. There are a number of medical practices, including chiropractic, which focus on the spine, or "metamorphic" techniques, which specialize in spinal reflexes. According to these healing practices, the spine provides us with access to and influence over the entire body.

The spine is the first to form after conception, and from there the rest of the body develops. Therefore, it represents our desire to take shape, to come to life. The spine can be used to judge the development of a person before birth, the development of his consciousness. Development occurs from the moment of conception, which corresponds to the neck, to birth, which corresponds to the genitals. In addition, the spine reflects the chakra system and kundalini energy, which begins at its base and moves upward. Therefore, it can be said to represent our entire journey: from infinity, which we leave, to human form (the descent of energy), and then to achieving higher levels of knowledge, until we reconnect with infinity. Thus, the spine contains energies of two levels: the energy of the process of development and maturation and the energy of a potential superman!

Upper back

By upper back we mean the area from the shoulders to the end of the shoulder blades. Since this area represents the post-conception period, or the stage of internal, personal development, problems associated with our feelings and doubts about ourselves accumulate mainly here. From here the heart chakra and the energy of love can be expressed through our hands. It is in this part of the back that we store the love and warmth that we feel towards someone, but cannot express them and therefore hide, or, conversely, the anger and coldness that we do not want to admit to ourselves. These feelings try to find a way out, but we constantly ignore or deny them, and they accumulate, turning into pent-up anger or hidden irritation.

The dense muscles in the upper back that provide us with protection are often “overloaded” with rage, which was first directed at ourselves and then transferred to others. This can be seen in the so-called "dower's hump", a soft tissue formation that appears in the upper back, most often in older women. It represents the accumulation of all the evil and hurtful thoughts that have remained unexpressed for many years, and appears closer to old age, when there are fewer reasons to live.

Jim complained of persistent pain in his upper back. He visited numerous chiropractors, but none of them were able to relieve his pain. gradually he told me that, despite the divorce, his ex-wife did not leave him alone, constantly called him and demanded something, she became a natural “thorn in the back.” After working with Jim for several weeks, she suddenly moved five hundred miles away from her husband and started a new life. Shortly thereafter, Jim visited another chiropractor who was able to immediately fix his back. Then Jim realized that it was because he no longer "needed" the pain and she was free to leave him, that he held on to his wife as much, if not more, than she held on to him.

The upper back is closely related to the shoulders and the energy that is expressed in them, as described above. Therefore, pain and tension in this part of the back are associated with disappointment and irritation due to our wrong actions or frustrated plans. This always happens because we hold back our inner desires and hide them in the back: they may be unacceptable to us or not correspond to what is expected of us. As we release hidden anger and frustration, we can also release those long-buried ambitions and desires. Since this area represents the first stage of development after conception, it represents the embodiment, the manifestation of our inner aspirations. This may mean not only choosing a career or life path, but also, on a higher level, rejecting the temptations and power of the earthly world and turning to spirituality.

Mid back

This narrow and thin part of the back is the area of ​​the solar plexus where balance is so often disturbed. It represents the period of development of the organism in the womb, when there is a transition from awareness of oneself to awareness of the outside world. This resembles the central point of the pendulum's movement, at which the internal, personal aspects of our lives are balanced with the external, public ones. When this part is open and functioning normally, we can freely express our inner feelings and fill our lives with meaning. When it is closed or its work is blocked, it means that we have difficulty expressing ourselves, we are holding back energy that should flow freely down, or we are afraid to express ourselves. This may be a reluctance to direct our energy to the outside world, since by feeling it inside, we feel safer.

If we consider that the downward movement corresponds to maturation, then the middle part of the back appears as a natural obstacle that holds back energy. This reflects our internal resistance to aging, a reaction to the responsibilities we must fulfill, or the inevitability of death. Here we move to the stage of relationships, that is, we are already faced with adult problems. The middle back is also the area of ​​the third chakra, which is associated primarily with power and self. Therefore, imbalances in this part of the spine or back may indicate conflicts or games with power, which often arise in the process of finding oneself and one’s place in the world. Spiritual energy tends to strive upward, to experience higher states, but our “I” does everything to prevent this movement! The charms and hidden possibilities of power are extremely seductive; Once we try, we can no longer refuse. However, such energy is closely related to corruption and manipulation of people. Overcoming this temptation is the goal of the spiritual path.

Lower back

Includes the area from the solar plexus to the coccyx and represents the final stage of development before birth. Research has shown that low back pain is most likely to occur at times that remind us that we are aging: when we turn sixty or seventy years old or celebrate a wedding anniversary, when our children graduate from university or start their own lives, or when we retire. And although it is believed that back pain is usually caused by gardening or lifting heavy objects, most likely there is already some weakness in this part of the body, which then manifests itself through severe tension. Weakness always means resistance to aging affecting our social activities and communication. The fight against old age is especially common in the West - people want to maintain youth and live longer. But they think little about how to embrace old age with dignity and mature wisdom. Problems in the lower back are also related to the meaning of the pelvis, which will be described below.

This important area connects to the energy of the spine and corresponds to our relationships. Fears and conflicts related to our insecurity, with our loved ones, family or friends, often lie in this part of the back. The pelvis is the center of movement within us, here we can give life not only to our child, but also to ourselves, as shown by the example of the ascent of kundalini energy. This “coiled snake” represents our spiritual energy, the beginning of its upward journey. Energy begins to move and needs to express itself. If we are unable to do so or feel fearful (as movement can mean change and more honest relationships), this area can close down, leading to stress, tension and pain.

The path to the top is based on self-preservation, security and sexuality. Therefore, problems with sexual energy and its expression are located in the pelvic area, along with the survival instinct or the fear of losing support in life. The pelvis is the central part of the body, it connects the upper movement in the chest and head, most open to the world, with the movement directed down to the soles of the feet, which provide direction and support. It is from here that we are born and here we are faced with the world's reaction to us.

