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How To Create Healing Balance For The Modern Soul

How To Create Healing Balance For The Modern Soul

by | Jul 16, 2024 | Self Development

Within our human experience, being constantly exposed to information to be processed, and a never-ending list of things to do, it’s essential to create a flowing harmonious balance between your mind and your body. This balance not only enhances your overall well-being but can also support you to live your life in a more fulfilling and productive way.

There is a symbiotic relationship between the mind and body. There is a myriad of scientific evidence to demonstrate that neglecting your mind or your body, can adversely affect the other, causing potential physical and mental health issues. Individuals who nurture both can achieve a state of equilibrium that promotes resilience, clarity, and longevity.

One of the primary reasons to strive for mind-body harmony is the impact on mental health. Stress, anxiety, and depression are often exacerbated by physical neglect. Regular physical activity, proper nutrition, and adequate sleep are fundamental practices that can significantly improve mental health.

Exercise, for instance, releases endorphins, the body’s natural mood lifters, which help reduce stress and anxiety. A balanced diet ensures that the brain receives the necessary nutrients to function optimally, while sufficient sleep aids in memory consolidation and emotional regulation. When the body is well-cared for, the mind can operate at its best, leading to improved cognitive functions and emotional stability.

Additionally, achieving harmony between the mind and body can enhance physical health. The mind plays a vital role in how we perceive and respond to physical ailments. Practices such as mindfulness, meditation, yoga or even Qigong, can reduce the perception of pain and improve the body’s ability to heal.

A calm and focused mind relaxes the nervous system, which leads to better decision-making regarding health habits, such as choosing nutritious foods, adhering to an exercise routine, and avoiding harmful behaviours. This holistic approach ensures that the body remains strong and resilient, capable of supporting the mind through life’s challenges.

Fostering harmony between the mind and body is essential for overall well-being. It creates a foundation for mental clarity, emotional balance, and physical health. By adopting practices that nurture both aspects, individuals can lead more harmonious and fulfilling lives, better equipped to handle the stresses and demands of daily living. In the end, a balanced mind and body can unlock the full potential of a person’s capabilities, leading to a healthier and happier existence.

Mind-body therapies offer a holistic approach to wellness. These therapies blend mental and physical practices to enhance overall health. These therapies focus on the interconnectedness of the mind and body, emphasizing that mental and emotional well-being directly impacts physical health.

I have studied several popular mind-body therapies, including kinesiology, clinical hypnosis, clinical resource therapy, as well as intuitive meditation. Within my clinical practice, I utilise a variety of tools to support clients to explore, balance and heal the mind and body within. I hold space for participants to choose to change and bloom from within.

Examples of Mind-Body Therapies

Kinesiology

Kinesiology is a stress diffusion modality that utilises muscle monitoring. This modality merges the principles of traditional Chinese Medicine with modern science to assess and improve physical, mental, and emotional health. The use of muscle monitoring enables the practitioner to identify sources of stress, or imbalances within the body and mind. 

Monitoring of muscles provides the practitioner access to the person’s subconscious via the biofeedback mechanisms of the muscle fibres and neurology and ultimately connection to the brain. The muscle response can access information for anything that the practitioner has studied, for example anatomical, physiological and psychological stressors within the person.

Practitioners identify where stress is stored and work with the client to consciously develop personalized treatment plans that may involve nutritional advice, stress management techniques, and targeted exercises. The benefits of kinesiology include enhanced physical performance, reduced stress, and improved emotional resilience.

The kinesiology practitioner therefore removes stress roadblocks and returns the client to their natural state of recuperation. Therefore kinesiology doesn’t heal or fix you, the modality tools are designed to enable the practitioner to assist you to remove the stress in a gentle and relaxing manner so that you heal yourself.

No two sessions are ever the same because we are always changing. We are in a constant state of evolution, adapting to the world around us. Kinesiology can therefore work on the client as a whole and address mind and body stresses to support the client to achieve balance within.

Karen is a Professional Member  + Buiness Mentor of the Australian Institute Kinesiology (AIK) and also a registered Business Mentor with Kinesiology Association New Zealand (ANZ).

Clinical Hypnosis

Hypnosis is a therapeutic technique that uses guided relaxation, intense concentration, and focused attention to achieve a heightened state of awareness, often referred to as a trance. In this trance state, individuals are more open to suggestions, which can be used to alter behaviours and perceptions.

