Yes, body and psyche are closely entwined together. Today, we all know that stress can have debilitating effects on the physical body. Spirituality brings calm and peace of mind, better sleep and less self-destructive behaviour such as emotional eating. Talking of food, I long ago read in a book on yoga how closely food and mood are related. Having kept that in consciousness, I realised that I (like everybody else, I believe) will tend to want to eat healthy foods when my mind feels healthy, rotten food when my heart feels rotten. The fun thing about it is that it also works the other way round: eat nutritious food and you'll feel fulfilled, eat junk food to feel like junk. Did you see just how that bloke gets to feel in the film Supersize Me after a few weeks on a McDonald diet. Food is one example, it works just about the same way with sports.  

Feelings can be manipulated, I am quite interested lately in what is called the Law of Attraction. Lynn Grabhorn's book Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting is a good read, the title says it all!

I believe spiritual fulfillment can be achieved in many ways: yoga, meditation, prayer, music etc. As long as it works for you. 

 

 

- Truth hath a quiet breast. Shakespeare, Richard II.

I agree that what we put into our bodies is reflected in how we feel.  But I am even more amazed in what we can do when we put our minds to it.  The fact that believing in something larger than ourselves is what the articles are talking about.  That people who have faith and are believers are more apt to want to live and are more accepting of trying new and innovative medicinal alternatives that may help them.  Their blind faith in something they cannot see, helps them to mush on.  

Is it the spirituality part or is it just our nature and science?

We have been given such powerful gifts! Our minds...they are an amazing thing...we and science have yet to uncover all the unrealized powers we have...it's very possible, that positive thinking creates positive impact...I have witnessed this first hand...when you're stressed it's easy to get sick and fall under the weather...I have experienced this too...is it that hard to believe that (leaving spirituality out of this) you can influence your body to heal or ignore pain purely by using your mind....(I have tried this technique once before...albeit it did not work...long story about a dare and a bed of nails)

So again I must ask is it spirituality...or is it just the power of our mind....

Ponder this...

 

-Hang Ten, then go practice some Yoga

I think sprirituality has a lot to do with how our mind works.  When you believe in something larger than yourself and you find comfort in that, you also feel less stress and in doing so your body feels less stress and can focus on healing.  I wish I had the abitlity to believe in something that I could access whenever I felt alone or in pain.  Sprituality is more than mind over matter.  It is about a larger picture, the unknown and the possibilities it can bring.

I think I have to agree with Yoga Devine (love the name BTW)

I don't think you have to be spiritual to have strong beliefs. I am also inclined to believe that it is the power of an individual to control their mind.

I myself am really into meditation...one of the reasons I came to lime....(the meditation room is fantastic) but also really into concious thought and the impact it could have, is anyone familiar with Princeton University's PEAR project... http://www.princeton.edu/~pear/human_machine.html

If we can control external machines...why would it be hard to believe we can control other things like illness within our own body

The whole human machine works as a unit. This is why some activities like yoga are so beneficial, because they involve the whole self. To be happy, we need to fulfill our physical, cognitive, emotional and spiritual needs. For me, spirituality is simply the appreciation of the miracle of life, and all that is beautiful in life. Once you are connected to the universe, mother nature or whatever you want to call it, it all flows from there. I see no reason - to a certain degree, of course - why physical health should be any different. Again, body and mind work together as one single unit.

- Truth hath a quiet breast. Shakespeare, Richard II.

Simply:

Inhale/Exhale

Spiritual/Physical

Science/Metaphysics

Body/Mind


Very simple huh? All is one but made of 2...So, can we alter our bodies by using our minds? Sure...again it is a two sides balance that then becomes it: think positive, have some laughs, care (1 side) and see how your body is going to blossom (the other)! Yes, we are what we eat but first how we think too... How do I know? Well...I died nearly three times in my life, turned around depression as well as a suicide attempt, and boosted my low weight of 138lbs (being hyper active/angry) to 180lbs and known now for being cool and very motivating to many. How did I do it? The mind orchestrated it! Via Martial Arts that did teach me control and positive respect to all as well as prayers (which do work, it is just another form of vibration that tunes you), I did it...So...we all can on the level we do choose. And the higher the level, the deeper into you and holistic principles you must go...

By the way, on this forum: you are ALL cool people...We certainly are making this planet more and more a better one. It is a reality!

 

The mind is like the universe;unknown.   We can try to study how it works and what part of the brain does what.  LIME just had an article about scientists overseas that say they have pinpointed a part of the brain that can foresee what a person will do next.  It does not surprise me that unlocking the brain and what it is capable of is always changing.  I truly believe that we can alter our bodies by using our mind.  However that works for a person.  Call it spirituality, meditation, positive thinking, whatever.  It really is all the same. Focusing on something and bringing mindfulness to it.

How many if us have made ourselves sick so we would not have to go to school. Or, have watched our childern make themselves sick to get out of doing something.  On the flip side I have sped of the healing process on injuries I have had.

Good point.  We can and often do make ourselves sick over things.  Stress in particular can damage our bodies.  I know firsthand that my body has responded to stress with skin diseases and other sicknesses.  Having a healthy and spirituality can ward off stress and help us to keep our bodies calm and in sinc.

When we took our fist breath of life and our spiritual being came into this world we are forever link to God as our souls come from God. I have seen in my own life were faith has seen me though some tough times. I have faith now that God will support me in my efforts to take better care of the gift of my body. That my body houses a soul connected to God. Therefore I must take care of it. I draw strength from prayer, and mediations and reading of scriptures’.

I am a Baby Boomer and grew up in a very strict Southern Baptist family. Our Church would sing the refrain from a hymn just before the end of the service. We sang the following. Only believe, only believe; All things are possible, only believe, only believe, only believe; All things are possible, only believe. I sang this out of tradition. It was not until a few years ago I found the scripture that this old song was based on. It was found Mark 9:23. If we believe in Jesus Christ all things are possible (Mark 9:23, "Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth"). This is a blessing of believing. With our faith we no longer need to be a victim of our circumstances. Whatever lines up with the truth and God's promises will come to past. All we need to do is get past our unbelief. We can have prosperity, peace, eternal life, and joy. No longer do we need to be moved by the circumstances of this world. We are new creatures that can expect God's truth and promises to prevail.  Mark 9:23, "Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth."I have seen in my life others that had no hope of recovery, recover. Dr. Andrew Weil, MD tells about people who have healing and he writes about in his books. I know that we have an amazing body and mind and that with sprit strength we can survive.  

Amen to that!

Just the other day I read on LIME about how doctors are saying sprituality can help to heal.  I do believe that using your mind to help your body can help.  Just think about it, everything stems from your head after all.  It is one of those things that can really never be proven scientifically.  You just have to have faith and when you see results, think that it can only compliment traditional medicine.