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The Brain in the Palm of your Hand: Dan Siegel’s Hand Model

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The Brain in the Palm of your Hand: Dan Siegel’s Hand Model

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Go through Dan Siegel's Hand Model of the Brain with The Behavior Hub. This podcast is best for Caregivers and Educators, it will go through the brains stress response with Dan Siegel's Hand Model of the Brain, after explaining the model Lauren Spigelmyer will go through how you can support a child or during a period of high stress.

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The Brain in the Palm of your Hand: Dan Siegel’s Hand Model

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The Brain in the Palm of your Hand: Dan Siegel’s Hand Model

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Are you ready to learn how to harness the healing powers of your mind and become a Mind Body Master? The Mind Body Masters Podcast is going to give you a new perspective on physical pain and a deeper understanding of your own mind-body connection. We live in an ever stressful world, have you considered how unresolved stress and emotional issues in your mind may be impacting your body on a daily basis?This podcast is going to help you create awareness around some of the patterns that have likely kept you stuck, plus tools to combat stress and resolve old emotional issues and stressors. When you are able to handle and deal with stress in your life, you can overcome obstacles in your mind, feel calmer and at peace, plus begin to heal physically and emotionally from the inside out. DISCLAIMER: This podcast and the information provided by the author(s) is for educational purposes only. Nothing shown here should be mistaken or construed for medical advice, diagnosis, prescription, or treatment. The listener should consult his or her medical doctor before using anything that is disclosed in the pages of this site for health reasons or otherwise. This information should not replace medical treatment.

Are you ready to learn how to harness the healing powers of your mind and become a Mind Body Master? The Mind Body Masters Podcast is going to give you a new perspective on physical pain and a deeper understanding of your own mind-body connection. We live in an ever stressful world, have you considered how unresolved stress and emotional issues in your mind may be impacting your body on a daily basis?This podcast is going to help you create awareness around some of the patterns that have likely kept you stuck, plus tools to combat stress and resolve old emotional issues and stressors. When you are able to handle and deal with stress in your life, you can overcome obstacles in your mind, feel calmer and at peace, plus begin to heal physically and emotionally from the inside out. DISCLAIMER: This podcast and the information provided by the author(s) is for educational purposes only. Nothing shown here should be mistaken or construed for medical advice, diagnosis, prescription, or treatment. The listener should consult his or her medical doctor before using anything that is disclosed in the pages of this site for health reasons or otherwise. This information should not replace medical treatment.

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mind body masters podcast with jake currie

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‎Mind Body Masters Podcast with Jake Currie on Apple Podcasts

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Are you ready to learn how to harness the healing powers of your mind and become a Mind Body Master? The Mind Body Masters Podcast is going to give you a new perspective on physical pain and a deeper understanding of your own mind-body connection. We live in an ever stressful world, have you conside...

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This podcast is all about nourishing the mind, body, and soul. Here to connect us so that we can connect with ourselves. In this podcast, I talk about personal growth, nourishment, movement, and spirituality as I explore each of these pillars of life myself. This podcast flows through me to help inspire you to create your dream life each day. 💛

Love, Audrey

This podcast is all about nourishing the mind, body, and soul. Here to connect us so that we can connect with ourselves. In this podcast, I talk about personal growth, nourishment, movement, and spirituality as I explore each of these pillars of life myself. This podcast flows through me to help inspire you to create your dream life each day. 💛

Love, Audrey

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This podcast is all about nourishing the mind, body, and soul. Here to connect us so that we can connect with ourselves. In this podcast, I talk about personal growth, nourishment, movement, and spirituality as I explore each of these pillars of life myself. This podcast flows through me to help ins...

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Minding the Body, Mending the Mind [Borysenko, Joan] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Minding the Body, Mending the Mind

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Body Aware: Rediscover Your Mind-Body Connection, Stop Feeling Stuck, and Improve Your Mental Health with Simple Movement Practices

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Body Aware: Rediscover Your Mind-Body Connection, Stop Feeling Stuck, and Improve Your Mental Health with Simple Movement Practices

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Body Aware: Rediscover Your Mind-Body Connection, Stop Feeling Stuck, and Improve Your Mental Health with Simple Movement Practices

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Body Aware: Rediscover Your Mind-Body Connection, Stop Feeling Stuck, and Improve Your Mental Health with Simple Movement Practices - Kindle edition by Hornthal, Erica, Lepera, Nicole. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets.

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Mind Body Dictionary - Apps on Google Play

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At Daylio, we believe in transparency and honesty. Data stored in the app's private directories is not accessible by any other apps or processes. Your backups are transferred to the Google Drive or iCloud via the secure (encrypted) channels.

The most important thing is that only Daylio app is able to read your entries. We don't send your data to our servers so we don't have the access to your entries. Also, any other third-party app can't read your data.

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Daylio - Journal, Diary and Mood Tracker

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Self-Care Bullet Journal with Goals Mood Diary & Happiness Tracker

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Student Activity: Mind-Body Connector | Resilient Educator

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How do Emotions Influence our Body? Video for Kids

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The Mind-Body Connection: A Guided Meditation 

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The Mind-Body Connection: A Guided Meditation 

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Deepak Chopra: The Mind-Body Connection: A Guided Meditation

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We are at last beginning to show that there is an intimate and dynamic relationship between what is going on with our feelings and thoughts and what happens in the body. A Time magazine special showed that happiness, hopefulness, optimism and contentment, "Appear to reduce the risk or limit the severity of cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, diabetes, hypertension, colds and upper-respiratory infections; while depression -- the extreme opposite of happiness -- can worsen heart disease, diabetes and a host of other illnesses."

Illness is very real, accidents happen, and medicine can certainly help: Deb recently had a burst appendix, and she is immensely grateful for the medical intervention that saved her life. But the role of the mind and emotions in our state of health appears to be a vital one and by understanding this relationship we can claim a greater role in our own wellbeing. It is only a part of the overall picture, but it is the part that is invariably overlooked.

"A basic emotion such as fear can be described as an abstract feeling or as a tangible molecule of the hormone adrenaline," writes Deepak Chopra in Ageless Body, Timeless Mind. "Without the feeling there is no hormone; without the hormone there is no feeling ... The revolution we call mind-body medicine was based on this simple discovery: wherever thought goes, a chemical goes with it."

Just as all parts of our being interact and work together, so if we ignore the role our feelings and thoughts play we are ignoring the role they have. And it may be the one that most needs to get fixed.

Generally speaking, we tend to think of our bodies and minds as separate systems and
believe they function, for the most part, independently. Yet can you remember the last time you had an interview for a job? Or went on a first date with someone you were really trying to impress? In either case, no doubt you wanted to appear calm and collected but at the same time you were feeling nervous and self-conscious. Can you recall how your body felt? Self-consciousness will tighten your buttock muscles (so you are literally sitting on your tension), you will sweat more than usual, may feel slightly nauseous, and you'll probably fluff your words, just when you want to appear suave and confident.

In other words, our emotions affect us physically. It might be easy to understand that a scary thought gets our heart beating faster, but it can be harder to realize that loneliness, sadness or depression can also affect us physically, and when it comes to more complex emotions or illnesses few of us consider our emotions to have any relevance.

In Woody Allen's movie "Annie Hall," Diane Keaton wants to know why he isn't angry. "I don't get angry," Allen replies, "I grow a tumor instead."

Understanding the bodymind relationship won't necessarily cure all our physical difficulties but by learning the language of symptoms and illness we can discover what is being repressed or ignored in our psyche and emotions, and how this is influencing our well-being. From this vantage point we discover that there is an extraordinarily intimate two-way communication going on between our body and mind that affects both our physical state and our mental and emotional health.

Discover how your mind and emotions affect your body:

What happens when you get irritated or frustrated?
Where do you experience those feelings in your body? If you are stuck in a traffic jam, a client is late for an appointment, or the children keep interrupting your conversation, what happens to your breathing, your shoulders or stomach muscles? Does your breathing get short and shallow? Do the muscles tighten?

How does worry affect you?
What happens in your body when you are worried or anxious about something, perhaps a child who is late coming home, a presentation you have to give, or the results of your partner's blood test? Where do you hold the anxiety? What physical effect does it have? Do fears about the future create a pain in your stomach? Or do your legs ache or feel tired?

How do you react when someone is angry with you?
If your boss or your partner shouts at you, what happens to your heart, your head, your insides? What do you do with angry feelings? Do you express them, or is there somewhere you put them? Is your headache because you have built up unexpressed anger? Do you swallow hard, get a sore throat, clench your muscles, or get constipated?

How do memories affect you?
What happens if you recall past memories? Do you feel warm and relaxed, or do you break out in a sweat and feel nervous? Pay particular attention to what happens when you recall unhappy memories, perhaps when a parent hit you or you were bullied at school. As you follow these memories, watch where in your body there is a reaction, a tightening or nervousness.

Ask Yourself About illnesses and injuries
Think back to past illnesses or times when you were hurt. Note the parts of your body that were involved. Have you always held your stomach muscles in tight, have you always had recurring headaches, have you always hurt the same side of your body?

Use the answers you get from these questions to understand yourself more deeply. They may give you the clues you need to find your healing.

What is your bodymind telling you? Do comment below. You can receive notice of our blogs by checking Become a Fan at the top.

Award-Winning Authors Ed and Deb of Be The Change, How Meditation can Transform You and the World, are mindfulness, meditation and yoga experts. Deb is the author of Your Body Speaks Your Mind, now in 19 languages. They have three meditation CDs. See more at EdandDebShapiro.com.

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We are at last beginning to show that there is an intimate and dynamic relationship between what is going on with our feelings and thoughts and what happens in the body.

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Mind and Body: How to Connect Them in 2023

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Mind and Body: How to Connect Them in 2023

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You might not realize this yet, but there's something called the mind and body connection or mind-body connection. Your mind is the most powerful tool you have. Every thought, feeling, and belief can actively affect your physical health and body. That is why when your heart breaks or when you're depressed, you physically feel it. The emotional pain affects the rest of your body as if you're physically ill. Your mind and body interconnect with one another, and what your mind feels, your body feels as well. In this article, we'll be talking about everything you needed to know about the mind-body connection, such as why it's important and how to improve your mind and body connection.

What Is The Mind-Body Connection?

The mind-body connection is the intertwining of both your body and mind. When your mind thinks something, your body may experience a physical response. For example, you might catch yourself crying after thinking a sad thought. Or you might have a physical gut feeling to subconscious thought.

The mind and body intertwine due to our evolutionary past. So while you might dislike the physical response from overthinking, it's the reason you're alive today. The mind and body connection is why you and your ancestors survived up to this point in life. So, instead of fighting it, let's look at why it's important and improve the relationship between the mind and body.

Why A Mind and Body Connection Is Important

1. Mind and Body Connection Encourages Attentiveness

It encourages you to pay attention to your emotions and thoughts. The mind-body connection is all about how the mind and body connect. You can use this connection to your advantage to pay better attention to what you're thinking and feeling. Your physical body can notice when you aren't doing well emotionally. The mind-body connection allows you to pay better attention inwardly, and it can help you gain a better understanding of your thoughts and emotions before or during they happen. You can be aware of your thoughts and emotions before feeling overwhelmed by them through signs that your body or physical health provides.

By taking some time to be mindful of your thoughts, you can prevent a physical response. You'll become more aware of when and why negative thoughts begin to surface and prevent their escalation by giving yourself a chance to stop the rumination of thoughts. When you stop ruminating, you'll notice you also stop catastrophizing challenges or roadblocks. And so, you end up dealing with your emotions better which allows fewer physical responses.

2. Begin a Healthy Expression of Emotions

Since your body does a remarkable job of letting you know how you feel mentally, a mind and body connection encourages you to release your emotions in the healthiest way possible. When you're aware of the mind-body connection, you can find activities that affect both your mind and body in the process, such as relaxation techniques or exercise. You'll feel the impact of your feelings and thoughts through what your body feels, and you can choose ways to calm your mind and body alternatively, especially if you're prone to anxiety, depression, and stress.