Jenny was 65 years old when we met. She broke her hip three times, always in the same place and each time due to an accident. The first time she fell from a horse, the third time she was in a car accident, and the third time she fell down the stairs. There were many years between the accidents. After talking with each other, we found out that the first time she broke her hip was two weeks after her fiancé died. She was 21 years old then. She never remarried and stayed with her parents and took care of them. When she was 45, her mother died. A month later, she was in an accident and broke her hip again. Her father died when she was 57 years old. A few weeks later, she fell down the stairs and broke her hip again. Each time she broke her hip, when the person she was most dependent on emotionally died, it undermined her confidence in life. Each time she was given the opportunity to become a new independent person, to learn to stand on her own two feet, but she turned out to be unable to do this, and the constant tension in the hip, weakening it, led to fractures. Jenny needed to become an independent person, finally grow up and find the strength to move forward without depending on others.

The lower back includes the buttocks, the place where we sit and therefore believe that no one can see it. How many times have we had to smile while our gluteal muscles were tense? Since the buttocks are associated with the removal of waste, they are also related to the release of feelings, emotions, and sexuality. Tension in the buttocks may indicate difficulties in expressing yourself, an inability to relax. Try to take a breath and relax your buttock muscles - and you will feel the difference! Tension here can cause pain, muscle strain and hemorrhoids. The anal muscles are directly related to childhood (potty training), and therefore to emotional conflicts and their suppression, as well as sexual conflicts.

RIB CAGE

The chest area, from the neck to the diaphragm, reflects the stage after conception, that is, this is the time of formation of the personality, the inner man. Therefore, this part of the body corresponds to our inner, personal world (as opposed to the abdominal cavity, which represents relationships with other people). The chest symbolizes our “I”, our sense of ourselves as an individual. This is evidenced by a simple gesture: we point to or touch our chest, talking about ourselves, our feelings and views. Remember how Tarzan beat his chest? This is where we put ourselves on display, bursting with pride and self-confidence, although inside we may be trembling with fear at this moment. Breasts swollen with importance indicate that we want to maintain power and appear courageous, that we can easily show our anger, but it is difficult for us to show tenderness. If we have a narrow and small chest, this may indicate our lack of self-confidence and emotional weakness, indecisiveness in expressing our feelings, and the need for support and encouragement from others.

It is in the chest that many of our feelings are expressed, especially those that relate to ourselves, including self-esteem or self-dislike, the ability to love ourselves (thanks to which we can love others) and, conversely, feelings of anger and self-disappointment. Tension in this area will create a protective barrier that will protect us from pain and loneliness. Ken Dichwald wrote in Bodymind: “A person who keeps this part of the body tense is trying to protect his heart and the emotions associated with it with a protective wall. It protects us from pain and attack, but at the same time blocks feelings of warmth and support" It is in this part of the body that the deepest feelings are hidden, which then manifest themselves in relationships (physically it is connected with the pelvis and legs or with the arms and voice) Each organ within the chest corresponds to a certain aspect of this energy.

Being a soft tissue, the heart is part of our mental energy, and its function is to distribute emotional energy, that is, blood. The heart symbolizes love, both on an impersonal and personal level. It is also associated with the romance and loneliness that comes with love: depending on the circumstances, our heart can be broken, it can hurt, or we can give it to someone. Serge King writes this in his book “Imagineering for health”: “If you are compassionate, you have a “soft” heart, if on the contrary, then you have “no heart” or it is “cold” and “callous.” A serious loss can “break your heart.” "heart", you can express "heartfelt" gratitude to someone who sympathizes with you. Fear may cause your heart to lose its rhythm or mysteriously "jump out". All of these feelings have physical correspondences." We express the energy of the heart with the help of our mouth and lips, hands, and genitals.

The heart is associated with the heart chakra, and therefore with the highest manifestations of love - compassion and kindness, which go beyond personal problems. Corresponding to the post-conception stage, the heart also relates to ourselves. The point is that before we can love others, we must learn to love and accept ourselves. True love does not need reasons, it exists for the sake of love itself, and not in order to receive something in return, it is limitless and always constant. But we cannot reach this state unless we first experience it in relation to ourselves. If we do not love ourselves, then when we try to love others, we will experience pain, torment, self-dislike and even self-denial. We will love them in order to receive love from them, so that we can think better about ourselves. Our love will depend on what we receive in return, since we cannot give it to ourselves.

The heart is also connected to the thymus gland and the production of immune system T cells. As described in Chapter 2, when we experience love and positive feelings, our immune system becomes stronger and more resistant to infection. If the heart is closed, if it is full of negative emotions such as anger, hatred, disappointment and self-loathing, the thymus gland works less well, and this negatively affects the immune system and its ability to fight off infections.

Since the heart is the center of love and inner wisdom, the blood circulates love throughout the body. Blood leaves the heart and returns to it, it gives and receives. Blood also contains oxygen, which enters it from the lungs, so along with love it also carries life, which fills every cell of our body with meaning. Blood problems are a direct result of our attitude and indicate weakness, confusion or failure, poor management or reaction. Poor blood circulation indicates an inability to live a full emotional life. Constricted arteries mean that our emotional movement is limited, causing us to give and receive insufficient love.

The formation of lungs in a fetus in the womb marks our desire to live, to become an independent organism. Therefore, the lungs may also contain fear of life or reluctance to live. And then we begin to want to be controlled: if we are not sure that we want to be here, it will be much easier for us if someone makes all the decisions for us.

Breath is life, but we use only a small part of all the possibilities of our breathing. When we learn to breathe fully and deeply, our energy and desire to live awaken again. Shallow breathing does not allow us to live life to the fullest, it deprives us of these feelings, as if protecting us from the surrounding reality. The anxiety and fear that occurs when we are in danger can lead to shallow breathing. Deep breathing provides a connection with ourselves, with support in life, allows us to forget about fear and feel peace. Our lungs expand and contract, thus representing our ability to open up, live life to the fullest, or, conversely, to close, withdraw into ourselves and withdraw from life.

When we have a cough or infection in the bronchi, it often becomes an expression of disappointment or irritation towards ourselves. They may indicate that we want to get rid of something inside ourselves, trying to communicate what is hidden. There may be deeper problems here, but we do not yet have the courage or means to deal with them. Or it may be that life itself or our experiences cause us irritation, making it difficult to breathe. We want neither to receive nor to give.

