The equation above is, in actual fact, not a real equation. I just made it up. (I’m sad to say that my mathematic days are over!)
But it does stand for something: The ‘B’ stands for Body and the ‘M’ stands for Mind. So, there we have it!
Body + Mind = 1.
I find the idea of the body and the mind “being at one” with each other fascinating as, up until this point, I have always believed it to be impossible – despite what the yoga teachers say! Because let’s face it, if you’ve ever participated in a yoga/pilates class, I am sure you’ll agree with me that when the instructor tells you to “Focus on your breathing” and to ” Clear your mind” the opposite is normally happening! Your thoughts are wildly drifting and you are probably thinking about what you are going to eat later on or what you should have done yesterday, or how weird it is that you are sitting on a mat thinking about what you are thinking about!
I find it extraordinary how the body and the mind can detach from each other despite being intricately linked with nerves and feedback systems.
Think about it, there is so much that our bodies do for us of their own accord, without the permission or input of our conscious minds. We do not have to actively tell our hearts to beat constantly, neither do we have to command our cells to repair themselves when we are hurt – our body just does it automatically. The body is, seemingly, very much independent from the conscious part of our brain yet it is our brain that tells the body what to do in the first place!
I have often wished I could have more control over my body because I want to take the credit. I want to be aware of myself telling my organs to function and my muscles to move, but my body is already doing it for me, my brain has bypassed my consciousness and has already subconsciously commanded my body to look after itself!
It is a very abstract concept to think about and it’s even harder to explain but nevertheless I think it is so interesting.
I think the key thing to remember, however, is that sometimes we cannot totally be in tune with our bodies because it is just not simply meant to be that way and we have to accept that! We would never get anything done if we had to consciously tell ourselves to breathe and, in times of trauma, we rely on the adrenaline and “fight or flight” response our brain automatically sends to our bodies to keep us alive!
In my opinion, it all boils down to trust. Our brains have to learn to trust our bodies and our bodies have to learn to trust our brains and all the thoughts and emotions that come with that. Our minds and our bodies may never “be one”, but they can learn to accept each other and act as a team.
Too often we allow our bodily appetites to control our minds – or perhaps it is the other way around – but imagine how different our lives would be if we could allow the two to co-exist without guilt or fear or disappointment? If we could accept the fact that, despite our body not being hungry for that ice cream, our brain wanted it and so we allowed our body to eat it to please the brain and didn’t feel bad afterwards! One does not control the other and the two should work alongside each other. It’s about compromise. It’s a relationship.
I saw a really cool quote today about marriage that I think applies:
We should not have to compromise one or the other, both are as vital as each other and both need to be recognized for their valuable work they do in keeping us alive.
My body and my brain still disagree regularly on many things. They fight over the major, and the minor matters in life. Sometimes both of them present valid arguments that require careful consideration but it is not easy being at odds with myself so often I make the wrong decision!
I think it is important to be aware of both. To be mindful of your feelings but also of your surroundings.
Listen to your body and listen to your mind and, one day, maybe the two might just agree with each other!
R x
The Honest Life 