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When our mind is at peace, our bodies look relaxed. When we are physically hurt, we become more prone to experiencing unpleasant feelings. Feelings of joy reflect on our faces as do feelings of anger and anxiety. Every time we are scared, our bodies go stiff. If the brain is the nerve center of our thoughts, and the heart of our emotions, how does our body so well reflect what we are thinking/ feeling at any time? Is it possible that our minds reside throughout the body and not just in the brain? Also, if we didn’t have some degree of innate intelligence all through our body, how could we experience sensations everywhere?

There has now been extensive research on the presence of mind in our bodies, that suggests that the neuropeptides, chemical substances that form the communication network of our emotions, are present not just in the brain but everywhere in the body. As Dr. Cadence Pert, chief of brain biochemistry at National Institute of Mental Health in the US writes, “These findings go beyond the often-mentioned concept of power of mind over body. Indeed, the more we know about neuropeptides, the harder it is to think in the traditional terms of a mind and a body. It makes more and more sense to speak of a single integrated entity, a body-mind”. So, while the brain remains the primary analyzer, our mind is not located there and is instead more like an information-processing field spread across the body. Every cell in our body is capable of feeling; every cell can express emotion. No wonder then, people’s thoughts, emotions and expressions sometimes change after undergoing an organ transplant.

Once we recognize that feelings are essentially felt in the entire body, it is easy to appreciate how emotional problems can manifest into physical disease. As Marshall Glickman writes, “Neuroscientists have learnt that there is a sophisticated communication network between the various cells throughout the brain and body. Every time we deny or block what we are feeling, we restrict the information flow to an area, resulting in the stressed organs becoming more prone to illness.” A number of traditional healing techniques, like Reiki, too have always espoused that our thoughts and emotions have a direct impact on the physical state of specific parts of our body. Reiki practitioners advocate that at the time of birth, our bodies are conducive to freer flow of the life-supporting, universal energy, through them. However, as we grow up and experience negative thoughts and emotions, of anger, fear, insecurity, jealousy etc., they impact the energy flow through the body. Repressed and stored emotions create blocks that interfere with the body’s synchronized functioning. They believe, for example, that lack of trust and self-acceptance may lead to heart problems, rigidity in our outlook makes the body stiff and cause joint pains, and feelings of insecurity about the future tend to lead to lower backache, and so forth.

Now, all life forms have their own intelligence, akin to this life energy flowing through our entire body. This intelligence forms the basis of functioning of all aspects of our body – be it the digestive system, the neural connections, or the hormone system. We don’t run our body, the intelligence does. The interesting thing is that this intelligence spread across our body cannot tell the difference between an actual situation and a thought. Thoughts are treated by the body-mind as real and they bring about the same changes in the body-mind as an actual physical event. Thus, a genuine threatening situation or fearful thoughts – both have the same impact on the body. Further, when these thoughts are combined with emotions, they truly engage the body-mind and have a deeper and stronger impact on it. This insight not only allows us to better understand how our thoughts and emotions impact us, but can also be helpful in healing ourselves and others. Healing ourselves requires us to be better aligned to our inner intelligence which in turn can create a smoother flow of the universal life energy through us. For this, we need to be aware of our thoughts and feelings at all times. We need to recognize that every time we are angry or anxious, not only is there a psychological impact but also a physical cost attached. It’s not about controlling our emotions but about becoming aware of them. When we are conscious of our thoughts, we are able to notice our negative thoughts as soon as they arise and are better able to put them aside. In this manner, they lose their ability to impact our body-mind in any significant way. Simultaneously, when we notice positive thoughts (optimism, compassion, courage) and build on them without any attachment, they result in healthier bodies. When these positive thoughts are supported by likewise emotions, they further strengthen the positive impact. That’s how visualization techniques work so well. When we visualize ourselves to be healthy, abundant, calm and joyous, the neuropeptides carry those thoughts (as if they are real) and make our body begin to feel that way. These techniques are actively used by athletes to actualize their potential by visualizing a 100-metre dash or a perfect golf shot, several times in their minds, before the actual event.

Finally, we can use these insights towards even healing others. The body-mind intelligence present throughout our bodies is also connected to the universal intelligence that runs the universe. That also highlights how, in some way, we are all interconnected through this all-pervading intelligence. Through techniques like visualization and reiki, supportive thoughts coupled with deep genuine emotions, sent out to the universal intelligence, manifest in reality in other physical spaces. Bringing awareness to a body part or another person’s illness galvanizes the intelligence to consciously address it. This is almost like radio waves traveling across long distances without losing the coded signal. Needless to add, for us to be able to heal others, we need to be ourselves first in sync with nature and its intelligence. For us to be able to tap into universal intelligence, it has to be deeply connected and flowing through us. This requires us to be continuously working on healing ourselves physically (body), emotionally (feelings), mentally (thoughts) and spiritually (inner faith).

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