If we have asthma, then we may have a deep fear of independent life, of the inability to open up to it. We are most likely dependent on one of our parents or spouse. Asthma represents how difficult it is now to feel carefree in this world, as if the environment were clean and we didn't have to die. It can also represent our feelings of guilt about not living up to someone else's expectations, feelings of fear or loneliness because we are not good enough. This suggests that we need to love and accept ourselves to such an extent that we no longer need others' approval.

Pam, who had a husband and a small child, had asthma. Her mother came to stay with her for a week, and within ten hours of her departure, Pam had already ended up in the hospital with a serious asthma attack. Returning to her home, which was two thousand miles away from her daughter, the mother was forced to turn back and go to Pam again. This time she spent two weeks with her daughter until Pam was ready to leave her. Pam also had a serious attack the evening after her wedding and spent most of her gray month in hospital. When faced with situations in which she had to exercise independence, Pam could not cope with fear.

The main symbol of femininity, it brings joy, torment, support and consolation. Breasts are the most expressive symbol of the entire female body, and society tries to set certain standards for them in size and shape that are considered fashionable or acceptable. Women are tormented, embarrassed, worried about their breasts. The left breast represents these feelings on a deep personal level, as the left side corresponds to the feminine nature, the inner, emotional aspect. The right breast reflects the problems women face in a male aggressive world and the contradiction between what is expected of them and what they are capable or willing to give. It also reflects our own perception of ourselves as women in this world.

The breast provides nourishment and life, both in the form of food and in the form of comfort and encouragement. However, if we are confused, unable or unwilling to manifest these life-giving qualities, we can come to deny our breasts and the feminine nature within ourselves. Breast cancer is closely related to how we feel about our femininity, dignity and ability to fulfill ourselves as a woman. It is also associated with the fear of being rejected by others and with self-denial.

For example, Mary developed breast cancer after having three children. She was unable to give birth naturally (all were born by caesarean section) and breastfeed them, although she passionately wanted this. She became pregnant for the fourth time, but had a miscarriage. Mary experienced extreme guilt and emotional pain, believing that she had failed to become a real woman and mother. Because she could not breastfeed, her anger and denial were directed at her. Her feelings of hopelessness and failure were exacerbated by her inability to bear her fourth child. Her grief turned against her, and her breasts became an outlet for emotions, a symbol of the fact that she had failed as a woman, as a result of which the disease appeared.

To become a complete woman, we don't have to have children, try to be a perfect mother, or have perfect breasts. We need to develop deeper feminine qualities in ourselves: wisdom, intuition, love and compassion - qualities of support and care. This means accepting and loving ourselves as we are, realizing that external behavior is less important than internal qualities.

The ribs protect the most vulnerable and private parts of the body: the heart and lungs. These organs provide the possibility of independent life, and the ribs protect it. When they break, it is a sign that we are defenseless and weak. maybe we have lost our sense of security or control over our lives, and therefore become helpless and open, vulnerable at the deepest level.

Diaphragm

This is a large flat muscle that separates the chest and abdominal cavity. It is the border between the upper and lower parts of our body. Through this boundary pass those feelings and experiences from the upper half that we must “swallow” and “assimilate” in the lower half, as well as the needs and desires of the lower half that need to be expressed in the upper half. Problems in this area, such as a hiatal hernia, indicate that there is a conflict in the two-way flow of energy. It can be caused by allowing reality to penetrate too deeply into our lives, or by an overconfidence that prevents us from expressing ourselves freely.

The diaphragm is also associated with the period of development in the womb when the growing fetus begins to open up to the outside world. It corresponds to a change in consciousness, an inner liberation to express oneself, and an outer expression filled with inner meaning. If this area is blocked, inner energy is suppressed and our outer actions become superficial and empty, lacking depth.

The diaphragm is associated with breathing, so muscle contraction here means that we cannot breathe deeply, that is, we do not want to accept life in its entirety. It also relates to the transition from the third to the fourth chakra, from lower to higher consciousness. Moving upward, from the solar plexus to the heart, we move from the general to a more individual level of consciousness and from selfishness to selflessness. The diaphragm must be open for this movement to occur.

ABDOMEN

Here we move into the area related to relationships. It corresponds to the period before birth, when the fetus is preparing to exchange its solitude for communication. Consequently, all problems in this part of the body will always be associated with conflicts and obstacles between us and the world in which we live. They will be expressed in relationships with all the people in our lives. It is also a place where we can give birth to new aspects of our existence, it shows us how, through relationships and the resolution of conflicts associated with them, awareness of our thoughts and feelings towards the world and people, we can give rise to inner growth and open up new opportunities for yourself. The abdominal cavity is the area where we accept, assimilate and “digest” our reality, choose what we want and neglect what we don’t like. Here we keep personal problems or get rid of them.

What we received from the outside world gives us support and energy, and we can return this energy back to the world. This is a continuous process. However, if what we receive disables us, causes pain or digestive problems, we do not receive the support we need and our energy is depleted. Then we will be able to give back less to the world, and everything that happens in us will be a reflection of inner pain. This applies to food as well as thoughts, feelings, impressions and information. In the abdominal cavity, we process our reality and, on its basis, create our own activities and results with others. If reality is full of pain and cruelty, then, most likely, our response to it will be the same. If it is full of warmth and love, we will be well supported and will be able to freely express our love and creative energy.

The abdominal cavity is closely connected with our thoughts and feelings, as can be seen in such phrases as “feeling in my gut”, “I have the guts to do something”, “I can’t stomach this”. Here is the deepest sense of intuition, which helps to make the right choice. The reaction of our stomach often tells us much more about what is happening than our senses. If we have a strong gut feeling, we are confident that we are doing the right thing. Ignoring it can lead to poor health on the inside and mistakes on the outside.

