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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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The Mindful Body summary
Ellen J. Langer
Thinking Our Way to Chronic Health
18 mins
Brief summary
The Mindful Body by Ellen J. Langer delves into the connection between mind and body, advocating for mindfulness as a way to enhance physical health and well-being. It blends scientific insights with practical applications.
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The Mindful Body
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Key idea 1 of 5
The mind and body aren’t separate entities
The idea that mind and body are separate entities is deeply rooted in Western thinking. This idea, however, may not only be mistaken – plenty of research suggests it’s downright harmful.
Western medicine, influenced by philosophers like Plato and Descartes, long treated the mind and body as distinct. In this view, illness was traced to pathogens attacking the body. This perspective was bolstered by groundbreaking discoveries in bacteriology by scientists such as Robert Koch and Louis Pasteur, who identified specific bacteria responsible for diseases and developed vaccinations. These achievements, while monumental, inadvertently reinforced a model of disease focused on physical causation, sidelining the role of the mind.
Eventually, a more nuanced idea of illness entered Western medicine: the “biosocial model” of illness. As the name suggests, it acknowledges biological, psychological, and social factors in health outcomes. But this model keeps the mind-body split intact. Researchers still tend to ask themselves how to get from a fuzzy thing called “thought” to the material thing we call a “body”. The underlying assumption that these two things are separate remains.
But new evidence paints a different picture of this interaction. An analogy can help us here.
Think of your arm. You can see it as an assemblage of different parts: the wrist, the elbow, the forearm, and so on. But when you move one part, you affect every other part too. Moving your wrist affects the position of your elbow and the tension in your shoulder muscles. In other words, you can’t separate the parts; the wrist is simply part of the arm.
Similarly, it appears that every thought that affects our minds also affects our bodies. For example, we now know that tears of joy are biochemically distinct from the tears we shed when we’re chopping onions. Then there’s the research of the pioneering scientist Asya Rolls. Her work indicates that immune responses begin in our brains.
Upon inducing abdominal inflammation in mice, Rolls observed that specific neurons in their brains became active. Other researchers replicated this inflammation by directly activating these neurons, illustrating the capacity of certain mental processes to trigger actual physiological reactions. Rolls’s studies also show that optimistic expectations can enhance immunity against bacteria and tumors. For instance, stimulation of the brain’s pleasure regions led to a deceleration in tumor development. The upshot of this kind of research is startling: thinking may have extraordinary healing powers.
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What is The Mindful Body about?
The Mindful Body (2023) delves into the intricate connection between the mind and the body, presenting the idea that they aren’t separate entities but rather one unified system. Backed by cutting-edge research, it explores how changing our thoughts and perceptions can profoundly impact our physical well-being.
The Mindful Body Review
The Mindful Body (2019) explores the profound connection between our minds and bodies, revealing how mindfulness can transform our physical well-being. Here are three reasons why this book stands out:
- Offers insightful perspectives on the impact of mindfulness practices on our health and vitality.
- Provides practical exercises and techniques to help readers cultivate a deeper mind-body awareness in their daily lives.
- Combines scientific research with personal stories to make the concepts relatable and applicable to everyone's journey towards holistic wellness.
Who should read The Mindful Body?
- Psychology enthusiasts exploring mind-body connection theories
- Individuals seeking holistic approaches to health and wellness
- Anyone interested in mindfulness insights
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The Mindful Body FAQs
What is the main message of The Mindful Body?
The main message of The Mindful Body highlights the importance of mindfulness in enhancing our physical well-being.
How long does it take to read The Mindful Body?
It takes a few hours to read The Mindful Body. The Blinkist summary can be read in around 15 minutes.
Is The Mindful Body a good book? Is it worth reading?
The Mindful Body is definitely worth reading for its insights on mindfulness and the body's interconnectedness.
Who is the author of The Mindful Body?
The author of The Mindful Body is Ellen J. Langer.
What to read after The Mindful Body?
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