There are many creative ways to connect your mind and body in a healthy way, such as painting, dance, gardening, swimming, tai chi, and even sleep. Whether you're expressing yourself through a stunning garden or a lovely dream, you'll be able to deal with life's challenges well by trying some mind and body exercises.

3. It Improves Your Well-being

When you're able to deal with difficult emotions well because of the mind-body connection, your overall well-being improves drastically. Since you can pay better attention to your needs, you reduce the chances of acquiring unhealthy habits such as drinking, especially when you're not feeling well. Instead, consider developing some good habits. The mind-body connection can help you maintain an overall healthy and balanced lifestyle by learning how to deal with your emotional and mental stability and incorporate healthier habits that affect your mind and body. By learning neuroplasticity or even learning how to control your mind, you'll notice your physical state will be much better. You might observe you're less likely to be ill or experience better sleep due to taking care of yourself.

5 Ways to Improve the Mind-Body Connection

1. Meditation

There's a reason why meditation practice is one of the most commonly known mind and body exercises today. Meditation isn't just a simple breathing exercise; it's much more than that. Meditation can be highly effective in helping your mind and body together. Meditation goes beyond deep breathing; it's a way to work on your self-awareness of your thoughts, beliefs, and emotions. It can help you accept your thoughts without judgment or criticism and eventually let go of them when you're ready. With your mind-body connection, meditation helps to reduce the fight or flight response during periods of high stress. It can not only help you deal with difficult emotions and thoughts, but it helps you have the mental strength and awareness to determine if something is wrong and when it's time to panic.

You can download Declutter The Mind's meditation app to follow along to guided meditations for body scans, anxiety, loving-kindness, and so much more. A guided meditation will help you focus on your breathing while noticing something new with each practice. You'll find meditations for as short as five minutes or as long as an hour within the app. You can download the app on either iOS or Android devices.

2. Yoga and Stretching

There's a direct correlation between physical activity and mental health, and the mind-body connection is the core reason behind that. When you stretch your body and do yoga, this can remove cortisol from your body, which is the stress hormone. Those who regularly practice yoga are more likely to see cortisol levels drop. The less stressed and anxious you are, the better your mental and emotional health will be.

In return, you're able to be resilient in dealing with difficult situations and emotions, and even before you feel something negative, you have the awareness to know something isn't right. Whether it's yoga or stretching, both are effective ways to reconnect with both your mind and body. When we're stressed, we often feel the tension in our muscles and joints. By stretching, you can ease any frustrations and stress you're dealing with in your life. Plus, by focusing on the stretching instead of the wandering thoughts of the mind, you're able to live more mindfully during the exercise.

3. Hydrate and Don't Skip Meals

Suppose you've been paying attention to your mind-body connection. In that case, you feel more prone to negative emotions like anxiety and stress when you're not taking proper care of your body, such as being sleep-deprived or dehydrated. You can improve your mind-body connection by rejuvenating your body with everything it needs to feel healthy and strong, and this is how you maintain your mental health in the process.

You can't expect to deal with your emotions efficiently or maintain a positive mood when you refuse to take care of yourself properly. When you take good care of your mind, you also take good care of your body since this is the entire premise of the mind-body connection. You need to remember to feed yourself well and always drink water to improve the connection between your body and your mind so that in circumstances that you need to use that connection the most, you have the awareness to do so. Eating based on nutrition through mindful eating can help fuel your body enough to ease the mind.

4. Engage With Your Five Senses

Your five senses connect to your mental functions, so you improve your mind-body connection by engaging with them. When you smell something good, your five senses are why endorphins and dopamine enter your brain, which are both hormones responsible for feeling good about yourself. Don't hesitate to engage with your senses to feel connected with your body because each one of your senses is just as important when it comes to your mind-body connection. It's the primary reason why aromatherapy and eating chocolate makes you feel good and happy about yourself - because of that connection with your brain

Take a short moment to notice your senses and meditate on them. What do you see? What do you smell? Is there a taste in your mouth? Do you hear any sounds? Touch something; how does it feel?

5. Exercise and Move Your Body

When you exercise and move your body, you reap the same benefits of a mind-body connection, like yoga. It doesn't matter what type of exercise you're doing, as the only thing that matters is that you're moving just enough to provide both mental and physical benefits to your body. Exercise can benefit your mental health because when you sweat, you're also helping your mind feel more energized and alert. Exercise is the one activity that benefits both your mental health and physical body in the process because of how interconnected they are with one another.

For instance, take a runner. Most people run outdoors in the fresh air, maybe in the woods or by a lake. Being outdoors in nature, using your body for movement, and clearing your mind by observing your surroundings, you master the mind and body.

How The Mind And Body Connect

1. Emotional Cortex

Your emotional cortex is the one area responsible for dealing with emotions, and this is what's activated when dealing with a particularly stressful situation. The pre-frontal cortex helps you decide and think about what to do. The hippocampus deals with memories and emotions. Finally, the amygdala is responsible for the fight-or-flight response that's naturally wired in our brains. When you put these three brain parts together, you have a better understanding of how the mind works. During emotional states, different parts of the brain light up to respond to thoughts, emotions, and threats.

2. Flight, Fight, and Freeze Response

The fight, flight, and freeze response is the perfect representation of how both your brain and body are connected. This response helps you react appropriately to dangerous and challenging situations, such as running away or fighting back when you're under attack. During certain traumatic events, some people may even freeze as a response. In this case, you might experience an out-of-body experience that prevents you from running away or attacking. It's most common in cases of sexual assault

When your body discovers an external threat, even without evidence of being in danger, your brain turns on the fight-or-flight response and releases cortisol in your body, which is the hormone that deals with stress. This hormone sends a signal to your lungs and heart, making you breathe faster and encouraging your muscles to tighten. It gives you an adrenaline boost to help you escape or fight your way to safety. It's also why your blood sugar can rise and can even lead to a full-blown panic attack when you're under the impression there's something to fear. This response is why when you may feel stressed. There's a higher tendency to get sick and feel like something is wrong with your body. The sensation of the fight, flight, and freeze response affects you physically while your mind might be screaming out "danger."

3. Emotions and Physical Symptoms

Every physical symptom you feel when you get injured physically is also something you'll tend to feel mentally and emotionally. For instance, when you hurt your knee, you also feel this pain emotionally through sadness or anger. On the other side of the spectrum, mental health challenges are something you also feel physically, which is why a panic attack is something you feel in your chest, stomach, or even all over your body. Even if anxiety comes from the mind, it affects the rest of your body

Conclusion

The mind and body interconnect through all the highs and lows and stresses of life. Without it, there's no way to react to your emotions and thoughts adequately, and you wouldn't be able to distinguish when it's time to panic and when it's time to relax. The mind-body connection is the entire reason why when you take proper good care of your mental health and brain health; you do the same for your body and physical health. Using the tips above, aim to unite the mind and body in a healthy way to train your body to manage challenging emotions better.

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Mind and Body: How to Connect Them In 2023

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You might not realize this yet, but there's something called the mind and body connection or mind-body connection. Your mind is the most powerful tool you have. Every thought, feeling, and belief can actively affect your physical health and body. That is why when your heart breaks or when you're depressed, you physically feel it.

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" If the mind is tranquil and occupied with positive thoughts, the body will not easily fall prey to disease." - Dalai Lama XIV

Study after study confirms that physical and mental health are intimately intertwined. The body's biology and chemistry directly influence our state of mind, and our emotions, thoughts, and beliefs strongly affect the processes associated with physiological well-being.

This relationship is crucial for the healthy functioning of both body and mind, so it makes sense that it's widely known as the mind-body connection. Here are 21 powerful to-dos that may help you restore and strengthen this supremely beneficial balance, with immediate and long-term results.

21 To-Dos To Improve Your Mind-Body Connection

1. Practice meditation

Meditation is one of the most effective ways to connect the mind and body. During the practice, you experience a state of peaceful awareness in which your body is resting while your mind stays quiet, yet awake. Meditation helps you let go of negative thoughts and feelings and achieve profound relaxation. Even ten to 15 minutes of this mindful practice each day is shown to dissolve fatigue, anxiety, and stress and reduce chronic pain.

2. Master deep breathing

Focusing on your breath is one of the simplest but most powerful tools for restoring balance to your mind and body. A few deep, mindful breaths may increase your awareness of the present moment, help you calm down, and reduce the "fight or flight" stress response. Just close your eyes, take a deep breath that expands your diaphragm, exhale slowly, and repeat this a few times. You will feel more serene but also more alert and ready for any external stimuli.

3. Stick with healthy eating

The importance of a healthy diet can't be overlooked when it comes to the connection between physical and mental health. The food we consume must be nourishing and both prepared and eaten mindfully. Dietitians recommend including the six basic tastes (sweet, salty, sour, pungent, bitter, and astringent) in each meal, focusing on eating fresh and freshly cooked foods and a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, and avoiding items that are canned, frozen, microwaved, or highly processed.

4. Stay hydrated

Up to 60 percent of our body is composed of water. Adequate hydration is needed for every cell, tissue, and organ to function properly. Studies show that lack of water causes several physical and mental issues, like headaches, fatigue, and more. So even when rushing through a busy day, we need to stay hydrated, sipping water continuously wherever we are and whatever we're doing.

5. Make sleep a priority

A good night's rest is an essential key to health and vitality. Sleep deprivation is proven to lead to imbalances in primary body and brain functions, weaken our immune system, and cause anxiety and depression. The average adult needs eight hours of restful sleep each night, meaning that you should quickly fall asleep on your own, not using pharmaceuticals or alcohol. Feeling energetic, vibrant, and enthusiastic when you wake up are the signs of good sleep quality.

6. Spend time in nature

Studies show that spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature can boost both your mental and physical health. Nature therapy rejuvenates and clears up your mind and senses. Overall, spending time outdoors helps you ground and connect to reality. Even when the weather does not feel welcoming, getting outside into the fresh air is always beneficial for longevity and healthy living.

7. Engage in daily exercise

Regular exercise unlocks incredible benefits both for your body and mind. Not only does it keep the body healthy, strong, and young, but physical activity also boosts the brain's cognitive functions and promotes emotional well-being. A balanced workout program should include three major components: cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and stretching. At least 20 to 30 minutes of exercising a day may help you improve your body and mind vitality.

8. Practice yoga

Yoga is an ancient and ultimate mind-body exercise that unites controlled breathing and precise physical movements. In addition to lengthening and strengthening your muscles and improving your balance and range of motion, its meditative, relaxing, and calming qualities help your mind reconnect with the physical sensations in your body.

9. Do Tai Chi

Tai Chi is a traditional Chinese practice aimed to simultaneously develop the mind and body and thus enhance the mind-body connection. It combines mental focus, breathing, and slow, rhythmic movements that spur a unique sense of awareness. Tai Chi drives your mind into a state of relaxed concentration while your body improves its muscle strength, balance, and flexibility.

10. Take active breaks

Taking active breaks from work is another excellent way to reconnect with your physical body and focus on the present moment instead of the to-do list in your head. Wake up your body at least once an hour for a short walk and do some stretches to release tension. Physically stepping away from work tasks or challenges is proven to give your brain a chance to regroup and develop a better solution.

11. Release toxic emotions

Unprocessed emotional residue from the past, like hurt, disappointment, or anger, harbors severe toxicity to both your mind and body and it might be holding you back without you even realizing it. Eliminate emotional toxins by asking yourself what things from the past no longer benefit you in the present. Imagine how your life will change after you clean up from them, and then sincerely declare to yourself that you are letting them go.