Food is associated with mother, love and affection, security, survival and reward. We fulfill the need for one of these things through food as a means of filling the emptiness within us. Food replaces love for us, especially during times of loss, separation or someone's death. With the help of food, we also relieve stress associated with material and financial difficulties. Sweet food replenishes us with the sweetness of relationships that we so need; we give it to ourselves because we feel that we can’t get it from anyone else. Conversely, to show that we need support, we can stop eating, reducing or reducing the need for love to a minimum level. Thus. obesity and loss of appetite actually give rise to the same state of self-dislike, the need for support and approval from the outside, which, however, is not enough to satisfy our demands. The reaction to this condition is simply expressed in opposite ways: obesity indicates a loss of control over oneself, and loss of appetite indicates an overly exaggerated attempt at control (more on these conditions in Chapter 6)

All this has to do with the stomach. Our aspirations, unfulfilled desires, earthly burdens and external conflicts accumulate primarily here. Therefore, they can cause various disorders: indigestion, ulcers, high acidity. How often do we hear from someone that something is “eating” on them, and then it turns out that they have a stomach ulcer? The stomach processes and breaks down food and prepares it for final storage in the intestines. Food can stay in the stomach for a long time, so it is not surprising that our thoughts and feelings can also stay here for a long time, causing nausea and heaviness. Tension in the stomach area may indicate that we are not letting go of our problems, holding on to reality, trying to prevent inevitable changes and moving forward.

Intestines

From the stomach, food passes further to the small intestine, and then enters the large intestine, after which it is removed from the body. Nutrients are absorbed in the intestines and the good is separated from the bad. Here there is a process of unification and liberation, not only from food, but also from feelings, thoughts and experiences. If the release process is inhibited (due to fear, insecurity, etc.), tension arises, which leads to constipation, intestinal ulcers, and spastic colon. If the release occurs too quickly, reducing the time for the body to absorb the food, diarrhea may occur. The intestines represent those problems that we are afraid to let go of, the merging of external and internal reality, getting rid of what we do not want to keep in ourselves. Bernie Siegel explains it this way in Love, Medicine and Miracles: “After an emergency operation that removed several feet of dead intestinal tissue, one woman, a Jungian therapist, said to me, “I'm glad you're my surgeon. I tried to analyze what was happening. I could not cope with all the nasty and dirty things that were poisoning my life. "A bad doctor would not have made any association with her feelings, but for us it was no accident that the intestines became the central point of her illness."

In 1982 I traveled to Egypt. I arrived in Cairo late in the evening and was driven from the airport to the hotel through the city. I felt an emotional shock occur inside me. This feeling was even more exciting than during the previous visit to Bombay and Delhi. In Egypt in July it was so hot and dry that there were no leaves or water anywhere to be seen, and in India at least there were no trees or flowers. But here, more than 12 million people lived in a waterless and dusty city designed for only 3 million. They lived anywhere, even in cemeteries. Within hours of arriving, my gut was already weakened by emotion and sick. my gut was literally shocked by what I saw.

Constipation is a holding, a tension in the muscles that prevents release or release. A person becomes tense when he controls himself too much and finds it difficult to behave at ease. This may be caused by the fear of losing control over events, as well as the fear of expressing one's life to reveal itself. But this is not always easy: it is the very nature of constipation to hold back movement, and this applies not only to the disease, but also to its emotional factors! Every year we spend fortunes on laxatives, because it is human nature to be afraid, especially of loss or insecurity. It is much more likely that we will be constipated during times of financial difficulties and relationship conflicts or when we are traveling. It is at this time that we will feel unprotected, without support. We want to hold on to everything we can and try to prevent change because we don't know what it will bring us. However, by doing this, we create a lot of tension, as well as pain and irritation. Liberation will mean that we believe in its safety, we believe that life itself will solve problems and we cannot rule the whole world at once. We will have to play and express ourselves more freely, to come to terms with what happens.

There are times when the reality we need to “learn” upsets, overwhelms us or causes us fear, we have no desire to hold onto it, let alone absorb any information from the situation. Then we will have a tendency to diarrhea. In the same way, animals empty their intestines when they find themselves in a life-threatening situation. However, we will be most likely to suffer from recurrent diarrhea if we are the type of person who always rushes ahead without listening to what they are told. Therefore, we will lack support and resilience, reserves of strength. Here, on the contrary, you should stop to listen and comprehend the situation before moving on.

This organ literally gives us life and supports it. All blood from the stomach and intestines passes through the liver, which ensures complete and correct supply of nutrients. The liver absorbs and stores fats and proteins and helps maintain blood sugar levels. It plays a large role in neutralizing toxins that enter the body through the digestive system and is therefore important for the immune system. The liver can even repair its own tissue.

Since the liver has the function of absorbing nutrients from the blood, we can say that this also applies to emotions. In traditional Chinese acupuncture, the liver is associated with anger, meaning it absorbs this emotion, thus maintaining our emotional balance. If it did not perform this function, we would very quickly experience exhaustion and depression of emotions. On the other hand, the liver is a storehouse of nutrients, but anger will also accumulate in it, causing harm if we acknowledge its existence or do not give it an outlet. Anger directed against oneself can lead to depression, and as depression increases, the liver becomes sluggish. will start to work poorly.

This organ neutralizes poisons in the body, keeping us healthy and alert. But it can also become a repository for the harmful aspects of our lives, because we do not always express or let go of grievances and bitter thoughts and feelings. The role of the liver in the immune system highlights how strong negative thoughts and feelings are linked to our health. Along with the accumulation of anger and bitterness, tension in the liver will increase and it will not be able to work at full capacity. This will also affect the circulatory and immune systems, and therefore our ability to fight infections.

The liver is largely responsible for our behavior associated with addictions, such as addiction to food, alcohol and drugs, because it removes toxins from the blood, fights excess fat and monitors the intake of sugar. There is an emotional tension here that needs to be released through the satisfaction of the habit. This tension can be based on anger and resentment (towards the world or towards specific people). Often, toxins that enter the body as a result of bad habits help hide from anger and disappointment, rage, powerlessness and self-loathing, pain, greed and the thirst for power, which also poison us. When we receive toxins from the outside, we may not recognize what is within us.

The liver is closely related to the third chakra, which represents our personality and its strength. By transforming it, we can rise to higher levels of existence. However, it is as easy to become a victim of this energy as it is difficult to transform it. The liver reflects the anger and irritation that we can feel when trying to find ourselves and our purpose.

Any persistent thought resonates in the human body.
Walt Whitman

In almost all excellent writings on medicine and healing, one basic concept is often omitted, apparently as irrelevant. It is the relationship between mind and body, which may directly affect our health and our ability to recover.

