A coworker who I've always admired for her extreme commitment to her wellness and personal enrichment shared a topic that she felt was important to blog about, and I totally agree - the mind/body connection. As I say in our mantra, newbodi.es helps you improve your mind by starting with your body. One cannot be without the other - literally and figuratively.
Let's take the first part first - the mind. It is unbelievably powerful just what impact your mind can have on your body. The Tarahumara are an entire civilization set on this principle as shown by their peaceful nature and the huge smiles on their faces as they turn around to run back the 100 miles they just came. It's proven by people like Kris Carr who are given very negative prognoses when they find out they have cancer, yet they are alive today and have an amazing zest for life. It's proven by simple things like feeling tired when you are working out but finding the power to go that extra bit by giving yourself a little pep talk or simply saying, "You can do this - come on!". On two separate occasions I have literally wiped out sharp knee pain when running by smiling. No joke. I think the smile kicked my mind off the pain so I could correct my form and instantly break the pain cycle. Either way, it worked just by changing my mindset. The point is, the mind is amazingly powerful and can trigger all sorts of physical reactions by releasing chemicals. It can also be easily manipulated into believing an alternate reality from what it is immediately perceiving - in a good or a bad direction. So be careful and responsible with it.
The second part may seem more obvious, but the impact is more profound than people think it will be. The idea of looking good and feeling good is nothing new, but it goes deeper than that. Tim Ferriss talks about how his dad came alive in his job after losing weight. He felt rewarded and appreciated by it. This triggers a chain reaction. Look better and have you body function better, and you will feel better and feel better about yourself. You will then carry yourself better, perform better, feel more rewarded, and the cycle comes full circle to self-reinforce.
Can you lose weight without chancing your mind? Yes. But you will gain it. back. I promise you that. Can you feel good and be out of shape? Yes. But something physically can too easily take that away from you or diminish what it could be.
There are so many things that can derail you - other people, your own insecurity and past pain (mental and physical), logistics, etc. Align your mod and body around your goals and these things slip away. You worry less about history and focus more on achieving the future. You make fewer excuses and build more solutions to facilitate your success.
As we think, so shall we feel. As we feel, so shall we do. Think positive. Feel great. Do better than you ever imagined. You can do it, and we are all right there with you.
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