‘Mind over Matter’- true or false?

I’m sure that you are familiar with the expression ‘Mind over Matter’ – it’s often used when we are experiencing some resistance or discomfort around trying to achieve something or master something we find challenging?

What do we mean when we say this?

Are we saying that our Mind is more important or powerful than our material/physical Body?

Are we saying that ultimately where our Mind goes is the best or healthiest path to follow?

Should we ignore our body & any physical complaints or pain or ‘symptoms’?

Is it Healthy to invest everything in where our minds take us rather than what our bodies might be communicating?

Can we even separate Mind from Body?

How do we know where to focus our attention when we are seeking help or support or Medicine to address any illness or dis-ease? What comes first the ‘Chicken or the egg?’

Which Health Practitioners & what kind of Health modalities should we seek out when we are experiencing illness or discomfort, someone who specialises in the Mind or The Body?

If the Mind is more important, why is it that many of the most Spiritual & Mindful people still experience all kinds of physical discomforts, illnesses & chronic Health issues?

Why do I have to choose one of the other, can I choose a Health Practitioner that can address both?

Lots of questions, I know but personally I like good questions to help stimulate a line of enquiry, open us up to the possibility of new information or a different perspective.

Many people believe that we produce physical dis-ease or illnesses when we ignore our true feelings, emotions or spirituality. Our bodies can & do regularly step in to remind us of when we are pushing ourselves too hard or just not listening to early warning signs of Stress or Toxicity – both physical & emotional or Spiritual. I absolutely agree with that and have witnessed this both in my own health journey & in my Clients. More times than I can possibly remember, although huge relief can be achieved by focusing on physical manifestations of dis-ease, a full cure only happens when the emotional or spiritual health of a person is also addressed.

Most people who focus solely on their physical health & do not believe in any correlation with emotional or spiritual health, opt for pharmaceutical medicines which they tend to have to remain taking indefinitely. These medicines all have side effects & the longer someone is ingesting them, the greater the likelihood of these unwanted effects happening. Often what starts out as a relatively minor health issue becomes a more & more disabling chain of illnesses when the only medicine taken is pharmaceutical.

So Yes, the Mind is important, both the Conscious Mind & more importantly the Sub-conscious mind, which is where the vast majority of our behavior is rooted & governed. We can definitely alter the intensity, the frequency, the energy of physical symptoms by understanding & controlling our thoughts. We know that ‘where attention goes, energy flows’ and we can consciously harness that to sooth, comfort & some would say even cure. We can alter our Mindset to withstand pain or allow us to walk on Fire or Nails (if that’s what floats your boat), to conquer fears or feel the fear and do it anyway, if we choose to. We can also choose whether to allow an illness to define who we are & how we live our lives or whether the illness is just a manifestation of an imbalance of some kind & therefore not defining who we are. Our Mind can be a powerful Ally if we are conscious & self-aware or an active Foe if we are unconscious or stuck.

However we cannot ignore the language of our Body & the fact that a prolonged physical illness, whatever the cause or root, can produce emotional symptoms of it’s own depending on the nature of it & what’s causing it. Dis-ease doesn’t always start in the Mind but it often ends up there. A nasty case of food poisoning can produce not only vomiting, diarrhoea, sweating, fever etc but also anxiety, restlessness & fearfullness. Some toxins can produce delusions, hallucinations, comprehension problems, concentration difficulties, aggression, violence & what can be classed as ‘Mental illness’ or in the past Madness.  Unless the toxin is identified & addressed, all the talking therapy in the world ain’t going to fix it!

It doesn’t have to be a toxin or too much of anything, ill health can also be caused by not enough of something. Even the simple and often experienced effects of a lack of adequate sleep can induce poor decision making skills, irritability, tearfulness, anger, clumsiness, etc etc. Most of which any Mother or insomniac can testify to & isn’t it the first form of torture?!!

My main point is that actually to put the Mind before the body or the Body before the Mind is unhelpful & will hinder any recovery. Almost invariably THE WHOLE PERSON is dis-eased and therefore THE WHOLE PERSON needs help/support/guidance/medicine, not just bits of the person, that’s just not how it works. Ignoring a big chunk of us & taking a microscope to another bit seldom pays dividends & is often how we end up with a list of different ‘Specialists’ none of whom can stand back & see THE WHOLE PERSON!!

In my view there should be Health Centres that house Therapists from different modalities, who work as a team, where the common interest is in the overall health of the Client & what works best for them. Yes, sometimes it can be effective that we work with several different therapists in tandem or in a sequence, but why not start with a Health Practitioner that can offer a gentle & effective system of medicine that is capable of addressing all levels of Health? A Practitioner who can understand & address physical & energetic toxins, any deficiencies as well as emotional & spiritual influences or illnesses. A Practitioner who can offer a foundation, a springboard to Health using non-toxic medicines and a ‘Talking Method’ that helps effect positive Healthy changes within the consultation process itself? Someone who can help you to become conscious of what you would like in your Life & what you would like to say ‘Goodbye’ to & who can help you to make better choices & decisions going forward.

I am of course talking about myself!! I am in the process of re-thinking what I have to offer and it seems to me that this ‘One stop Shop’, Bespoke, Individual Health Solution approach is what I would look for now, knowing what I know & experiencing what I have experienced. Maybe you could let me know if this is something that you would value also?

I have 20 years experience as a Practicing Homeopath, supporting a huge variety of people – mostly women & children –  and a huge variety of illnesses. I also use my training as a Life Coach & a Mentor to be able to ask good questions that get to the heart of a problem quickly & gently, to help you to understand how you got to where ever you are today. Then my skills as a QTT Practitioner enable me to support & facilitate some major emotional changes in my Clients within the consultation itself. We – you and me together – we look at everything that goes into & onto your body and your mind:-

  • food & nutrition or the lack of it
  • Hydration, drink or the lack of it
  • Electrical pollution, energy, EMF’s
  • Your relationships with other people – are they toxic or supportive?
  • Lifestyle, what behavior is working for you or keeping you stuck?
  • Sleep patterns – are they working for you or against you?
  • Exercise, Movement, do you need more or less or just a different kind?
  • Spirituality – what is your life purpose, are you feeling happy, connected, fulfilled?
  • Mechanical/Alignment issues – old injuries or traumas that give chronic pain or discomfort?
  • Do you feel free to choose the best actions for you, free of the judgment of others or your inner critic?
  • Are you clear about all the elements that go into a Healthy life for You, a Healthy Mind, Body & Soul?

So to conclude, for me, following any approach to Health that divides us up into parts as if somehow they operate in a vaccuum, are not connected with each other & need an approach that ignores the Whole Person is inadequate. The World we live in at the moment is intent on keeping us divided, separated, at war with each other or fearful of each other. If we are to heal we need to do that collectively, to come together, put aside our differences & encourage mutual respect, kindness & understanding. What kind of world is a healthy world – one full of disparity where ‘privileges’ are attached to certain health choices, skin colour, sex or country? How can we fully heal when we are ignoring huge parts of the World that are starving, de-hydrated, oppressed or discriminated against? We are the same as our world – if we want to heal fully we must look at all of us not just parts of us.

Mind over Matter – how’s it working for you?

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