The fact that these relationships do exist and are very important is only now beginning to be recognized; deeper we have yet to learn and accept their true meaning for humans.

Only when we explore the unusual relationships between all aspects of our personality (our needs, unconscious reactions, repressed emotions, desires and fears) and the functioning of the physiological systems of the body, their ability to self-regulate, only then will we begin clearly understand how great the wisdom of our body is.

With extremely complex systems and functions, the human body exhibits limitless intelligence and compassion, constantly giving us the means to further self-knowledge, confront unexpected situations and move beyond our subjectivity.

The unconscious energies that underlie our every action manifest themselves in the same way as our conscious thoughts and feelings.

To understand this body-mind connection, we must first understand that the body and mind are one. We usually view our own body as something we carry around with us. (often not exactly what we would like).

This “something” is easily damaged, requires training, regular food and water intake, a certain amount of sleep and periodic checks.

When something goes wrong, it gets us into trouble, and we take our body to the doctor, believing that he or she can “fix” it faster and better. Something has broken - and we fix this “something” motionless, as if it were an inanimate object, devoid of intelligence.

When the body is functioning well, we feel happy, alert and energetic. If not, we become irritable, upset, depressed, filled with self-pity.

This view of the body seems frustratingly limited. He denies the complexity of the energies that determine the integrity of our body - energies that continuously communicate and flow into each other, depend on our thoughts, feelings and physiological functions of various parts of our being.

There is no difference between what happens in our minds and what happens in our bodies. Therefore, we cannot exist separately from the body in which our life is contained.

Please note : in English, to indicate someone significant, the word “somebody” is used, which means both “someone” and “important person”, while an insignificant person is defined by the word “nobody”, that is, “nobody”, or “ nonentity."

Our bodies are us. Our state of being is the direct result of the interaction of multiple aspects of existence. The expression “My hand hurts” is equivalent to the expression “The pain inside me manifests itself in my hand.”

Expressing arm pain is no different than verbally expressing dysphoria or embarrassment. To say that there is a difference is to ignore an integral part of the whole human being.

Treating only the hand means ignoring the source of the pain that manifests itself in the hand. To deny the body-mind connection is to deny the opportunity that the body gives us to see, acknowledge and eliminate inner pain.

The effect of body-mind interaction is easy to demonstrate. It is known that Feeling anxious or anxious about anything can lead to an upset stomach, constipation or headache, to accidents.

It has been proven that stress can lead to stomach ulcers or heart attacks; that depression and sadness make our bodies heavy and sluggish - we have little energy, we lose our appetite or eat too much, we feel back pain or tension in our shoulders.

AND on the contrary, the feeling of joy and happiness increases our vitality and energy: We need less sleep and feel alert, less susceptible to colds and other infectious diseases as our bodies become healthy and therefore better able to resist them.

You can gain a deeper understanding of the "mind of the body" if you try to see all aspects of physical and psychological life.

We must learn to understand that everything that happens to our physical body must be controlled by us, that we are not just victims and should not suffer at all until the pain passes. Everything we experience within the body is an integral part of our total existence.

The concept of "mind body" is based on the belief in the unity and integrity of every human being. Although the integrity of the individual is determined by many different aspects, they cannot be isolated from each other.

They are in constant interaction with each other, knowing everything about each other at any moment. The Mind-Body Formula Reflects Psychological and Somatic Harmony: The body is simply a gross manifestation of the subtlety of the mind.

“The skin is inseparable from the emotions, the emotions are inseparable from the back, the back is inseparable from the kidneys, the kidneys are inseparable from the will and desires, the will and desires are inseparable from the spleen, and the spleen is inseparable from sexual intercourse,” wrote Diana Conelli in the book Traditional Acupuncture: The Law of Five elements"

(Dianne Connelly “Traditional Acupuncture: The Law of the Five Elements”).

The complete unity of body and mind is reflected in states of health and illness. Each of them is a means by which the “mind of the body” tells us what is happening under the corporeal shell.

For example, an illness or accident often coincides with significant changes in life: moving to a new apartment, new marriage or change of job. Internal conflicts during this period easily throw us off balance., resulting in a feeling of uncertainty and fear.

We become open and defenseless to any bacteria or viruses.

In the same time illness gives us a break, the time required to rebuild and adapt to changed circumstances. Illness tells us that we must stop doing something: it gives us space in which we can reconnect with those parts of ourselves with which we have ceased to be in touch.

Moreover, she puts into perspective the meaning of our relationships and communication. This is how the wisdom of the mind of the body manifests itself in action, the mind and body constantly influencing each other and working together.

The transmission of signals from the mind to the body occurs through a complex system involving the bloodstream, nerves, and a variety of hormones produced by the endocrine glands.

This extremely complex process is regulated by the pituitary gland and hypothalamus.

The hypothalamus is a small area of ​​the brain, which controls many body functions, including thermoregulation and heart rate, as well as the activity of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

Numerous nerve fibers from throughout the brain converge in the hypothalamus, connecting psychological and emotional activity with bodily functions.

For example, The vagal nerve from the hypothalamus goes directly to the stomach- hence stomach problems caused by stress or anxiety. Other nerves extend to the thymus and spleen, the organs that produce immune cells and regulate their function.

The immune system has enormous potential for protection, rejecting everything that could be harmful to us, but it also subordinated to the brain through the nervous system. Therefore, she directly suffers from mental stress.

When we are exposed to severe stress of any kind, the adrenal cortex releases hormones that disrupt the system brain-immune connections, suppressing the immune system and leaving us defenseless against disease.

Stress is not the only factor that can trigger this reaction.

Negative emotions- suppressed or prolonged anger, hatred, bitterness or depression, as well as loneliness or bereavement - may also suppress the immune system, stimulating the hypersecretion of these hormones.

The brain contains the limbic system, which is represented by a set of structures, which includes the hypothalamus.

It performs two main functions: it regulates autonomic activity, for example, maintaining the body’s water balance, gastrointestinal activity and hormone secretion, and in addition, it unites human emotions: sometimes it is even called the “nest of emotions.”