Within a clinical setting, hypnosis can be utilised therapeutically to clear unwanted habits, negativity within the subconscious belief system, as well as negative emotions.

Whilst hypnosis works with the conscious and subconscious mind, it has been proven effective in treating various conditions, including anxiety, chronic pain, and phobias. The benefits of hypnosis include increased relaxation, improved mental clarity, and the ability to change negative thought patterns.

Karen is a Professional Member of Clinical Hypnosis Australia.

Meditation

Meditation is an ancient practice that involves focusing the mind to achieve a state of deep relaxation within the body, mental clarity, and a deeper sense of self. There are various forms of meditation, including Heart Meditation, Mindfulness meditation, Transcendental meditation, and guided imagery.

Regular meditation practice has been shown to reduce stress, enhance emotional health, and improve concentration. The benefits of meditation extend to lower blood pressure, improved sleep quality, and a greater sense of overall well-being.

Karen is a Professional Member of Meditation Association Australia.

Positive Benefits for Healing and Balancing the Mind and Body

Mind-body therapies offer a myriad of benefits that contribute to both mental and physical health. These therapies promote relaxation, reduce stress levels, and enhance emotional stability.

By fostering a deeper connection between the mind and body, individuals often experience improved physical health, such as better immune function, reduced chronic pain, and enhanced recovery from illness.

Additionally, these therapies can improve mental clarity, increase emotional resilience, and foster a greater sense of inner peace and balance.

Five Tips for Balancing Your Body and Mind

Here are five tips for you to balance your mind and body at home.

Practice Regular Meditation: Dedicate at least 10–15 minutes each day to meditation. Choose a quiet space, focus on your breath, and let go of distracting thoughts. Consistent practice can significantly reduce stress and enhance mental clarity. 

Engage in Physical Activity: Incorporate regular exercise into your routine. Activities like yoga, tai chi, or even a daily walk can help release tension, improve mood, and boost overall physical health.

Prioritize Sleep: Ensure you get 7–9 hours of quality sleep each night. Create a relaxing bedtime routine, avoid screens before bed, and maintain a consistent sleep schedule to promote restorative rest.

Stay Mindful: Practice mindfulness throughout the day by paying attention to your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations. This awareness can help you manage stress and stay connected to the present moment.

Seek Professional Guidance: Consider working with a certified practitioner in mind-body therapies such as a kinesiologist, hypnotherapist, or meditation instructor. They can provide personalized strategies to help you achieve optimal balance and wellness.

Conclusion

Incorporating mind-body therapies, tools and techniques into your daily life can lead you to profound mental and physical health improvements. When you recognize and nurture your connection between the mind and body, you can empower yourself to achieve a harmonious balance supporting overall well-being.

Want to read more like this?

This is My Roar – signed copies of my first published book can be purchased from this website.

Self Reflection – A little Look Within – click here

8 Hot Tips How To Journal – click here

Can You Risk Not Stepping Up To Mother yourself? – Click here

About Karen

Change Facilitator

Karen Humphries is a Kinesiology Practitioner, Health & Business Coach, LEAP & NES Practitioner, Intuitive Meditation Facilitator, and published author. She is a self-confessed laughaholic.  She loves being of service to the world with her humorous and positive approach to life, encouraging people to ‘choose to change and bloom from within.’ 

Karen Humphries, Change Chick, Change Facilitator, Kinesiology, Wellness Coach, Australian Bush Flower Essences, LEAP Facilitator, Trauma, Public Speaker, Cancer Ambassador, Blooming From Within, Traralgon, Victoria, Gippsland

Can Counting Really Defuse Overwhelm?

Can Counting Really Defuse Overwhelm?

by | Aug 7, 2023 | Self Development

Could this be the easiest technique to soothe self?

Honestly, I never would have thought that a counting technique could soothe the symptoms of overwhelm, panic and anxiety so quickly as this gem.

Most people who experience this phenomenon don’t realise that when experiencing stress, you have activated a subliminal fear-based neurological program called ‘survival’. Generally, this patterning is derived from something in your past.

Survival programs anchor your sensory response with emotions from a moment in time when you first experienced a place, person or situation(s) that made you feel unsafe.

When we experience stress, we activate a state of neurological survival and deactivate our normal sensory response. This means that our brains utilise as little data as possible to ascertain whether we should fight, flee or freeze. There’s no ‘big picture’ being assessed in those moments after being triggered.

