Today’s topic is a discussion of the importance of mental fitness, benefits of mental fitness, and how it can contribute to physical wellness. We will be looking at how the body and mind interact, how mental fitness can be been measured, and how positive emotions can change the state of the brain. The purpose of this presentation is to give you a better understanding of mental fitness and how it can improve your life. There is a discussion of how the mind and body interact to support our mental and physical fitness. This presentation will provide you information of how mind and body are connected. You will be aware of clinical studies that show contributions to health from mental fitness. In addition, you will observe some techniques that can contribute to own mental development. Final thoughts will summarize the benefits of mental fitness for physical and emotional well-being and capacity for health. At the end of this presentation, you will be educated about mental fitness and its benefits to improve our capacity for health while improving our overall ability to heal the inner mind and external body.
There are many different facts that can be shared about mental fitness. I have chosen a few important facts to share with you today. Often in the news, we hear about life changes from professional athletes, Olympic athletes, spiritual masters, and every day people. We hear about how a simple state of mind can change an entire life perspective. Sometimes it is reported as triggered by a traumatic experience or by an accident or major health issue. In any case, we are often curious how the mind can change the body, or how the body can change the mind. Gandhi stated, “Be the change you want to see in the world”. How is this possible? Lets investigate a few facts surrounding these three topics of Body Mind Connection, Measuring Mental States, and Emotions Change the Brain.
We have been aware of the physiology of the body’s own nervous system. The autonomic nervous system controls the automatic controls below the level of consciousness like heart rate, respiration, digestion, and more. The central nervous system coordinated the functions of the body. The missing link was shown by studies performed by Candace Pert.
Modern science has created devices that can observe and measure changes in physiological responses (Dacher, 2006). The PET – Positron Emission Tomography uses nuclear medicine imaging with radioactive injections to measure different body functions including brain, heart and other physiological processes (RadiologyInfo.com, 2010). MRI – magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides details images or slices of the body structure. The EEG or electroencephalogram ( EEG ) measures electrical activity in the brain (WebMD.com, 2010). These different systems work together to create the whole “picture” of the body and brain interactions.
These studies and more performed by scientists have added to the knowledge of how different elements of mental fitness can be measured.
This famous quote by Gandhi sums up a focus on how mental fitness can change your life. It has inspired people all over the world to make changes in their own lives.