Limbic activity connects our emotional state with the endocrine system, thus playing a leading role in the relationship between body and mind.

Limbic activity and the functioning of the hypothalamus are directly regulated by the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for all forms of intellectual activity, including thinking, memory, perception and understanding.

It is the cerebral cortex that begins to “sound the alarm” in the event of perception of any life-threatening activity. (Perception does not always correspond to a true threat to life. For example, stress is perceived by the body as a mortal danger, even if we think that it is not.)

The alarm signal affects the structures of the limbic system and hypothalamus, which, in turn, affect the secretion of hormones and the functioning of the immune and nervous systems.

Since all this warns of danger and prepares to meet it, it is not surprising that the body has no time to rest. All this leads to muscle tension, nervous confusion, spasms of blood vessels, and disruption of the functioning of organs and cells.

In order not to fall into a state of anxiety when reading these lines, you should remember that such a reaction is not caused by the event itself, but by our attitude towards it.

As Shakespeare said: “Things in themselves are neither bad nor good, they are only like that in our minds.”

Stress is our psychological reaction to an event, but not the event itself. The anxiety system is not triggered by a quick and easily disappearing wave of anger or despair, but by the accumulating effect of constant or long-suppressed negative emotions.

The longer an unreacted mental state persists, the more harm it can cause, depleting the body's mind's resistance and continuously spreading streams of negative information.

However, it is always possible to change this state, because we can always work on ourselves and move from simple reactivity to conscious responsibility, from subjectivity to objectivity.

For example, if we are constantly exposed to noise at home or at work, we may respond with increased irritability, headaches and increased blood pressure; at the same time, we can, by objectively assessing the situation, try to find a positive solution.

The message we convey to our body - irritation or acceptance - is the signal to which it will respond.

Repetition of negative thought patterns and attitudes such as anxiety, guilt, jealousy, anger, constant criticism, fear, etc., can cause us much more harm than any external situation.

Our nervous system is entirely under the control of the “central regulatory factor,” a control center that in humans is called personality.

In other words, all situations in our lives are neither negative nor positive - they exist on their own.And only our personal attitude determines their belonging to one category or another.

Our bodies reflect everything that has happened and experienced by us, all movements, satisfaction of needs and actions; we contain within ourselves everything that has happened to us. The body actually captures everything previously experienced: events, emotions, stress and pain are locked inside the body shell.

A good therapist who understands the mind of the body can read the entire history of a person's life by looking at his physique and posture, observing his free or constrained movements, noting areas of tension, and at the same time the characteristics of injuries and illnesses suffered.

Our bodies become a “walking autobiography”, our body features reflecting our experiences, traumas, worries, anxieties and relationships. The characteristic pose - when one stands, bent low, the other stands straight, ready to defend - is formed in early youth and is “built into” our primordial structure.

Just as the body reflects everything that happens in a person’s consciousness, so the consciousness experiences pain and discomfort when the body suffers. The universal law of karma about cause and effect cannot be avoided.

Every phenomenon in human life must have its own reason. Each manifestation of human physicality must be preceded by a certain way of thinking or emotional status.

Paramahansa Yogananda says:

There is a natural connection between the mind and body. Whatever you hold in your mind will be reflected in your physical body. Any hostile feelings or cruelty towards another, strong passion, persistent envy, painful anxiety, outbursts of ardor - all this really destroys the cells of the body and causes the development of diseases of the heart, liver, kidneys, spleen, stomach, etc.

Anxiety and stress have led to new deadly diseases, high blood pressure, damage to the heart and nervous system, and cancer. Pains that torment the physical body are secondary diseases.

FROM THE BOOK “THE MIND HEALS THE BODY”

Human health is the result of a complex, integrated interaction between the spiritual and physical “parts” of the body. The book explains in detail and clearly how their interaction occurs at different levels, what can and should be done in order to support or correct it, and therefore, ensure a happy longevity without illness or decrepitude.

The liver literally gives us life and supports it. All blood from the stomach and intestines passes through the liver, which ensures complete and correct supply of nutrients. The liver absorbs and stores fats and proteins and helps maintain blood sugar levels. It plays a large role in neutralizing toxins that enter the body through the digestive system and is therefore important for the immune system. The liver can even repair its own tissue.

Since the liver has the function of absorbing nutrients from the blood, we can say that this also applies to emotions. In traditional Chinese acupuncture, the liver is associated with anger, meaning it absorbs this emotion, thus maintaining our emotional balance. If it did not perform this function, we would very quickly experience exhaustion and depression of emotions. On the other hand, the liver is a storehouse of nutrients, but anger will also accumulate in it, causing harm if we acknowledge its existence or do not give it an outlet. Anger directed against oneself can lead to depression, and as depression increases, the liver becomes sluggish. will start to work poorly.

This organ neutralizes poisons in the body, keeping us healthy and alert. But it can also become a repository for the harmful aspects of our lives, because we do not always express or let go of grievances and bitter thoughts and feelings. The role of the liver in the immune system highlights how strong negative thoughts and feelings are linked to our health. As anger and bitterness accumulate in the liver, tension will increase., and she will not be able to work at full capacity. This will also affect the circulatory and immune systems, and therefore our ability to fight infections.

The liver is largely responsible for our behavior associated with addictions, such as addiction to food, alcohol and drugs, because it removes toxins from the blood, fights excess fat and monitors the intake of sugar. There is an emotional tension here that needs to be released through the satisfaction of the habit.

This tension can be based on anger and resentment (towards the world or towards specific people). Often, toxins that enter the body as a result of bad habits help hide from anger and disappointment, rage, powerlessness and self-loathing, pain, greed and the thirst for power, which also poison us. When we receive toxins from the outside, we may not recognize what is within us.

The liver is closely related to the third chakra, which represents our personality and its strength. By transforming it, we can rise to higher levels of existence. However, it is as easy to become a victim of this energy as it is difficult to transform it.

The liver reflects the anger and irritation that we may feel when trying to find ourselves and our purpose.

© DEBBIE SHAPIRO from the book “BODY MIND. WORKBOOK: HOW THE BODY AND MIND WORK TOGETHER"

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Encyclopedia of symbols
(any edition)
Genre – reference, educational literature, dictionary

Since ancient times, people have used symbolic language to talk about the secret or beautiful. Chroniclers and artists, famous poets and anonymous creators of cult texts - they all imbued their works with metaphors and images.

