Impact of the Mind & Body on Mental Health

The power of the mind and body can have a great influence on your mental health. To help understand what type of impact a person's mind and body can have on mental health, I have interviewed body psychotherapist Jeanne Denney.

Tell me a little bit about yourself.
"I guess the first thing I would say about myself is that I have a lot of hats. I had an engineering career (18 years as a bridge engineer), and was a mother of four long before I ever started to work in healing arts, mind/body training and body psychotherapy . My last children, twins now 16, were responsible for launching me into the world of mind and body studies. I haven't looked back. I am practicing body psychotherapy and healing in Rockland and Ulster Counties in New York as well as New York City. The other important thing to know about me perhaps is that I have spent quite a few years in practice and study of the passage of end of life. My graduate work at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology focused on presence with people at end of life. I have also trained as a birth doula and practice that art from time to time."

What type of impact can a person's mind and body have on mental health?
"I think of the mind as deeply interconnected with the body. Mental health also has physical correlates both in neurology , musculature and in other parts of the body which helps to hold our trauma and mental obstructions for us. The work that I do focuses strongly on helping people release the physical and energetic (or "mind") blocks, which can have a profound affect on both body and mind health.

What we think about habitually from day to day also tends to become "embodied" in our nervous system, our musculature, in our gestures and habits. For example, persistent pessimism based on early childhood experiences say, may result in a kind of collapse in the body and in the energy that eventually can cause us not to see the world or our own abilities with realism. There can be further physical changes over time . That is a kind of typical mental/physical unhealth. Whatever we do or think chronically will become out-pictured in the body and in our mental health."

What can someone do to improve their mind / body and in return their overall mental health?
" The following are a few thoughts:

Move the body, especially if you can do it with feeling. Exercise is important for mental health, but it can be even more powerful to move the body and emotions at the same time. Expressive dance, or other contemplative movement practices, such as yoga or tai chi are powerful movers of mind/body stagnation.

Establish practices, which support authentic reflection and expression. Journaling, singing, sharing with another person for example. Creativity in any form is a powerful medicine for both mind and body.

Actively encourage the flow and expression of emotions. Most of us freeze emotions in times of overwhelm or trauma and never fully feel the natural corrective emotions that allow us to return to a state of balance. Feeling grief, anger and even fear in a good holding environment can be helpful if it is done with the intention to heal. Music, movies and movement can all be helpful in allowing us to contact a deeper range of emotions. Experiment with those contexts which help you feel more deeply. For example, I find that being in large groups of people often helps me to open my heart to my own emotions.

Tell your emotional truths to people who can handle it. There is a tribe in New Zealand I have heard about that has only one form of medicine and an incredible rate of cure. The person who is ill is put in the center of the community and asked what the truth is that they are withholding. They all stay until they feel the healing has occurred. In some sense, all mental and physical health is a journey to deep personal truths. Places where these truths can be found and expressed safely are pure gold for our mental health. Helping people find their truths in individual work or groups is my primary work."

What type of professional help is available for someone that is having a difficult time improving his or her mind /body?
"Gee, there are really all kinds of people from those who prescribe pharmaceuticals to people who body based practices and therapies like myself. From yoga to mindfulness practices, to healing retreats to psychotherapy, there is plenty available these days. It is not easy to choose or to integrate the options. Many people now opt for drugs as a first pass and later try other methods when they don't really like the feeling of the medications or they are no longer helpful to them. Drugs can be tremendously helpful and essential for some conditions. Others are probably medicated too quickly because of the availability or the lure of a quick fix. We often medicate our feelings rather than allowing them to lead us to a deeper healing. Depression is an example of this. In any case, I always recommend that if people are doing pharmaceuticals that they also be doing some kind of therapeutic activity."

Thank you Jeanne for doing the interview on the impact on mind and body on mental health. For more information on Jeanne Denney or her work you can check out her website on www.rocklandmindbody.com .

Recommended Readings:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5900336/how_to_reduce_mental_fatigue.html?cat=5">How to Reduce Mental Fatigue

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/188211/how_to_keep_your_mind_healthy_with.html?cat=72">How to Keep Your Mind Healthy with Mental Exercises

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5997016/relaxation_tips_for_stressful_situations.html?cat=5">Relaxation Exercises for Stressful Situations