12. Embrace the moment

Learn to appreciate the beauty in small moments and evoke positive emotions within yourself, like happiness, joy, love, and gratitude. Regularly review your work, home, social, and online activities, so you can determine what needs to be removed or shortened to get you more space for spontaneity and fun in the present moment.

13. Enjoy hearty laughter

Laughter is a science-backed mind-body phenomenon proven to reduce the production of stress hormones and boost the immune system. When we laugh, our heart, lungs, and muscles get stimulated, and our mood lifts immediately. Watch something that you consider funny and enjoy a burst of good laughter at least once a day.

14. Practice gratitude

Gratitude is the ultimate mind-body practice. It helps reduce sadness and increase happiness and works as a trigger for your brain to activate healing processes within your body and mind. Giving thanks makes you feel connected to something larger than yourself and allows you you reap the benefits of having more satisfaction with life, feel less materialistic, and more spiritually connected.

15. Keep a journal

Journaling is an effective way to deal with everyday worries. Physically downloading them from your mind by putting ink to paper is proven to produce positive outcomes, helping you de-stress and approach the problem more mindfully. Another widespread practice is keeping a gratitude journal. The simple act of writing down the things you are grateful for makes a great positive contribution to your overall well-being, improves your mood, and increases feelings of joy and confidence.

16. Limit screen time

Mobile phones, social media, and television are ultimate distractors that can instantly make you feel disconnected. It's essential to learn to power the devices down to feel more present and live a fuller and more engaged life. Start with 20 to 30 minutes of disconnected time each day and keep extending your digital detox time to the entire afternoon or even a weekend. Unplugging at least an hour before bedtime is proven to help you experience better sleep.

17. Cultivate loving relationships

Good social support has a significant impact on our physical and mental well-being. Friends and loved ones prevent you from feeling lonely, give you advice in difficult situations, and support you in handling your problems. Time spent with them can be an excellent distraction from your worries.

18. Be mindful of your posture

Body postures are not just reflections of the mind - they are proven to influence our mood. Try standing tall with your shoulders wide open and head up high and feel your confidence grow. Facial expressions require attention too, as the brain uses them as signals to feel emotions. Applying a smile can actually make you feel happier.

19. Be grateful for your senses

Overloaded with daily tasks, we often lose sight of our physical and natural senses like smell, taste, and touch. However, it doesn't require much effort to engage with them and bring your attention back to your body. You may consider keeping a bottle of essential oil at your desk or something soft over your chair to help you return to these feelings during the workday. Make time to eat your lunch slowly and mindfully, even on the busiest days. And think of getting a massage after work to release tension, improve blood circulation, and reduce stress.

20. Indulge in music

Listening to music is a fun and enjoyable way to reconnect with the sensations in your body. Moving to the beat or singing along to your favorite song can help work any bad emotions through the body and out of it, so they don't get stuck and drain your energy. Musical beats and emotions resonate with the brain, so choosing the music that reflects the energy you desire may help you take control of the way you feel, enhance your mood, and boost your confidence and motivation.

21. Commit to a creative hobby

Artistic mediums and creative expressions like painting, sculpture, playing musical instruments, and even cooking help you shift into what is commonly called "flow," or a meditative state of mind. Such activities are proven to decrease stress and anxiety and help resolve internal conflicts and external problems. Giving yourself a mental workout, aka trying or learning something new, keeps your brain fresh and firing and boosts your zest for life and self-esteem.
Not a Daily Burn member? Sign up at dailyburn.com and start your free 30-day trial today. All images via Shutterstock

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21 Ways to Improve Your Mind-Body Connection

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" If the mind is tranquil and occupied with positive thoughts, the body will not easily fall prey to disease." - Dalai Lama XIV Study after study confirms that physical and mental health are intimately intertwined. The body's biology and chemistry directly influence our state of mind, and our emotions, thoughts, and beliefs strongly affect the processes associated with physiological well-being.

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Physical Health and Mind-Body Connection

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Physical Health and Mind-Body Connection

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What is the mind-body connection?

The term "mind-body connection" refers to the understanding that our physical health involves more than just the body. Mind is what connects us and our physical body to the rest of the world. Mind connects us to our thoughts, attitudes, and emotions, as well as to our actions and behavior. It also connects us to the people around us in relationship.

Because I'm a cardiologist, when I talk about the mind-body connection I focus on the heart. This is the physical heart-the mechanics, blood vessels, circulation, and so on-as well as the emotional heart. The emotional heart connects us to ourselves in terms of feelings of self-compassion, self-love, or self-loathing, for example. It connects us to the universe and the world around us and to others in terms of personal relationships. And then there's the spiritual or metaphysical heart, the heart that connects us to infinite wisdom or a universal presence. The heart is the combination of all of these things.

The mind-body connection is the recognition that when we talk about physical health or physical illness, we can't just limit ourselves to the physical disease condition. We need to understand that our emotions, our thoughts, our behavior, and how we interpret the world around us matters.

How does the body carry these emotional messages to affect your health?

The term emotion really translates as energy in motion. An emotion is an expression of our deep inner thoughts. Thoughts and words are often conscious expressions. Emotions, on the other hand, are the gateway to the unconscious. There are thoughts and attitudes that aren't present in our conscious awareness, but our emotions somehow betray them.

People tend to think that their emotions are shallow, in the sense that they aren't solid. They think that they're angry or in love or whatever that energetic motion might be for that moment, whether it's on the positive end of love and gratitude-the highest vibrational, emotional energy-or the low end of anger, hatred, or jealousy. I think, however, that it is really important for people to understand that emotions have a direct cellular effect on the body.

I like to say that our thoughts and emotions lead to this cascade where there are literally hundreds of thousands of neurotransmitters; these are chemical messengers, chemical molecules. It's like a big orchestra where you can see the movement of the symphony. Are your emotions playing a really sweet, calming melody, or are they playing heavy metal? Imagery such as this can help patients understand that when they have persistent negative thoughts and emotions, these can potentially wreak a lot of havoc on the body. Likewise, positive thoughts and emotions are linked to a good many health benefits. The latest research on the mind-body connection confirms this.

How do we find our center and gently take agency over our mind-body health?

Oftentimes when patients come to see me, they feel that they lack control, as if they are on a runaway train, whether it is control of their life as a whole, their family, their work, or their physical health. It is so important to give patients back that control, to give them the knowledge that they are the agents that control their lives and to give them the tools to do it. I've seen real transformation in patients who recognize that they can self-direct their lives because then they can take action and amazing things can happen.

My patients span the gamut from people who may be less educated to high-power executives who appear to be completely in control, and yet they feel that they are not. Their sense is that their job is running them, the money is running them, finances are running them, the board is running them. And to be honest with you, those execs are some of the hardest patients to shift in terms of their ability to let go.

When we talk about health and healing, I always tell patients that the ability to let go-of self-loathing, of judgment, of what we expect of ourselves and others-just letting go is crucial to healing. And anyone who truly lets go feels an incredible sense of relief. It's like an aha moment for them to acknowledge that, "I can do this. I can choose to let go. I can choose to not allow all these things that seemingly rule my life to have such a huge impact on me." It's a mind shift, and it can happen in an instant. And that's the true transformation: the recognition and the decision to just be, to let go, to forgive. To forgive oneself and forgive others.

It seems to me that this is a necessary ingredient of healing. Take patients who have high blood pressure that's difficult to control; they may be on three, four, or five different medications. Control is always an innate part of their physiology, an innate part of that mind-body interplay. It doesn't matter how much biochemistry, how much pharmacology you throw at those patients unless they acquire the self-awareness that allows them to let go of that control, to just let it all go. And when they do, you can feel the cellular relief, and then their blood pressure comes down. Everything down-regulates.

I believe that giving people back that autonomy through the awareness that they and they alone have control over their body, their physical body, their mental body, their emotional body, and their emotional heart is the key to healing.

Dr. Cynthia is featured in our online meditation class on the mind body connection and its relationship to health.

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Physical health and the mind-body connection

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What is the mind-body connection? The term "mind-body connection" refers to the understanding that our physical health involves more than just the body. Mind is what connects us and our physical body to the rest of the world. Mind connects us to our thoughts, attitudes, and emotions, as well as to our actions and behavior.

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Mind-Body Connection with Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby

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Mind-Body Connection with Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby

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Your mind-body connection is powerful. Sometimes the most direct path to improving your emotional wellbeing isn't through therapy - it's through lifestyle changes. Other times your physical health suffers because of the way you're thinking or feeling.

The way you think, feel emotionally, and your physical wellness are all interconnected.

Tune in today to gain insight into your mind-body connection, and get actionable strategies to support every aspect of your wellness.

Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby
GrowingSelf.com

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The Love, Happiness and Success Podcast With Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby - Mind Body Connection

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Your mind-body connection is powerful. Sometimes the most direct path to improving your emotional wellbeing isn't through therapy - it's through lifestyle changes. Other times your physical health suffers because of the way you're thinking or feeling. The way you think, feel emotionally, and your physical wellness are all interconnected.

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Mind-Body Connection with Dr. Phil Parker

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Mind-Body Connection with Dr. Phil Parker

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Dr Phil Parker's research into the mind-body connection over the last 30 years has resulted in thousands of people making extraordinary changes in their health.

However for many the mind-body connection is still something that seems strange, unfamiliar or unlikely to be based in science.

In this fascinating podcast series Phil discusses some of the most ground-breaking research in the field, undertaken at some of the world most prestigious universities, with the studies' researchers themselves.

He also asks clinicians, authors and thought leaders in the field to share their experiences and tips for harnessing the incredible power of this inner healing system

This series will be invaluable to practitioners, researchers and anyone interested in using the mind-body connection to improve their health.

So tune in to listen as Phil and his guests combine their in-depth knowledge of the subject with to make complex ideas simple to help you navigate through this fascinating area of health.

Dr Phil Parker's research into the mind-body connection over the last 30 years has resulted in thousands of people making extraordinary changes in their health.

However for many the mind-body connection is still something that seems strange, unfamiliar or unlikely to be based in science.

In this fascinating podcast series Phil discusses some of the most ground-breaking research in the field, undertaken at some of the world most prestigious universities, with the studies' researchers themselves.

He also asks clinicians, authors and thought leaders in the field to share their experiences and tips for harnessing the incredible power of this inner healing system

This series will be invaluable to practitioners, researchers and anyone interested in using the mind-body connection to improve their health.

So tune in to listen as Phil and his guests combine their in-depth knowledge of the subject with to make complex ideas simple to help you navigate through this fascinating area of health.

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mind-body connection with dr phil parker

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‎Mind-body Connection with Dr Phil Parker on Apple Podcasts

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Dr Phil Parker's research into the mind-body connection over the last 30 years has resulted in thousands of people making extraordinary changes in their health. However for many the mind-body connection is still something that seems strange, unfamiliar or unlikely to be based in science. In this f...

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Mind-body Connection - The need to track Physical & Mental health together | Bearable

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Mind-body connection. Track physical and mental health, mood, symptoms, anxiety, depression. Chronic health issues. Keep a health tracker journal diary to show your doctor.

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My Body Sends a Signal: Helping Kids Recognize Emotions and Express Feelings 

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My Body Sends a Signal: Helping Kids Recognize Emotions and Express Feelings 

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By Natalia Maguire

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How to teach kids about emotions and feelings?Like teaching them everything else - using clear words, familiar situations, exciting pictures and a lot of hands-on activities (games, puzzles, coloring pages, etc.) One can, of course, spend time and find various resources online. Or one can get just one book.This book is an excellent educational source that has is all. The book includes a cute story that kids can relate to, beautiful illustrations that capture children's attention, calming-down activities for kids, instructions to adults on the follow-up activities, emotions cards, feelings cards, coloring pages and related short stories to teach kids empathy.