Psychologists have adopted this tradition. Freud, being a thoughtful researcher of the psyche, believed that the unconscious also uses allegory. Of course, the founder of psychoanalysis reduced all the symbolism of the unconscious to erotic images. But this fact does not negate the idea itself; it just designates the sphere of Freud’s professional interests and speaks of his limits as a scientist.

Having been practicing for many years, I am sure that the messages of the soul are encoded in images and symbols. It's not just about dreams. Metaphors of the Universe are everywhere - in bodily impulses, works of art, and the surrounding nature. And it is sometimes impossible to decipher them without special knowledge.

Even clients who consider themselves rationalists and pragmatists confirm this.

...Evgenia, one man said, I've been haunted by butterflies all week. It started when two of them flew into the office windows and got entangled in the blinds. The employees rushed to save them, while I watched with the usual irony. But I was relieved when they got out alive... Then, at a picnic, one brave one sat on my arm. Look, I was even able to take a photo... And yesterday, don’t laugh, when I was cleaning their colored remains from the windshield, I almost shed a tear... Damn it, what’s going on, I want to know!

That's why the list is an encyclopedia of symbols. Psychological thinking or vision is itself symbolic. By getting acquainted with the interpretation of images accepted in world culture, the psychologist not only expands his horizons, but also develops as a professional. Let me remind you that entire directions and methods of practical psychology are based on symbolic thinking (art therapy, symboldrama, psychodrama, body-oriented therapy).

“Reading” together with the client the drawings and texts created during the work, step by step we comprehend the secret code of the Soul, gradually learning to see the shades and specifics of our own images.
Our the butterfly flutters differently...

My personal affinity for metaphorical language was expressed in the creation parables You can read some of them on this site. A Wave Gymnastics allows me to comprehend the hidden messages of the body.

Everything is a sign. And only we can unravel the whisper of the Creator or ignore it.

Let the encyclopedia of symbols become your friend and assistant in professional excellence.

Collection of parables
(any edition)

Parables also serve the same purpose - the development of figurative, metaphorical thinking. Short stories that have passed through centuries, they contain answers to many questions in a condensed form. It is no coincidence that some psychologists consider parables to be a special type of “folk self-therapy.”

Parables are easy to use when working with a client. It is enough to remember a suitable story and offer it for discussion. And then analyze options for ideas that came up as you read. Amazing insights happen to people when they realize that a situation can be viewed in different ways. Discussing a parable can be a gentle way to approach a difficult topic. Or give feedback to the client.

Read parables, young colleagues, look for images and themes in them that are close to you personally. This will add to your skill set.

Ray Bradbury
Dandelion wine
Genre – fiction

Bradbury's work gives me a special awe. Ray - Teacher. Yes Yes. He influenced my development as a writer, from him I learned to see beauty in details, to love life in all its manifestations... Humanism - treating people as the highest value - is another lesson learned.

For me, the best manifesto that embodied these and other values ​​was the novel “Dandelion Wine.” A fairy-tale story, summer itself - warm, sparkling, multifaceted. I know that “Wine...” is loved by many, and every reading adds more fans to Ray’s work.

“...Some days it’s good to taste, and other days it’s good to touch. And there are times when there is everything at once. For example, today it smells as if one night there, behind the hills, out of nowhere, a huge orchard appeared, and everything up to the horizon is fragrant. There is a smell of rain in the air, but there is not a cloud in the sky..."

“...At first, in a thin stream, then more and more generously, the juice of the beautiful hot month ran along the gutter into clay jugs; they let it ferment, skim off the foam and pour it into clean ketchup bottles - and they lined up in rows on the shelves, glistening in the darkness of the cellar.
Dandelion wine.

These very words are like summer on the tongue. Dandelion wine is summer caught and corked in bottles... After all, this summer will certainly be a summer of unexpected miracles, and you need to save them all and put them aside somewhere for yourself, so that later, at any hour when you want, you can tiptoe into the humid darkness and extend your hand..."

Summer flavor is great. But there is something more that touches, and whatever it is, stirs the soul of each of us. Published more than half a century ago, the novel subtly and deeply, psychologically true and accurately depicts the inner world of a teenager. Or maybe this is too narrow? Gently and lovingly, Bradbury reminded us of how he grew, matured and was becoming any of us.

Friendship and separation, awareness of life and facing death, family values ​​and loneliness, dreams and creativity...

And love, love, love, which, like the golden light of summer flowers, permeates every description, every phrase, the love that radiates from the entire novel. Love for people, your past, writing, for us, the readers.
“How can I thank Mr. Jonas? - thought Douglas. - How can I thank him, how can I repay him for everything he did for me? There is nothing, well, nothing to repay for this. There is no price for this. How to be? How? Maybe we need to repay someone else somehow? Pass gratitude around? Look around, find a person who needs help, and do something good for him. This is probably the only way..."

Of course, there are other books on the subject of growing up. For example, J. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye." And yet, “Wine...” is closer to me.

I will not reveal all the intrigue and describe the differences. I'll just encourage you again:

Read, for both books are worthy of being read and used in our noble cause - healing the human Soul. For both authors did the same thing - they loved us and treated us, each in their own way.

Debbie Shapiro
Bodymind: A Workbook (How the Body and Mind Work Together)
Genre – psychological guidance, workshop

Knowledge of psychosomatics, even basic knowledge, is necessary for a psychologist. As has been mentioned many times, our body speaks to us using metaphorical language. Any ailment, illness or accident is a message from the Soul.

Here is what D. Shapiro writes about this:

“...The body is a walking book in which our experiences, traumas, worries, worries and relationships are recorded. Uncertain posture, a stooped or weak back, or, conversely, a strong and strong back, remain with us from an early age, becoming part of our essence. To believe that the body is only a separate, mechanically working organism means not to see the most important thing. To reject, thereby, the source of great wisdom, which is always at our disposal.”

