Matthew Sanford is a Minnesotan on a mission to help people strengthen the connection and relationship between their minds and bodies. He's an amazing person -- genuine and insightful and with a great sense of humor on top of it all. I was lucky enough to read his book, meet him and interview him for this article.
I highly recommend his book, Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence. At age 13, Sanford was in a car accident that paralyzed him from the chest down and killed his dad and sister. The book, which talks about that journey and much more, is quite moving and has a lot of applicable nuggets of wisdom.
Here are a few of his comments I'd like to highlight from our interview:
Q What makes a mind-body approach to health so powerful?
A. It's a simple idea -- if you're more connected to your body, you're going to take better care of it. When you're more connected, you become a better steward of your body. You become more present, and maybe you decide it would feel good to exercise a little. You listen to your body and get help right away when you need it.
People need to know this and learn to bring their minds and bodies together. We need to be more proactive in our own health. The mind-body approach has the best chance for maintaining health for a lifetime.
Q What are small steps people can take toward integrating mind and body and living a more peaceful life?
A What's happening is we're not paying attention to our bodies. When you pay attention, you realize that sitting up straight with good posture isn't a moral issue -- it just feels better. You realize it's more nourishing to breathe through your nose. It feels better to take a walk, or to appreciate the beauty that's all around you.
Everyone thinks they don't have enough time. But that's a habit you fall into. Everyone has the same amount of time. You have to make some choices to be a little quieter and to sit still -- even for just a few minutes a day.
--
I think Sanford is so right that taking the time to cultivate a strong mind-body connection improves health because people naturally start to take better care of their bodies. They notice how they feel physically, mentally and emotionally when they don't get enough sleep, or eat too much sugar or pack their schedule with too many obligations. Once people realize how different these choices make them feel, that becomes enough motivation to continue healthy habits and live healthier, happier life.
I also love what he says about time. I think in today's fast-paced world we have to be on the defensive to keep from getting caught up in a lifestyle that's out of control. We have to learn to say no and to be deliberate about how we spend our time. Otherwise, a million and one other things will creep into the time we should be saving for what's most important, and most fulfilling, in life. Even if those things are good, too much of them becomes depleting. And of course, once we take the time to be still and quiet, as Sanford encourages, we have better insights into ourselves and into where we really want to be focusing our energy.
Here's more about Sanford: www.matthewsanford.com
And his organization: www.mindbodysolutions.org
And I'll leave you with a few of Sanford's simple tips for people wanting to get started strengthening that mind body connection: Notice how the sun feels on your skin. During your next shower, pay attention to the feel of warm water and the smell of the soap. Take a few deep breaths through your nose.
0 comments:
Post a Comment