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My Body Sends a Signal: Helping Kids Recognize Emotions and Express Feelings

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How to teach kids about emotions and feelings?Like teaching them everything else - using clear words, familiar situations, exciting pictures and a lot of hands-on activities (games, puzzles, coloring pages, etc.) One can, of course, spend time and find various resources online. Or one can get jus...

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The Mind-Body Connection 8/30 How Emotions Get Trapped in the Body

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MIND BODY CONNECTION | 10 Minute Daily Routines

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Even before Sigmund Freud and the psychoanalysis movement, psychologists have argued why the body-mind concept is crucial to psychology.

The reasoning for this stems from the idea that physical conditions affect mental health, and that mental conditions affect physical health.

Unlike desires or dreams, our thoughts and emotions don't only exist in the mind. Feelings are, well, actual and physical feelings.

People get "butterflies in the stomach" onstage or on a first date, while others who anger easily are described as "hot-headed."

The body holds your physical health and your ability to function. For example, even the little actions like walking and the fine movements of your fingers depend on a healthy body.

But the mind houses your spirit and your motivation to function. These days, we have evidence that mental and physical health are so related to each other, that studies about mind-body integration in psychology seem especially important (Taylor, Goehler, Galper, Innes, Bourguignon, 2010).

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive Psychology Exercises for free. These science-based exercises will explore fundamental aspects of positive psychology including strengths, values, and self-compassion, and will give you the tools to enhance the wellbeing of your clients, students, or employees.

Defining Body-Mind Integration

There are different approaches to understanding mind-body integration. Some researchers argue that body-mind integration is crucial in the medical field, since patients don't feel an obvious division between their bodies and their minds. Thus, physicians shouldn't make diagnoses that separate the mind from the body (Davidsen et al., 2016).

A medical approach to mind-body integration is most concerned with treating patients shallowly, and to avoid treating symptoms without considering holistic solutions.

To summarize what Selhub (2007) stated:

"In mind-body medicine, the mind and body are not seen as separately functioning entities, but as one functioning unit. The mind and emotions are viewed as influencing the body, as the body, in turn, influences the mind and emotions"

(p. 4).

Aside from the strictly medical approaches, there are also neurologically-based models of mind-body integration. For example, Taylor et al. (2010) discuss a number of psychophysiological-based models where certain neurons and muscles affect mental states such as stress.

The models of various studies all indicate a bidirectional effect driven by both top-down and bottom-up factors.

In this case, top-down mechanisms are defined as those which initiate in mental processes in the cerebral cortex, and bottom-up mechanisms are those which begin with sensory receptors.

Let's see an example in practice.

Mapping Our Emotions: Researching The Physical Presence of Emotions

One 2013 study focused on where people experience different emotions in the body. This research constituted the first "map" that illustrated the links between our emotions and our body sensations.

In the study, a team of Finnish researchers induced different emotions in 701 participants and then asked them to color in a body map of where they felt increasing or decreasing activity (Nummenmaa, Glerean, Hari, & Hietanen, 2014).

Participants in the study were from both Western European countries (Finland and Sweden) and well as East Asian countries (Taiwan). Despite the cultural differences, the researchers found remarkable similarities in how participants responded.

The researchers explain their findings:

"Most basic emotions were associated with sensations of elevated activity in the upper chest area, likely corresponding to changes in breathing and heart rate. Similarly, sensations in the head area were shared across all emotions, reflecting probably both physiological changes in the facial area [...] as well as the felt changes in the contents of mind triggered by the emotional events."

The pictures below represent the body maps for the six basic emotions. Yellow indicates the highest level of activity, followed by red. Black is neutral, while blue and light blue indicate lowered and very low activity, respectively.

Along with the basic emotions, here are the body maps of six more complex emotions:

You can find the original blog post here. It's now time that we explore why we feel sensation with these corresponding emotions.

The Physical Impact of Positive and Negative Emotions

Each emotion we experience has a different representation in the body. Let's unpack these main emotions and their physical responses:

1) Happiness

Happiness is the one emotion that fills the whole body with activity. This might indicate a sense of physical readiness that comes with a happy state, and heightened communication between the body and the brain. We usually feel secure when we are happy, so in this state, we can devote all of our attention to experiencing ourselves as a part of a pleasure-rich world around us.

2) Love

This is another standout emotion that fills the body with activation, stopping just short of the legs. Love is often intertwined with physical desire, so it unsurprisingly activates sensation in the reproductive organs more strongly than happiness does.

The emotional focus of love is both the object of affection and the intensity of emotions in the subjective self; thus, activation is intense around the head and chest but more difficult to notice in the lower extremities.

3) Pride

This emotion floods the head and chest areas with a very intense sensation. This pattern of activation corresponds to a focus on the self, with resources and awareness drawn inwards and away from the extremities.

Although surprise follows a similar pattern, the strength of the activation is much less pronounced, as resources draw inwards to prepare the body to face danger. Because surprise can be positive, negative, or neutral, the body experiences it in a way that reflects uncertainty about the triggering event.

4) Anger

Anger stands alone as the negative emotion with the most intense activation, particularly in the head, chest, and hands. The angry body prepares itself for conflict by focusing attention and resources on the parts of the body that might have to act.

When we picture anger or a time when we felt enraged, many people describe an overwhelming desire to hit something. This aligns with the image scan where sensation floods to our hands.

5) Fear

Fear holds a similar but much more understated pattern of activation, as the body prepares to either fight-or-flight, but isn't necessarily seeking outright conflict.

Evolutionarily, fear required immediate thought: do I decide to run away from this predator, or fight to the death? In modern terms, do I feel that I can stand my ground with this frightening dog, or should I flee? Thus, it makes sense that we experience fear with a rush of sensation to the head.

6) Disgust

Disgust pulls the resources of the body even more tightly into the core of the body. This emotion causes the body to prepare to expel any noxious substances it has ingested, hence the focus of activation along the digestive tract.

When we experience disgust towards other humans, perhaps we feel a concentration of sensation in our vital organs, as a natural protective response to repulsion.

7) Shame and Contempt

Although shame and contempt have similar patterns of activation, contempt stimulates less activation in the chest. This may be because the focus of contempt is outside of the self and the judgment of others. Shame, on the other hand, focuses on a sense of personal failure and judgment of yourself for causing this to happen.

The depression of activity in the extremities is very pronounced in shame. Perhaps this is because the body withdraws resources into itself in a fight-or-flight response.

8) Anxiety

Anxiety is a form of long-term, low-grade stress. It activates the chest intensely and can lead to a sense of doom or dread, as experienced by panic attacks. People who experience panic attacks frequently report tightness and pain in the chest, and an inability to think beyond the pressing fear of the moment.

These feelings might correspond to the strain the heart and lungs feel as they struggle to deliver oxygen to a body under conditions of extended fear.

9) Depression

This has the most noticeable map of our negative emotions. It stimulates no activation in any part of the body and lowers activation in the extremities.

In a state of depression, it is difficult to connect with the active self and the outside world. Sadness does not suppress feeling in the head and chest and often contributes to a general lack of agency or activity.

How Can We Explain This Mind-Body Integration?

Because emotions manifest in the body as physical sensations, it follows that physical sensations can produce corresponding emotions. Molecular neuroscientist Lauri Nummenmaa explains this below:

"Emotions adjust not only our mental, but also our bodily states. This way they prepare us to react swiftly to the dangers, but also to the opportunities [...] Awareness of the corresponding bodily changes may subsequently trigger the conscious emotional sensations, such as the feeling of happiness."

For example, it is likely that the warmth of a blanket wrapped around your shoulders on a cold day, translates from a physical sensation of heat to an emotional feeling of happiness and security.

The connection between our minds and our bodies is something we instinctively feel, but how much attention do we pay to your bodily sensations each moment?

To understand our own emotional lives and those of the people around us, we need a deeper awareness, achieved through the practice of mindfulness and the development of body intelligence.

Take a moment to acknowledge how you physically feel right now, as well as your next emotional flood of joy, sorrow, and calm. Over time, this can help you feel more in touch with these aspects of existing, and providing you with a rich understanding of your whole mind and body connection.

Body intelligence is a psychological method that highlights the importance of recognizing body sensations as a way to improve our health.

The first step is to recognize the internal cues and sensations that your body tells you.

The In's and Out's of Body Intelligence

The body is the subject of constant stressors, both external and internal (Antonovsky, 1993).

As an integral part of the human machine, it communicates what it needs in order to survive and cope with stressors-we just need to actively listen.

When we are confronted with difficult emotions, maladaptive ways like self-medicating or practicing denial, are frequent ways people cope with undesirable feelings. What if, instead, we leaned into these unpleasant feelings as messages from our bodies to our brains?

Although relieving at the moment, a maladaptive coping mechanism can be detrimental to health. They don't facilitate the long-term improvements we need to address the actual source of discomfort. Body intelligence offers tools to strengthen the mind-body link and work towards positive wellbeing.

Body intelligence cannot remove illness, but it can attune you to what your body is feeling. It can alleviate certain symptoms of stress such as chest pain, headaches, heart rate variability, and others.

What to know more about the details of body intelligence? Take a listen to this podcast from Live Happy. It explains the details and benefits of listening to the physical sensations of our body.

The clip below provides an example of the tools that can help us become attuned with our body, and how to relieve stress in holistic ways.

Duperly et al. (2008) found that, for medical students, maintaining a positive attitude was crucial in their preventative health measures.

Students with a positive attitude accepted preventive counseling better before stress or disorders became all-consuming. This example of disease prevention is a key example of how attitude shapes other aspects of life and impacts health.

So how do we influence this unconscious dynamic between our thoughts, emotions and physical sensations?

Below is a comprehensive list of techniques that help to build body intelligence, tune our attention, and increase body awareness for greater physical and mental health.

Body-Mind Integration Techniques

The body-mind integration field includes a number of disciplines and approaches. Here is the main goal of this technique:

"The goal of mind-body techniques is to regulate the stress response system so that balance and equilibrium can be maintained and sustained, to restore prefrontal cortex activity, to decrease amygdala activity, and to restore the normal activity of the HPA axis and locus ceruleus-sympathetic nervous system"

(Selhub, 2007, p. 5).

The medical field includes a wide range of "alternative" techniques aiming to increase awareness and strengthen the mind-body link.

Five examples of these modalities include mindfulness, meditation, relaxation, biofeedback, and the three practices of Yoga, T'ai Chi, and Qigong (McGuire, Gabison, & Kligler, 2016). Let's explore these more deeply.

Mindfulness

"Mindfulness is characterised by dispassionate, non-evaluative and sustained moment-to-moment awareness of perceptible mental states and processes. This includes continuous, immediate awareness of physical sensations, perceptions, affective states, thoughts, and imagery"

(Grossman, et al., 2003).

Mindfulness is a powerful tool in the treatment of mental health disorders, stress-related conditions, cancer, and cardiovascular conditions.

People who are prone to depression, anxiety and stress-related conditions, often engage in overthinking and rumination. They also struggle with disconnecting from their thoughts and worries, which can drive someone into exhaustion.

Mindfulness is vital for people struggling, as a way to direct attention on the present experience.

Fazekas, Leitner, and Pieringer (2010) cite the importance of accurate detection of emotions as a way to practice effective self-regulation.

Internal cues are a very available way to develop body intelligence; for example, recognizing "I feel anxious today in my body," actually causes the amygdala to relax. The body calms down when the mind recognizes what it is feeling (2010).

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction is another example of mindfulness-based therapies. It is a structured course which offers its participants a new lease on life, health, and wellbeing. Essentially, mindfulness redirects attention to the external environment so we can escape the unwinding of our neural and negative thought loops, or pain and discomfort.

By disrupting past patterns of thought, these approaches slow the heart rate and calm the breath, which continues to relax the body and then flood the body with more pleasant neurotransmitters. This, in turn, creates a positive feedback loop.

