Do you ever wonder how much of a part your body’s biochemistry plays in your emotions? Or how much your thoughts dictate your health? Or where the feeling of bliss comes from? We, in the western world, have learned to separate mind, body, and spirit ever since Rene’ Descartes decided mind and body were separate in the seventeenth century. Western scientists have only discovered that the mind/body is one system in the last 30 years.
            Why is it important? Because, the cells in your body “know how” to create whatever neurochemicals you want…to feel happiness, to eliminate pain, to heal tissues rapidly, to prevent infections, to heal cancer, to experience bliss states. If you understand how this works, you can initiate your own healing and happiness. You can learn to create health and joy by way of your own thinking and feeling!
            Here’s an example: The opiate receptor is a molecule on the surface of our cells, which binds with naturally occurring opiates in the body. Opiates help relieve physical pain, but also help us to feel happy. Pain medications and illegal drugs can provide this, but they were developed to mimic the naturally occurring substances that are produced inside our cells. This doesn’t just happen in the brain; the cells in your whole body release these chemicals, which bind to the surfaces of the cells of your whole body. Then, the information goes to the brain, which helps you become conscious of it. Then, you form ideas about what you are feeling.
            This is true of every emotion, like anxiety. It is also true of processes like digestion and breathing. Every part of your body is affected by the substances the cells release. How do you affect the cells your body releases? Well, this is the exciting part: The mind/body communication also happens in reverse. By thinking of happiness, or good digestion, or the immune system attacking cancer, the cells will release the corresponding substances. By choosing to visualize, sense, or feel the result of a healthy, energized body, or happiness, your body/mind system responds! So, if you can imagine that the flow of information within your body is communicating comfort, physical pain will diminish. I have typically seen this happen within 20 minutes of a hypnotherapy session. If you imagine the joy of being in meditation, or being in the presence of your beloved, you feel happiness.
            According to Dr. Candace Pert, author of “Molecules of Emotion,” the cellular level, where emotions are instigated, is also where unexpressed emotions are stored. Emotions are never still, unless we suppress them and try to keep them from taking their natural course. “To stop any of our internal information from flowing is to invite stagnation, toxicity, and eventual release in forms beyond our conscious control.” So, we should welcome our feelings as information (for example, “I’m feeling threatened, so I need to set a boundary with this person.”). Also, releasing old, unexpressed emotions, contributes to healing of the mind/body/spirit. This can be done through many mind/body techniques, such as Sensory Motor Therapy, hypnotherapy, acupuncture, EMDR, and Hakomi.