Once you’ve activated survival, you can feel ungrounded and untethered. This unsettles us neurologically from the perspective that we’ve disconnected from our internal compass that points north. We can feel uncentered or cut off from our hearts.

It’s at this point that the overthinking and over-analysis begins. The result is we get stuck in our heads. All that mental energy drives the sympathetic nervous system into overdrive and the panic button is internally pushed.

What’s actually going on, is the mental energy from too many thoughts creates a glitch in the neural network. I liken overthinking to chaos. Until there is a relief valve to siphon off this energy, it simply builds. This is why you can feel overwhelmed without an escape.

You’re using all your mental energy to find a solution for something that’s likely to not even be real. Additionally, as soon as we start strategising about ways to control the problem doing laps inside our head, we’ve moved away from the present moment, and have anchored fear of the future. Our head is now in the clouds with worry about the future.

This is what it feels like to be ungrounded and disconnected from your feelings of the heart.

The Laws of Nature dictate that we can only ever make change in one reference of time — right now in the present. You can’t go back into the past and change anything there, and you can only wait for the future.

The following grounding technique of 54321 is a beautiful and gentle way to settle yourself back into your body. When operating from your heart, you can bring yourself back to a state of internal calm.

Essentially this breath is utilising a self-hypnosis technique promoting you use your breath to re-engage your sensory response.

Here’s the grounding technique

The technique begins with recognising you’re feeling overwhelmed or anxious and taking yourself somewhere quiet.

Five

Take a deep slow breath in. I instruct my clients to count the number as they go. This is a distraction technique away from the overwhelming and annoying thoughts and brings you back into the present moment.

Release your breath slowly and breathe as if through a straw. A slower outward breath sedates the vagus nerve and gut. This signals to the survival program (perhaps I’m actually safe and calm down).

State to yourself “relax” as you breathe out.

Repeat five times.

Four

Open your eyes and look around where you are. Name four things you can see.

The trick here is literally just to observe the space around you. You’re utilising the sense of vision to really look at your reality in the present moment and verify there’s no sabre-toothed tiger in front of you. You are safe.

It’s worth noting that the visual processing centre is partially shut down whilst a survival program is run. This means you lose quality information from your peripheral visual field and look around your space like a meerkat (ie you’re moving your head to look around you).

Three

Name three things you can hear, either inside or outside the room. There’s no judgement required here, and the act of listening is gathering further evidence of what and where are sounds coming from and whether are they a threat.

When you can recognise sounds in the distance, you’ll undoubtedly take a long slow deep breath of relief — “hey I’m actually ok”.

You can even tell yourself “In this moment I’m ok!”

Two

Name two things you can smell. Please note this may be very subtle, and you may simply smell your clothes.

One

Pause and take another slow deep breath. Re-assess how you’re feeling. Have you calmed down, even just a little bit?

I do recommend repeating the process for at least a second or third time. You will be stunned by how much more you will observe what the senses are detecting.

Why?

Because when you bring yourself into the present moment, you are inserting a circuit breaker into your survival program. This defuses the intensity of mental energy swirling around in your head, and grounds you back into your body quickly.

Repeating the 54321 cycle several times takes less than 2 minutes. Therefore it works faster than any medication and can be used anywhere.

Conclusion

This isn’t a once-off strategy tool and your anxiety will be sorted. However, this is a tool you can utilise anytime and anywhere to soothe yourself. I’ve provided my regular audience access to a video + worksheet via the following link below should you wish to experience regrounding yourself right now.

First published with Illumination, a Medium Publication. Click here this piece.

Want to read more like this?

This is My Roar – signed copies of my first published book can be purchased from this website.

Practice The Pause  – click here

5 Ways to Boost Self – click here

About Karen

Change Facilitator

Karen Humphries is a Change Facilitator. She is a qualified Kinesiology Practitioner, Health & Business Coach, LEAP & NES Practitioner, Intuitive Meditation Facilitator, Clinical Hypnotherapist, and published author. She is a self-confessed laughaholic.  She loves being of service to the world with her humorous and positive approach to life, encouraging people to ‘choose to change and bloom from within.’ 

Karen Humphries, Change Chick, Change Facilitator, Kinesiology, Wellness Coach, Australian Bush Flower Essences, LEAP Facilitator, Trauma, Public Speaker, Cancer Ambassador, Blooming From Within, Traralgon, Victoria, Gippsland