This TEDtalk by translational neuroscientist Catherine Kerr is a great introduction to mindfulness. She explains how focusing on our toes can help reduce negative thoughts.

As Kerr explains, mindfulness starts with the body and noticing the details of what sensations we feel, say, starting with our toes. Our sensory attentional system is one gateway to a richer mind-body connection-and the health of an attuned human.

2. Meditation

In traditional meditation, the main focal point for attention training is on the inhalation and exhalation of air through the nose. Research into the breath confirms that by being attuned to your breathing, and paying attention to it, naturally slows your breathing.

This helps the body relax, resulting in less anxious, depressed and angry.

Below is one example of the meditation resources available. It is a traditional meditation practice which focuses on training the attention on the breath. Even 3-minutes of meditation can ease a stressed brain.

If you're feeling overwhelmed with all the resources available, consider trying one, every day, for a 5-minute session. Maybe before eating dinner, or upon waking up, there is time for you to reset your brain.

3. Relaxation techniques

There are times to be alert and stressed. A lot of the time, however, we do not need the hyper-alert sensation of stress. How do we help ourselves relax? There are many ways.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is one example of relaxation therapy which is known to build body intelligence. PMR teaches us to systematically tense and then release muscles, working on one muscle group at a time. This process results in reduced physical stress and tension by increasing our focus on the body.

There are other relaxation techniques including the Body Scan and other forms of self-care.

4. Biofeedback

A pioneering technique for building body intelligence is biofeedback. This is the use of scientific and physiological monitoring of the body to effectuate awareness of body states with electrodes. EMG, or Electromyography, enables people to make changes to the state of their body (Ancoli, Peper, & Quinn, 2011).

The evidence supporting biofeedback has been strong; it can reduce certain disorders such as high blood pressure and migraines. One of the most significant perks of biofeedback is the self-direction that it elicits.

If you are interested in learning more about biofeedback and how it can provide effective treatment for different illnesses, then watch this full-length lecture from the University of California, San Fransisco, Osher Centre for Integrative Medicine:

Headaches, asthma, recurrent abdominal pain, pelvic pain, and sleep disorders are just some of the ailments that biofeedback can help with.

5. Yoga, T'ai Chi, Qigong

These three physical practices focus on using body movements that draw attention to the internal experience of the present.

The slow and steady pace of the movements helps relax us and reduce physical stress. They also create a focused state of mind which helps with negative emotions. A report from Harvard Health explored the benefits of these three body-mind-integration techniques, exploring how it aids with anxiety and depression.

Positive Psychology and Body-Mind Integration

In two recent studies, mind-body techniques helped with depression in children and adults.

A study by Staples, Atti, and Gordon (2011) highlighted significant improvements in depressive symptoms and a lowered sense of hopelessness for 129 Palestinian children and adolescents in a 10-session mind-body skills group.

These mind-body skills included meditation, guided imagery, breathing techniques, autogenic training, biofeedback, genograms, and self-expression through drawings and movement.

After 7 months, the improvements still helped with ongoing hardships and conflicts. Even the doomed sense of hopelessness was lifted.

There are several positive psychology interventions using mind-body integration (Wong et al., 2015; Zeller et al., 2004). For example, Jindani and Khalsa (2015) investigated the effects of a yoga program on participants with post-traumatic stress disorder. Participants found the yoga intervention to be "highly effective."

PTSD itself can also be regarded as a mind-body disorder, as symptoms can manifest in both the physical and mental bodies. A mind-body treatment plan seems necessary for this condition.

A review of "alternative medicines" (such as yoga, hypnosis, and meditation) found that they can be helpful in managing stress and affecting other mental conditions (Park, 2013). Park claims that these findings support why body-mind treatments should be integrated into clinical psychology.

With all the evidence showing the impact of mind-body treatments in treating mental disorders, improving mental health, and fostering better physical health, why are these practices not common practice in clinical psychology yet?

Positive psychologists are ready for this holistic approach to wellbeing to become mainstream.

Going Forward

Body-mind integration is largely an untapped resource in the field of psychology. There are several different theories on mind-body integration as it relates to medical and psychological issues, and with more research, it may only be a matter of time before most psychologists incorporate these techniques.

If the mind and body are truly integrated, rather than one side simply responding to the other, then a deeper body-mind connection is key for overall physical and mental health.

One next step to strengthen these studies is to measure wellbeing by explicitly measuring physical wellbeing as well as mental wellbeing. Positive psychology teachings could also seek to teach people a more holistic understanding of self.

A greater sense of body intelligence, when learning to deal with life's challenges, relates to other goals in the field of positive psychology. For example, teaching resilience to clients, or practicing self-care for ourselves, align with these goals to care for our bodies and mind.

A Take-Home Message

The mind and the body are the greatest tools we possess to achieve positive wellbeing. It is imperative that we learn body intelligence, and use it as part of the treatment and prevention of physical and mental illness.

Practices such as progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness-based stress reduction, meditation, mindfulness, biofeedback, and yoga, are just a few ways to strengthen body-mind connections.

Positive psychology interventions have included mind-body integration techniques so far. Anyone who seeks to improve their physical or mental health can gain from this holistic approach of body-mind integration.

Which of the five practices might you incorporate into your routine, and how? Are there other resources you use that help you or your clients with mind-body wholeness?

We would love to hear from you in our comments section below.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don't forget to download our three Positive Psychology Exercises for free.

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Body-Mind Integration: Training Attention for Mental and Physical Health

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Even before Sigmund Freud and the psychoanalysis movement, psychologists have argued why the body-mind concept is crucial to psychology. The reasoning for this stems from the idea that physical conditions affect mental health, and that mental conditions affect physical health. Unlike desires or dreams, our thoughts and emotions don't only exist in the mind.

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Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing

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Well-educated, slender, and attractive, Julie seems to have it all. She has a PhD, an interesting career, and good friends. So everything's great, right?

Not exactly. Julie also has diabetes. And while she loves her job, she feels anxious about running a business. She often gets angry at herself, and snaps at others for small mistakes. Even scarier, despite careful monitoring of her blood sugar, she finds herself in a coma once or twice a month. What's going on?

It turns out that despite Julie generally healthy habits, her anxiety prevents her from paying attention to the cues her body gives her when her blood sugar is too low.

On her doctor's advice, Julie tries Mindfulness Based Stress-Reduction (MBSR) classes along with her regular diabetes care program. The MBSR practices help Sylvia slow down and actually pay attention to her body.

Julie begins to notice when her blood sugar is dropping, so she can eat to prevent herself from going into a diabetic coma. She also finds it easier to control her diabetes with insulin, probably because reducing her anxiety helps reduce her stress hormones. Her anger, a product of her stress, also fades away.

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What Is the Mind-Body Connection? | Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing

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Well-educated, slender, and attractive, Julie seems to have it all. She has a PhD, an interesting career, and good friends. So everything's great, right? Not exactly. Julie also has diabetes. And while she loves her job, she feels anxious about running a business. She often gets angry at herself, and snaps at others for small mistakes.

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Overview

Harnessing the power of the mind-body connection

The mind-body connection means that you can learn to use your thoughts to positively influence some of your body's physical responses, thereby decreasing stress. If you recall a time when you were happy, grateful or calm, your body and mind tend to relax.

Research has shown that when you imagine an experience, you often have similar mental and physical responses to those you have when the event actually happens. For example, if you recall an upsetting or frightening experience, you may feel your heart beating faster, you may begin to sweat, and your hands may become cold and clammy.

Whether you have been diagnosed with an illness or need to prepare for a medical procedure such as surgery, it is very important to minimize the negative effects and maximize the healthy, healing aspects of your mind-body connection.

A variety of calming and empowering mind-body exercises have been proven to help people:

Decrease anxiety

Decrease pain

Enhance sleep

Decrease the use of medication for post-surgical pain

Decrease side effects of medical procedures

Reduce recovery time and shorten hospital stays

Strengthen the immune system and enhance the ability to heal

Increase sense of control and well-being

While the exercises described are not alternatives to medical or surgical treatments, they provide a powerful way for you to actively participate in your own health care, minimize pain and insomnia and promote recovery.

Calming/Relaxation Exercises

The goal of calming and relaxation exercises is to help change the way you perceive a situation and react to it - to help you feel more in control, more confident or secure, and to activate healing processes within the body. Become aware of any tension, anxiety, change in breathing, or symptoms that you recognize as being caused or worsened by stress. When you take about 15 minutes daily to practice these exercises to help "quiet" your mind and help your body become more relaxed, you can then call upon this ability with a shorter relaxation exercise at a stressful time.

Relaxation Breathing Practice

Be aware of your current breathing pattern and learn how to change your breathing rate from fast, shallow chest breathing to slow, abdominal breathing.

Focus on your breath while you place one hand on your chest, the other over your navel. Imagine there is a balloon in your abdomen. As you take a slow, deep breath, focus on inflating the balloon in your abdomen. You will notice that your abdomen will rise much more than your chest. As you exhale, just let your abdomen fall naturally.

The goal is to learn how to breathe at six breaths a minute, about three or four seconds inhaling and six or seven seconds exhaling. Once you have the slow, deep breathing accomplished, don't worry about counting and imagine breathing out any tension in the body or thoughts that get in the way of comfort and relaxation.

If it helps, you can imagine a spot located on your abdomen, just below your navel. Breathe into and through that spot, filling your abdomen with air, allowing it to expand. Imagine the air filling you inside from your abdomen, and then let it out, like deflating a balloon. With every long, slow breath out, you should feel more relaxed.

Try this exercise that incorporates a few different relaxation techniques:

Begin by interrupting your normal daily thoughts. Think about what is going on around you. Then switch your thoughts to yourself and your breathing. Take a few deep breaths, exhaling slowly.

Mentally scan your body. Notice areas that feel tense or cramped, such as your neck or shoulders. Loosen up these areas. Let go of as much tension as you can.

Slowly rotate your head to the left in a smooth, circular motion, leaning your left ear to your left shoulder. Rotate your head to the right in a smooth, circular motion, leaning your right ear to your right shoulder. (Stop any movements that cause pain.)

Roll your shoulders forward and backward several times. Let all of your muscles completely relax.

Recall and focus on a pleasant memory.

Take another deep breath and exhale slowly. You should feel more relaxed.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation involves sequentially tensing and then relaxing specific muscle groups in the body, one at a time, and progressing throughout the entire body.

The key to this exercise is to tighten a specific muscle group for at least 5 seconds until you feel the tension, and then release the muscles for 10 seconds, noticing the difference in how the muscles feel before and after the exercise.

You can start by relaxing the muscles in your legs and feet, working up through each muscle group to your neck, shoulders, and scalp.

Mind Relaxation

Close your eyes. Breathe normally through your nose. As you exhale, silently say to yourself the word " one," or any other short word such as " peaceful," or a phrase such as " I feel quiet" or " I'm safe." Continue for 10 minutes. If your mind wanders, gently remind yourself to think about your breathing and your chosen word or phrase. Let your breathing become slow and steady.

Guided Imagery

Research shows that guided imagery and relaxation can decrease anxiety and pain and possibly shorten your hospital stay. Guided imagery is often presented on an audio program in which you are guided in using your imagination to induce peace, calm, strength and control. The calming music accompanying guided imagery can be helpful in quieting the mind.

The Cleveland Clinic Heart Center offers a free guided imagery programs for patients undergoing surgery and other procedures. Learn more

Heart Center patients may also bring their own relaxation or guided imagery tapes. Please ask your doctor or nurse for more information.

Healing Services Touch Therapies Program

The Touch Therapies Program includes light massage therapy, reiki and Healing Touch™ to assist your recovery from medical or surgical interventions. The Touch Therapies Program is offered through a partnership between the Healing Services Team and the Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute.