Unfortunately, our ideas about psychosomatics are very superficial. The common phrase “all diseases are from nerves” has rather an ironic connotation, and for medical workers the term “psychosomatic” is often synonymous with the words “far-fetched”, “imaginary”, “imaginary”.

There is another, already personal reason why many deny the psychosomatic nature of diseases and, even more so, accidents:
“Do I want to harm myself?!” - the man exclaims.
I agree, in reality, no one consciously dreams of harming their health. However, the body, mind/thinking and Soul are connected by subtle, sometimes incomprehensible threads:

“...Just as the body reflects everything that happens to the consciousness, so the consciousness reacts to the pain and discomfort that the body experiences. There is no escaping the universal law of cause and effect... The messages we subconsciously send to the body are a factor in how we feel. Messages behind which there are failures, despair, anxiety are destructive in nature, they cause a malfunction in the functioning of defense mechanisms (the immune system). By weakening the body, they indirectly prepare it for illness. When we say our heart is broken, can the body recognize the difference between emotional and physical distress? It seems not, because the power of imagination has a very direct effect on our body...”

D. Shapiro’s short book contains in concentrated form both the mechanisms of occurrence of psychosomatic problems and methods of working with them. The book also contains a comprehensive dictionary of the most common diseases and their explanation from the perspective of psychosomatics.

Unlike other authors, D. Shapiro approaches the interpretation of ailments from different angles. It not only describes the relationship between a “damaged” organ or part of the body and its functionality, but also relies on the complexity of connections in the body:

“A lot of details matter. What part of the body is damaged? Where is it located - on the right or on the left? What tissues – soft, hard, liquid – does it consist of? What sphere of activity (action, movement) does it represent? What system (digestion, circulatory...) does it belong to?..”

In addition, the author points out, one should pay attention to “out-of-body” details, for example, events preceding illness, words and metaphors with which a person describes an illness, the attitude towards illness on the part of loved ones, personal perception of oneself, the patient...
At one time I was struck by a phrase from the book:

“Illness also has positive sides: it gives us the opportunity to temporarily free ourselves from responsibility and responsibilities and take time for ourselves. It’s as if we are on vacation and allow ourselves to do things that we forbid when we are healthy. Including, when we get sick, we more easily express feelings, for example, love or care. Especially if we are talking about a serious threat to life... Sometimes an illness hints that it’s time to take a break, tune in to changes, get used to them. Or, on the contrary, we need to stop doing something that weakens us..."

The book is full of examples, including personal ones.

“By studying body language, we learn what and how the Soul communicates to us. And we will soon realize that behind recurring illnesses lies something deeper... The transition from illness to healing and health requires great courage, strength and honesty. We must take an active part in our own healing. If we have participated in the disease (no matter how unconsciously), we are able to participate in its healing.”

On my own behalf, I will add that by learning to recognize the psychosomatic causes of your own illnesses, you will gain inner freedom, acceptance of both your capabilities/resources and your limitations.

Arnhild Lauveng
Tomorrow I was always a lion
Genre: biographical prose

Book by a Norwegian author. This unusual text was written by a woman who suffered from schizophrenia for nine years. Yes, I was exactly sick. Arnhild Lauveng is a former schizophrenic, a man who defeated the disease.

I started reading this book three times. For the first time, having mastered several pages, I convinced myself that I would never have to work with like this clients; She slammed the book and returned it to her colleague. The second time I glanced through the text, snatching out passages... They say, I got an idea of ​​​​what was written...

And only now, having postponed the creation of this article, I sat down to the book consciously - with a pencil, stopping, thinking. And the point is not at all that the text is replete with “terrible” pictures. rather, on the contrary, Arnhild spares us, the “healthy ones.”

Yes, the modern reader and viewer knows works on the topic of madness that are “more terrible” than the work of Arnhild Lauveng. Take at least some of Stephen King's novels or films, such as "Shutter Island", "Mom" and others...

Now I understand that before I was prevented from reading the book by my own fears. Many of us for the time being avoid confrontation with the beyond, be it death, madness or spirituality. Any kind of otherness frightens us.

However, a psychologist needs to take risks and expand his consciousness, leaving his comfort zone, touching on topics that are “scary” for most people. This is the only way we, psychologists, can feel what it is like to be Other.
That's why Arnhild Lauveng's book is on my list.

In detail, but at the same time with care for “healthy” readers, Arnhild describes the origin and course of the disease, focuses on the internal experiences and suffering of patients, insisting that a piece of “I” in a schizophrenic always remains intact. The book contains a lot of discussions about the diagnostic system and treatment methods for schizophrenia, problems of adaptation and relationships with loved ones, discrimination against mentally ill people in society...

And, of course, there are practical aspects that will be useful to a psychologist. For example, I took into work invaluable information about symptoms:

“Symptoms belong to the person who exhibits them. They appear during illness from within our personality, created on the basis of our interests and life experiences. At the same time, the person does not realize that he himself created his symptom... For example, I had many hallucinations. And hallucinations are not brought in from somewhere outside, they are not something that has nothing to do with the personality of a particular person. All my hallucinations contained important and correct truths, expressed in clumsy language, because I could not speak differently then. This is roughly what happens with dreams. Just like the dreams of healthy people, the hallucinations of patients with schizophrenia also need to be deciphered and interpreted.”

There is another theme in the book that resonates warmly with me. The author sincerely thanks those people who met along her path, helping her cope with the disease. She writes not only about doctors and nurses, but also about social service workers, random fellow travelers and neighbors, new colleagues, employers who gave not just a place, but a chance.

It is also therapeutic for me to realize that a person is able to overcome any obstacles, rise above any problems. Increase your awareness, accept responsibility for your choices and move towards your goal.
Filled with courage, love for people and faith in human capabilities, the book will bring hope and desire to overcome life’s difficulties into your world, young colleagues.

“The first thing you need to know when you start developing a plan is where you want to go. I wanted to become completely healthy and study to become a psychologist. This was my goal. But many of my assistants, seeing how bad I was, set more realistic goals in their work: to teach me to get along with the symptoms, to become independent. Of course, these were not bad goals, but they did not inspire me. Besides, those were their goals, not mine. I didn’t want to accept my illness, I wanted to defeat it.”

Good luck and prosperity,
Evgenia Oshchepkova