The mind and muscles have an intimate working relationship. By working upon the muscles of the body we directly involve our mind. Further, the effort of toning up our muscles through physical effort also helps to strengthen our concentration to benefit our mind. In a similar manner as we stretch and make full use of the body’s flexibility we help to expand our mind.
It becomes clear that we are best to keep mind and body as good companions in a harmonious relationship that ensures our total welfare.
Although it may not always be obvious to us, when we feel stressed there is a problem in the cooperative association of mind and muscles. A little insight will reveal to us that there is an argument going on where the body is possibly desiring or directing one thing and the mind another. We will have to re-establish healthy communication and harmony between the two.
A degree of personal insight is also required. We should also discover the fundamental reason for any inner stress and how much is due to problems we face in our mind or whether the cause is related directly to overwork and physical stress.
However, it is not as simple as that. We have to contend with a third factor and that is our emotional nature. We need to have carefully balanced emotions in order to employ peaceful or vibrant energy into the psychological mix.
Emotions when injected as enthusiasm into a plan conceived in the mind will ensure its success. We need emotional input in order to motivate and give life to our ideas and to allow our plans to materialize in appropriate action. And any practical venture demands physical activity and muscular effort, to again indicate how mind and muscles interlink.
So we must allow that a state of relaxation of our muscles will encourage a more relaxed mental state that we experience as mental health and fitness.
It would naturally follow that the simplest approach to our total well being is to learn physical relaxation methods and meditation practice to help us toward the management of our mind, body and the emotional bridge between.
To have physical therapeutic massage offers a pleasant awareness of our muscles and sometimes immediate relief of stress. It is of great value as a prelude to your own conscious re- programming of your muscles as you follow the simple disciplines in relaxation classes.