Massage Therapy is used to support your medical condition and aid recovery from procedures. Massage can help reduce muscle tension, relieve stress and soothe pain. A light, 10-minute massage (with your physician's approval) can assist your experience of well-being as you are healing. Fee-based massage therapy is offered to family members and visitors to help decrease stress so they can effectively support you.

Healing Touch™ and reiki are relaxing, nurturing energy therapies where gentle touch assists in balancing your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being to promote a deep sense of relaxation. These therapies work with your energy to support your natural ability to heal.

To receive any of these complimentary touch therapies, please call Healing Services at
ext. 59543 on your hospital phone or 216.445.9543. For more information about our program, please see the section in your binder, "Healing Services Touch Therapies Program."

Healing Services Team

The Healing Services Team provides a comprehensive approach to help you during your hospital recovery. Services include holistic nursing, spiritual care and complimentary touch therapies as described previously. If you would like someone from the Healing Services Team to visit you, please call ext. 59543 on your hospital phone or 216.445.9543. You can also ask your nurse to place an order.

Mind-Body Coach

A Mind-Body Coach is a trained professional who can teach you multiple ways to use your mind to reach a higher level of peace, calm and comfort before surgery. You'll also learn the "tools" to help you during recovery, including guided imagery. To schedule a one-on-one session with the Mind-Body Coach before or after surgery, please call Healing Services at ext. 59543 on your hospital phone or 216.445.9543. Please note this is a fee-based service. You can also ask your nurse to place an order.
Self Help Relaxation Techniques
These techniques will help you release muscle tension and relieve pain. Practice these techniques as often as necessary.

Fold and Hold: If a muscle in the shoulders or neck is tight, you can release it without rubbing it. Just bend toward the tight side and hold it for 90 seconds. The muscle should be soft after doing this. this causes any strain on the incision site, stop immediately. Please do not use this method on the legs.

Chucking/Jostling: If a muscle is tight, brush lightly over the muscle with your hand and it should release in 30 seconds. Do not rub over any muscles that are near or under an incision, tube or if a medical device is implanted in the area.

Spiritual Practices

Centering prayer and meditation are some of the oldest methods of relaxation involving a specific mental focus. These techniques induce a deep state of relaxation and well-being. Many people find spiritual practices helpful in achieving total mind-body relaxation.

At Cleveland Clinic, a chapel is open 24-hours a day, seven days a week, to people of all faiths. The chapel is located on the first floor of the Glickman Tower, next to the Q elevators. The Red Coat staff can provide directions. A Muslim prayer room is also available.

To schedule a clergy visit from Spiritual Care, please call ext. 42518 on your hospital telephone or 216.444.2518. Or call our 24-hour Prayer Line at ext. 57200 or 216.445.7200.

Music and Art Therapy

Under the supervision of a board-certified music therapist, music therapy combines music and therapeutic techniques and aids in the physiological, psychological and emotional well-being of the individual during treatment of an illness.

Art therapy utilizes art media and the creative process to help patients in their healing and recovery. Art therapy can help patients decrease anxiety, manage stress, and deal with emotional issues.

For more information about music or art therapy, contact the Cleveland Clinic Arts & Medicine Institute at ext. 55083 on your hospital telephone or 216.445.5083.

Relaxation and Massage Suites

The Relaxation and Massage Suites, located on the 5th and 8th floors of the Miller Family Pavilion, are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Patients and family members are welcome to go to these rooms to take a quiet break from the daily hospital routine. If you are staying in a unit that's not on the 5th or 8th floors, please let your health care team know if you'd like to visit the suite. Please note that massages are available in these suites by appointment, during regularly scheduled times. To schedule a massage appointment, please call 216.986.HEAL (4325) and a scheduling specialist will assist you.

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The mind-body connection means that you can learn to use your thoughts to positively influence some of your body's physical responses, thereby decreasing stress. If you recall a time when you were happy, grateful or calm, your body and mind tend to relax.

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by Thibaut Meurisse

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Master Your Emotions: A Practical Guide to Overcome Negativity and Better Manage Your Feelings (Mastery Series)

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Healing Depression the Mind-Body Way: Creating Happiness with Meditation, Yoga, and Ayurveda

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by Sherianna Boyle

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Control Your Mind and Master Your Feelings

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Control Your Mind and Master Your Feelings

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by Eric Robertson

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Control Your Mind and Master Your Feelings: This Book Includes - Break Overthinking & Master Your Emotions

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Amazon.com: Control Your Mind and Master Your Feelings: This Book Includes - Break Overthinking & Master Your Emotions: 9781691706631: Robertson, Eric: Books

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Mindfulness: How to Create Inner Peace, Happiness, and Declutter Your Mind

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Mindfulness: How to Create Inner Peace, Happiness, and Declutter Your Mind

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by David Clark

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Mindfulness: How to Create Inner Peace, Happiness, and Declutter Your Mind

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Mind/Body Connection: How Your Emotions Affect Your Health 

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Mind/Body Connection: How Your Emotions Affect Your Health (Accessible Preview)

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Mindfulness and meditation at your fingertips. Follow millions of other meditators and download The Mindfulness App. Get your free trial week today!

Feeling overwhelmed or stressed in your everyday life? Want to feel more balanced and more joyful?

Enjoy a more restful sleep, stress less, and reduce your anxiety together with The Mindfulness App. With over 300 guided meditations and courses from experts around the world, we have options for every mood, time of the day, and for everyone from beginners to experienced.

* Guided meditations and courses in over 10 different languages.
* Personalised users statistics.
* Personalised reminders to help you remember to meditate.
* Reminders based on time and location.

If you find that you enjoy a silent meditation, or simply want to include a personalized timed session into your meditation practice, you can pick and choose between:

* 3-99 minute sessions.
* Option of silent or guided.
* Inclusion of bells and a guided introduction.
* Different background sounds such as forest, rain, waves and more.

As a new user, you have the option to take advantage of our Free Trial that allows you to test the app and access all premium content for a full seven days.

Included in our Premium Subscription:
* Unlimited access to all meditations and courses in over 20 different topics.
* Make meditations and course sessions available offline.
* Regularly updated content allows you to discover new favorite sessions and teachers.

For those that wish to have access to our premium version, we offer two different subscription options:
* 1-Month ($9.99)
* 12-Month ($59.99)

We're here to help you find what meets your needs and make meditation work for your daily life to improve your inner wellbeing.

It doesn't matter where you are on your journey, we're here for you every step of the way!

Version 5.11.1

Thanks for using our app! We're always trying to bring the best to your mindfulness journey and continue to update the app regularly. This update includes some bug fixes and you will now be able to find our Courses section via the major changes to our "Meditate" tab, a new "For You" section, improved Reminders, and even a new category: Compassion!

New "Meditate" tab - We've improved overall usability while incorporating a more personal view! Additionally, we're here to help your circadian rhythm with the background visuals found in our new "Meditate" tab (previously "Home Screen"). We've now included background visuals that follow the sun to support your body's innate 24-hour cycle. You can now find visuals and imagery that help regulate your inner sleep-wake cycle so that you get the most out of your day and evening hours.
The third great update to our "Meditate" tab includes a new recommendation section to keep you updated with new meditations we think you'll enjoy.

New "For You" section - Our "For You" section combines relevant and new options with content that matches your interests and preferences based on your user profile. You can now find newly added mediations and courses that match your previously enjoyed content as well as some classics that we think you'll enjoy!

New Category: Compassion - Over the years we've found that many users search for and need more assistance in finding compassion for themselves and for those around them. We've not put together and added an entirely new category to our diverse library of guided meditations and courses that focus on self-compassion, compassion for others, and all compassion-related practices.

Reminders - Our personalised reminders include not only a message to help you remember to meditate, but also encourage you to begin a habitual routine in your meditation practice. By finding a consistent time of day that works best for you, you are more likely to practice consistently, and we're happy to assist in every way possible!

My Profile has been upgraded! You can now set and update your Level and Interests!

If you come across any issue, please let us know at support@mindapps.se

Love this!

I have used this app for about three years now and I have tried others and find this one to be the best. I appreciate that my meditations are available at any time. I'm not one for social media, either, so I'm really glad I'm not solicited to share with a whole host of other practitioners. It's simple, easy to follow and the people who provide the sessions are some of the most respected in the whole mindfulness movement. The only drawback (which didn't used to be) is that I'm unable to create my own mindfulness notices. This was a feature in the first version and it was such a delightful, mindful option! Depending upon what area I wanted to focus on, I could set simple notices to chime throughout the day that had me call attention to sounds, feelings in particular areas of my body, sensations, or simply breathing. Regardless, this app and the meditations offered in it are always my go to at least two times a day, if not ten! Thank you for creating it.

Hi, We are happy to hear that you like our app! Thank you for your kind words and for taking your time writing. .Love and Regards The MindApps Team

Better than expected

I've never meditated before I got this app. I honestly did it for 3 days straight and already felt a more positive energy within me. I do highly suggest doing a one month trial basis before dropping 60$ for a year because it allows you to get a feel for what the app has to offer in the sense of the style of the teachers and what your goal is. This app has a variety of courses and the reason I am writing this review is because it has almost every topic that I wanted to go see a therapist for so I'm trying this first cuz it's way cheaper. I am always working on self- betterment and this is honestly a great app for everyone to include in their lives some meditations are short 5min and others can last for about 15-20 but you get to choose what you want to do so it fits to your schedule. I personally do mine right when I wake it starts my day off in a good, focused, and controlled mood. Try it out for yourself! (Only reason I didn't give this app a 5 is because I just started using it and haven't completed a full course yet so I'm not 100% sure if it has the ability to actually create the shift in myself that I'm looking for)

Thank you for using the app! Best, The Mindfulness App Team

Exactly What The Doc Ordered

My 17 year old son and I suffer from generalized anxiety and have our whole lives. I used to meditate with my husband, my sons father, when we met back in the 90's.
Time goes by, we had a child, full time jobs and at some point stopped doing it. I always did yoga but the meditation that had helped me so much just sort of faded out of our schedules.
This app has reminded me how important meditation is in our daily lives.
Now, my son and I do one of your guided meditations every morning before school. The doctors want to put him on medication but we're going to keep trying this as it clearly is helping him tremendously at this time. Awesome app! We love it!

Hi, We are happy to hear that you like our app! Thank you for your kind words and for taking your time writing. Love and Regards The MindApps Team

Unlock all Premium content

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The developer, MindApps, indicated that the app's privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer's privacy policy.

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The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:

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The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

Compatibility

iPhone

Requires iOS 11.0 or later.

iPod touch

Requires iOS 11.0 or later.

Languages

English, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian Bokmål, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, Traditional Chinese

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1. Annual Membership $59.99

2. 1 Year Premium $59.99

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Family Sharing

With Family Sharing set up, up to six family members can use this app.

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‎Feeling overwhelmed or stressed in your everyday life? Want to feel more balanced and more joyful? Enjoy a more restful sleep, stress less, and reduce your anxiety together with The Mindfulness App. With over 300 guided meditations and courses from experts around the world, we have options for ev...

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How to Improve Your Mind-Body Connection

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How to Improve Your Mind-Body Connection

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Doctors That DO: How to Improve Your Mind-Body Connection with Dr. Mike

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Support for a healthy state of mind

Learn how to sleep better, manage stress, improve your mood, and more with an app recommended by Kaiser Permanente clinicians.
Get started
Navigating life's changes and challenges

Life's normal ups and downs can throw you off-kilter - but simple self-care strategies and healthy habits can help you through them.

Simple ways to be kind to your mind

Small acts of self-care can have a big impact - these practices can help you wind down, find calm, and feel better.

Connecting with others who share similar experiences can be incredibly powerful. Our classes and support groups are taught by trained instructors, designed to help you strengthen relationships, change unhealthy behaviors, cope with stress, and more. Some classes may require a fee.

