Since ancient times, traditional systems of healing have considered a person as an integral system, consisting not only of the body but also of thoughts, emotions, energy, soul. People noticed that physical diseases are only the tip of the iceberg and the causes of dysfunctions lie somewhere deeper, in more subtle matters. At some point, medicine took a different path and began to study the body and its diseases separately from everything else. Doctors began to narrow their specialization down to individual parts of the body, not paying attention to the fact that humans are a complex system.

Let’s dig in!

What are emotions, and how are they related to the mind and body?

How can you define emotions? Emotions are the reactions of our body, brain and psyche to situations and triggers in the external world and within us. Emotions are not innate reflexes; they are formed by the events in our lives and how our brain perceives and processes those events. In other words, emotions are related to a person’s awareness, habits, general health, and the environment.

Emotional responses begin in our brain in response to some stimulation – be it positive or negative. And then what happens to our body depends on our life experience, external pressure, knowledge and habits to react in a given situation. For example, children are often more fearless than adults partly because they are unaware of many dangers due to a smaller life experience. But with age, what previously did not cause any negative feelings begins to scare us – sometimes so much that the body freezes and everything inside shrinks. And this is not a natural instinct but a developed reaction, which, with frequent repetition, becomes habitual and leads to physical dysfunctions and diseases. Interestingly, even a thought can provoke such a reaction if it is strong enough. For example, the memory of an unexpected punishment by our parents, even years later, can trigger a cascade of biochemical reactions that make us feel strong emotions although a stimulus is absent.

How do diseases appear?

Dysfunctions in the body are directly related to emotions. We often get sick when our reactions to what is happening or what we think or imagine are strong, and the brain and body get used to responding with stress, knocking down the harmony inside. If, for example, you regularly hit yourself in the same place on your body, it is likely to hurt, swell, redden, and eventually change shape, structure, and possibly even its function. It is the same with our internal organs and all systems: fear can cause spasms that affect, for example, the gastrointestinal tract, and as a result, every time you are afraid, you will have a disorder or, conversely, constipation. Imagine that situations that make you feel frightened occur several times a day. The body has no way to relax and work fully.

We receive many emotional traumas in childhood when people are as open and sincere as possible. During this period, even an imagined danger can be so frightening that the body can react with an intense spasm, and the brain will begin to perceive similar situations as dangerous. Such situations lead to the suppression of emotions, which means that the natural biochemical and hormonal processes are disrupted. This, in turn, leads to diseases.

How to interact with emotions and feelings to be healthy?

In addition to dealing with old emotional trauma, it is essential to learn how to interact with emotions here and now so that they do not lead to illnesses in the future. It is important to learn to be present with what you feel, even if the emotion is feeling heavy and unbearable. There are no bad and good feelings: anger, aggression, irritation are a part of life. Practices of mindfulness, journaling, meditation and yoga help develop this ability to be present and not to “push” emotions inside. Learn to recognize your feelings and talk about them: share what is happening inside you without pretensions or accusations. Then everything that happens will pass through you, live without getting stuck anywhere and without leading to disruptions. Such contact with yourself and your emotions will allow you to stay healthy and live more fully and happily.

The causes of most diseases lie somewhere deep inside. Until we see what kind of feeling, event, or reaction led to the violation, we will not fully cope with it. Through pain, the body shows us that there is something in life that needs to be qualitatively changed, that we need to get in touch with ourselves and our feelings and let go of what no longer brings any benefit. 

Having learned to let go of old associations and qualitatively experience current emotions, we will be able to maintain our health, sincerely enjoy life and feel its fullness.