Get personalized advice, encouragement, and support to reach your health goals - entirely online at no cost to Kaiser Permanente members. In these programs, we'll recommend some simple activities for your daily or weekly routine that can help you:

Keep stress in check

Boost your mood

Sleep better

Improve eating, exercise, and social habits affected by your mental health

Get started

Making healthy lifestyle changes can have big mental health benefits. A wellness coach can help you get started, overcome obstacles, and achieve your goals - including reducing stress, quitting smoking, and more.

Footnotes
[1] If you reasonably believe you have an emergency medical condition, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. An emergency medical condition is a medical or psychiatric condition that requires immediate medical attention to prevent serious jeopardy to your health. For the complete definition of an emergency medical condition, please refer to your Evidence of Coverage or other coverage documents.

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Learn how to sleep better, manage stress, improve your mood, and more with an app recommended by Kaiser Permanente clinicians. Get started Life's normal ups and downs can throw you off-kilter - but simple self-care strategies and healthy habits can help you through them.

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What is the Mind Body Connection & How to Harness It 

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A broken wrist is usually easy to diagnose and treat - and you likely know exactly what caused it. Some health conditions, though, are not so clear cut. Often, these health conditions involve a deep connection between the body and the mind.

Consider heart disease: there are many known lifestyle factors that contribute to it. These include smoking, poor diet and lack of exercise. But researchers are discovering that attitudes and emotions (the "mind") can also contribute to heart disease and other physical health challenges (the "body")

Stress causes a biological response known as fight or flight. You either confront a threat (flight) or you avoid it (flight). But that's a simple explanation. The stress response triggered in fight or flight is a complex mix of physical, mental and emotional reactions.

Have you ever had to give a big presentation? If so, you might remember how you felt. Your heart pounds, your breath quickens, your stomach gets butterflies and your palms get sweaty. This mind/body stress response isn't meant to make you feel sick. In this case, it's meant to help you perform well. This is called acute stress. It is in response to a challenge, and it goes away quickly. In the case of giving a big presentation, the response was probably over as soon as you finished presenting.

But sometimes, the stress response happens frequently. It can be triggered by more common day-to-day experiences. A spat at home. A slow commute. A work email. A bill in the mail. Over time, this type of stress, called chronic stress, can take a real toll on your emotional and physical health. Worried that you might be experiencing chronic stress? Here are some of the signs:

These are all signs that stress may be working overtime in your body.

With the hectic pace of life today, many people feel the negative effects of chronic stress. But it's worth noting that the mind/body link can also have many positive effects.

Building a positive mind-body connection

There are a number of things you can do to put the mind-body connection to work for you. By reducing stress, you can counteract some of its harmful effects on your body. With mind-body exercises like yoga or tai chi, you can help better control anxiety and pain. Some mindful activities can help boost your energy and your mood, and even help you find more happiness and compassion to improve the overall quality of your life.

Some mind-body practices include:

For these practices, you may need to seek help from an experienced guide, mentor, or professional. But you can do some mind/body exercises right in your own home, car or office, and you only have to spare a few moments.

For example, mindfulness meditation is something you can do when you have time and where you can find a few minutes to focus. You don't need a guide, a yoga mat or any other special equipment. You just need to close your eyes, pay attention to your breath, and focus on present thoughts. When your attention wanders, return to the present. Mindfulness can bring help you focus, tune out distractions and find a little calm in the moment - and over time, help your mind and body feel better.

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What is the Mind Body Connection & How to Harness It | Mental Health & Wellness | Kaiser Permanente

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A broken wrist is usually easy to diagnose and treat - and you likely know exactly what caused it. Some health conditions, though, are not so clear cut. Often, these health conditions involve a deep connection between the body and the mind. Consider heart disease: there are many known lifestyle factors that contribute to it.

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Mind/Body Connection: How Emotions Affect Health

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People who have good emotional health are aware of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. They cope well with stress and normal life problems.

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Finding a sense of peace and calm in our day-to-day lives can be difficult. Relaxation techniques can help to relax the mind and body and also manage some of the symptoms of anxiety and depression.

There are many types of relaxation, including breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, visualisation, meditation, mindfulness, and gentle physical activities such as yoga and Tai Chi. And the good news is, many of these techniques can be practised almost anywhere and at little or no cost.

Learning to relax can take a bit of practise but the more you practise the more helpful the relaxation technique will be. Below are some downloadable MP3 files to help get you started. You can save these on your phone or computer to use at any time.

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Finding a sense of peace and calm in our day-to-day lives can be difficult. Relaxation techniques can help to relax the mind and body and also manage some of the symptoms of anxiety and depression. There are many types of relaxation, including breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, visualisation, meditation, mindfulness, and gentle physical activities such as yoga and Tai Chi.

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Smiling Mind - Daily Mindfulness & Meditation Guide 

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An evidence-based approach to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children in the classroom, school and home environments. Choose the implementation option to suit your school.

For a limited time, Australian primary schools can apply for a funded place and receive the Primary School Program at no direct cost to the school.

Smiling Mind is Australia's leading digital-led, prevention focussed mental health not-for-profit. Smiling Mind has been helping minds thrive for over 10 years and are the innovators behind Australia's most trusted mental wellbeing app. Our evidence-based tools support people to learn the skills to maintain their mental health in fun and interactive ways.

If you'd like to support our work, you can make a donation. Every contribution, however large or small makes a difference and we're so grateful for your support.

The Australian Mental Wellbeing Index provides a snapshot insight into the everyday mental wellbeing of Australia. It explores the factors that contribute to mental wellbeing and aims to generate a national conversation about how Australians can take a proactive approach to support mental wellbeing.

We've recently released the second annual report exploring the data collected across 2022-2023. The latest report shows young Australians aged 18-24, are experiencing poorer mental wellbeing than older age groups and poorer levels of focus and concentration may be a key driver of this.

A daily mindfulness and meditation guide at your fingertips

#1 Apple Health & Wellbeing App 2018 - Australia

Trusted by over 7.8M people

100% evidence based

FREE Programs for children and adults

We suggest 10 minutes a day

What are you waiting for?

DOWNLOAD THE APP NOW AND SEE FOR YOURSELF!

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Smiling Mind is a non-for-profit web and app-based meditation program developed by psychologists and educators to help bring mindfulness into your life.

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FREE Intro to Mindfulness Online Course | THIS WAY UP

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Learn simple mindfulness strategies for managing stress and boosting your wellbeing with our practical and free online course.

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Stress relievers: Tips to tame stress

Stress getting to you? Try some of these tips for stress relief.
By Mayo Clinic Staff
Is stress making you angry and grouchy? Stress relievers can help bring back calm and peace to your busy life. You don't have to put a lot of time or thought into stress relievers. If your stress is getting out of control and you need quick relief, try one of these tips.

Get active

Almost any form of physical activity can act as a stress reliever. Even if you're not an athlete or you're out of shape, exercise can still be a good stress reliever.

Physical activity can pump up your feel-good endorphins and other natural neural chemicals that boost your sense of well-being. Exercise also can refocus your mind on your body's movements. This refocus can improve your mood and help the day's irritations fade away. So go on a walk, take a jog, work in your garden, clean your house, bike, swim, weight train, vacuum or do anything else that gets you active.

Eat a healthy diet

Eating a healthy diet is an important part of taking care of yourself. Aim to eat many fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Avoid unhealthy habits

Some people may deal with stress with unhealthy habits. These may include drinking too much caffeine or alcohol, smoking, eating too much, or using illegal substances. These habits can harm your health and increase your stress levels.

Meditate

During meditation, you focus your attention and quiet the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress. Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that can help both your emotional well-being and your overall health. Meditation can empower us to enhance our well-being.

You can practice guided meditation, guided imagery, mindfulness, visualization and other forms of meditation anywhere at any time. For example, you could meditate when you're out for a walk, riding the bus to work or waiting at your health care provider's office. Try an app to show you how to do these exercises. And you can try deep breathing anywhere.

Laugh more

A good sense of humor can't cure all ailments. But it can help you feel better, even if you have to force a fake laugh through your grumpiness. When you laugh, it lightens your mental load. It also causes positive physical changes in the body. Laughter fires up and then cools down your stress response.

So read some jokes, tell some jokes, watch a comedy or hang out with your funny friends. Or give laughter yoga a try.

Connect with others

When you're stressed and irritable, you may want to isolate yourself. Instead, reach out to family and friends and make social connections. Even one good friend who listens can make a difference.

Social contact is a good stress reliever because it can offer distraction, give support, and help you put up with life's up and downs. So take a coffee break with a friend, email a relative or visit your place of worship.

Got more time? Try volunteering for a charity and help yourself while helping others.

Assert yourself

You might want to do it all, but you can't, at least not without paying a price. Learning to say no or being willing to delegate can help you manage your to-do list and your stress. Healthy boundaries are important in a wellness journey. Everyone has physical and emotional limits.

Saying yes may seem like an easy way to keep the peace, prevent conflicts and get the job done right. But instead, it may cause you inner conflict because your needs and those of your family come second. Putting yourself second can lead to stress, anger, resentment and even the wish to take revenge. And that's not a very calm and peaceful reaction. Remember, you're a priority.

Try yoga

With its series of postures and breathing exercises, yoga is a popular stress reliever. Yoga brings together physical and mental disciplines that may help you reach peace of body and mind. Yoga can help you relax and ease stress and anxiety.

Try yoga on your own or find a class - you can find classes in many areas. Hatha yoga, especially, is a good stress reliever because of its slower pace and easier movements.

Get enough sleep

Stress can cause you to have trouble falling asleep. When you have too much to do - and too much to think about - your sleep can suffer. But sleep is the time when your brain and body recharge. Most adults need about 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night.

And how well and how long you sleep can affect your mood, energy level, focus and overall functioning. If you have sleep troubles, make sure that you have a quiet, relaxing bedtime routine. For example, listen to soothing music, make sure the area you sleep in is cool, dark and quiet, put phones and tablets away, and stick to a regular schedule.

Keep a journal

Writing down your thoughts and feelings can be a good release for otherwise pent-up feelings. Don't think about what to write - let it happen. Write anything that comes to mind. No one else needs to read it. So don't aim for perfect grammar or spelling.

Let your thoughts flow on paper, or on the computer screen. Once you're done, you can toss out what you wrote or save it to think about later.

Get musical and be creative

Listening to or playing music is a good stress reliever. It can provide a mental distraction, lessen muscle tension and lower stress hormones. Turn up the volume and let your mind be absorbed by the music.

If music isn't one of your interests, turn your attention to another hobby you enjoy. For example, try gardening, sewing, reading or sketching. Or try anything that makes you focus on what you're doing rather than what you think you should be doing.

Seek counseling

If new stressors are making it hard for you to cope or if self-care measures aren't relieving your stress, you may want to think about therapy or counseling. Therapy also may be a good idea if you feel overwhelmed or trapped. You also may think about therapy if you worry a great deal, or if you have trouble carrying out daily routines or meeting duties at work, home or school.

Professional counselors or therapists can help you find the sources of your stress and learn new coping tools.

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Show references

1. How stress affects your health. American Psychological Association. http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress.aspx. Accessed Jan. 24, 2023.

2. Relaxation techniques: What you need to know. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. https:// www.nccih.nih.gov/health/relaxation-techniques-what-you-need-to-know. Accessed Jan. 23, 2023.

3. Meditation and mindfulness: What you need to know. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-and-mindfulness-what-you-need-to-know. Accessed Jan. 23, 2023.

4. Yoga: What you need to know. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/yoga-what-you-need-to-know. Accessed Jan. 23, 2023.

5. Stress and your health. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. https://www.womenshealth.gov/mental-health/good-mental-health/stress-and-your-health. Accessed Jan. 23, 2023.

6. I'm so stressed out! Fact sheet. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/so-stressed-out-fact-sheet. Accessed Jan. 24, 2023.

7. Seaward BL. Essentials of Managing Stress. 5th ed. Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2021.

8. Creagan ET (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. Feb. 8, 2023.

See more In-depth

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Stress relievers can help restore calm to your chaotic life. When stress gets out of control, try these tips for quick relief.

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We could all use a little less stress in our lives, am I right? Between everyday work stress to maintaining relationships, navigating social engagements and wrangling the kids stress, there's more than enough stress to go around. Luckily, there are ways to ease your stress levels if you set your mind to it.

Clinical psychologist Adam Borland, PsyD, explains how stress works and healthy ways we can help manage stress before it gets out of control.

What is stress?

Stress is your body's response to a challenge or demand. Everyone experiences stress, which can be triggered by a range of events, from small daily hassles to major changes like a divorce or job loss. The stress response includes physical components like an elevated heart rate and blood pressure, thoughts and personal beliefs about the stressful event, and emotions, including fear and anger.

"Although we often think of it as being negative, stress can also come from positive changes in your life, like getting a promotion at work or having a new baby," says Dr. Borland.

How can we handle stress in healthy ways?

Stress serves an important purpose - it enables us to respond quickly to threats and avoid danger. But lengthy exposure to stress may lead to mental health difficulties like anxiety and depression, or increased physical health problems.

"A large body of research suggests that increased stress levels interfere with your ability to deal with physical illness," says Dr. Borland. "While no one can avoid all stress, you can work to handle it in healthy ways that increase your potential to recover."

1. Eat and drink to optimize your health

Some people try to reduce stress by drinking alcohol or eating too much. These actions may seem to help in the moment, but actually may add to stress in the long run. Caffeine also can compound the effects of stress. While consuming a healthy, balanced diet can help combat stress.

2. Exercise regularly

In addition to having physical health benefits, exercise has been shown to be a powerful stress reliever. Consider noncompetitive aerobic exercise, strengthening with weights or movement activities like yoga or Tai Chi, and set reasonable goals for yourself. Aerobic exercise has been shown to release endorphins - natural substances that help you feel better and maintain a positive attitude.

3. Stop using tobacco and nicotine products

People who use nicotine often refer to it as a stress reliever. However, nicotine actually places more stress on your body by increasing physical arousal and reducing blood flow and breathing. Plus, it can worsen chronic pain, so if you're experiencing prolonged tension and body aches, smoking won't help.

4. Study and practice relaxation techniques

Taking the time to relax every day helps manage stress and protect your body from the effects of stress. You can choose from a variety of techniques, such as deep breathing, guided imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness meditation. Many online and smartphone apps provide guidance on these techniques. Although some require purchase costs, many are available free of charge.

5. Reduce triggers of stress

If you're like most people, your life may be filled with too many demands and too little time. For the most part, these demands are ones we've chosen. But you can free up time by practicing time-management skills like asking for help when it's appropriate, setting priorities, pacing yourself and reserving time to take care of yourself.

6. Examine your values and live by them

The more your actions reflect your beliefs, the better you'll feel, no matter how busy your life is. Use your values when choosing your activities.

"Considering the stressful demands and responsibilities we face on a daily basis, it's important to engage in activities that are in line with our values and speak to us on a personal level," encourages Dr. Borland.

7. Assert yourself

It's OK to say "no" to demands on your time and energy that'll place too much stress on you. You don't always have to meet the expectations of others.

8. Set realistic goals and expectations

It's also OK - and healthy - to realize you can't be 100% successful at everything all at once. Be mindful of the things you can control and work on accepting the things that you can't control.

9. Sell yourself to yourself

When you're feeling overwhelmed, remind yourself of what you do well. There are ways you can build a healthy sense of self-esteem.

10. Try biofeedback

This behavioral technique helps you learn stress reduction skills by providing information about muscle tension, heart rate and other vital signs as you attempt to relax. It's used to gain control over certain bodily functions that cause tension and physical pain. Biofeedback can be used to help you learn how your body responds in stressful situations, and how to cope better. If a headache, such as a migraine, begins slowly, many people can use biofeedback to stop the attack before it becomes full-blown.

If you're interested in any of these techniques, ask your healthcare provider for more information or other suggestions they may have. Often, counseling can help you recognize stress factors that may not even be readily obvious.

What to do if you have trouble sleeping

Sleep is often sacrificed when you're overwhelmed with stress. You may experience insomnia because of discomfort, stress from personal concerns, or side effects from your medications. If you can't sleep, try these tips:

Establish a regular sleep schedule: go to bed and get up at the same time every day.

Make sure your bed and surroundings are comfortable. Arrange the pillows so you can maintain a comfortable position.

Keep your bedroom dark and quiet.

Use your bedroom for sleeping only. Don't work or watch TV in your bedroom.

Avoid napping too much during the day. At the same time, remember to balance activity with periods of rest.

If you feel nervous or anxious, talk to your spouse, partner or a trusted friend. Get your troubles off your mind.

Listen to relaxing music.

Don't rely on sleeping pills. They can be harmful when taken with other medications. Use them only if recommended for a brief period by your healthcare provider if other nonmedication methods don't work.

Take diuretics, or "water pills," earlier if possible, so you don't have to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.

If you can't sleep, get up and do something relaxing until you feel tired. Don't stay in bed worrying about when you're going to fall asleep.

Avoid caffeine.

Maintain a regular exercise routine, but don't exercise within two to three hours before the time you go to bed.

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We could all use a little less stress in our lives, am I right? Between everyday work stress to maintaining relationships, navigating social engagements and wrangling the kids stress, there's more than enough stress to go around. Luckily, there are ways to ease your stress levels if you set your mind to it.

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Meditate and sleep soundly. Headspace is your guide to practicing mindfulness in your everyday life. Learn how to relax, manage stress, and focus your energy to become more centered and well rested. Create a calm and positive environment with Headspace.

Headspace offers guided meditation, sleep meditation, and breathing exercises. Learn mindfulness skills from world-class experts like former monk and Headspace co-founder Andy Puddicombe. Choose from hundreds of guided meditations on a new topic each day: anxiety, focus, relaxation, and more!

Meditation for every experience level and lifestyle. Meditate with friends and build your practice your way. Choose between short, 3-minute sessions that fit seamlessly into a busy schedule or longer meditations to set your intentions for the day. Listen to calming sounds and music with Sleep by Headspace or release stress and tension through movement with Move Mode.

In just a few minutes a day, Headspace can help bring balance to your everyday life. Find some headspace. Start with a free trial.

Download Headspace today and be kind to your mind.

HEADSPACE FEATURES

DAILY MEDITATIONS
- Choose from hundreds of guided meditations and mindfulness exercises
- Practice daily meditation on a new topic each day with Everyday Headspace
- Breathe easy with 3-minute mini-meditations for a quick mental reset
- Practice mindfulness with "Mindful Moments" to keep you present throughout the day
- Track your progress and time spent meditating with Mindful Minutes on Apple Health
- Learn new skills and find answers to your mindfulness questions

SLEEP MEDITATIONS
- Create conditions for a more restful night with Sleep by Headspace
- Switch off with sleepcasts - calming stories paired with relaxing sounds
- Soothing sleep sounds with ambient nature recordings
- Tranquil sleep music to help you reach a deep slumber
- Start your day inspired with The Wake Up - a short, daily video series made to brighten your day

STRESS RELIEF & COPING MEDITATIONS
- "SOS" sessions for moments of panic, anxiety, and stress
- Learn breathwork to help relax & calm you down
- Build your resilience with the Weathering the Storm collection
- Follow meditations that help you cope with sadness, anger & adapting to change

FIND FOCUS & BUILD PRODUCTIVITY
- Improve your focus with meditations for working from home
- Boost your concentration & productivity with focus-enhancing music
- Choose from 12 different Focus music stations to set the right mood for your day
- Tune in to the moment with Headspace's Chief Music Officer, John Legend

CENTERED FITNESS & TENSION RELEASE
- Relieve stress and release everyday tension with Move Mode
- Mood boosting and motivating at-home workouts
- Centered fitness courses: 28 days of mindful fitness and cardio
- Train with experts and Olympians Kim Glass & Leon Taylor

SUBSCRIPTION PRICING AND TERMS

Headspace offers two auto-renewing subscription options:
$12.99 per month
$69.99 per year (that's less than $5.99 a month)

These prices are for United States customers. Pricing in other countries may vary and actual charges may be converted to your local currency depending on the country of residence.

The subscription will automatically renew unless turned off in your iTunes Account Settings at least 24 hours before the current period ends. You can go to your iTunes Account settings to manage your subscription and turn off auto-renew. Your iTunes Account will be charged when the purchase is confirmed. If you subscribe before your free trial ends, the rest of your free trial period will be forfeited as soon as your purchase is confirmed.

Headspace saves your meditation sessions to your Apple Health app.

Read the terms and conditions here:
http://www.headspace.com/terms-and-conditions

Read the privacy policy here:
https://www.headspace.com/privacy-policy

Thanks for using Headspace! This update includes bug fixes and performance improvements.

As always, if you run into any troubles, let us know at help@headspace.com

Editors' Choice

If you're like us, you need all the help you can get turning rare quiet moments into true meditation. Headspace's rich, accessible lessons gently explore how to improve mindfulness. Oh, and we love how Headspace's Apple Watch app lets you hit a literal panic button when extra-stressful situations arise.

A Bright Spot in a Dark World

You won't regret buying a Headspace subscription. I often joke with people that Headspace is the one thing I would want to take with me to a desert island. If I were to cancel all of my subscriptions today, Headspace is the one exception I would make. I'm a high school English teacher, and our administration put together a month-long mindfulness education program for our students shortly after I subscribed. I had already raved to many of them about the app and the benefits of taking a couple of minutes out of their day to sit and be present. Lo and behold, Andy pops up on the next slide as our Ted Talk speaker of the day! On a more serious note, I suffer from debilitating chronic pain. I'm currently on long-term disability and a leave of absence from the classroom. Mindfulness, and the courses on managing pain, have been a tremendous help in my journey. Not only that, but I struggle with insomnia. My favorite part of Headspace, because of my (admittedly) vivid imagination, are the sleepcasts. I love falling asleep to Rainday Antiques. I can't imagine doing anything but that ever again. I have learned to manage stress and anxiety in a way that I had never thought was possible. I have meditated in the waiting room of The Cleveland Clinic before my appointments. I once laughed at the idea of mindfulness and meditation. Now it's an integral part of my life. It's part of my journey, and I think everyone could benefit from it.

Head Space, The Final Frontier

I began using this application a few years back, in the middle of my college career. I was so stressed out at that time that I could hardly perform day-to-day tasks and I was so broke that I certainly couldn't afford help from a specialist.
Enter HeadSpace. I found the app through an online search and began a free trial to try to calm my tumultuous inner consciousness. Though I cannot say that the improvements in my thoughts and behavior were immediate, the guidance of Andy's voice (the only option at that time and still my personal favorite) did help to calm me in times of immediate need. If nothing else, this app taught me to breath. My father was so impressed by my lack of mouth-breathing that he took up the monthly fee once it began and I have used Head Space (now on my own dime, thank you) ever since.
Anyway, whether you are looking for help breathing, getting into shape, falling to sleep, or in quieting those misguided negative inner-voices that come to plague the chronically unhappy, HeadSpace has something for you (often more than one thing, in fact). If you're reading this and thinking about a trial or a membership, give it a shot. It's a judgment-free, stress-free, and until your trial runs out, a free-free way of beginning the mission to exploring and conquering anxiety and exestential dread.
Consider it one small step for you, and one giant leap (in the right direction) for your mind.

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‎Meditate and sleep soundly. Headspace is your guide to practicing mindfulness in your everyday life. Learn how to relax, manage stress, and focus your energy to become more centered and well rested. Create a calm and positive environment with Headspace. Headspace offers guided meditation, sleep me...