Resources: Evidence for the Mind/body Connection

There is an overwhelming amount of information discussing the importance of different mind/body techniques that help activate the relaxation response. I condensed some science-backed articles that share how deep breathing, mindfulness, and guided imagery impact body and mind.

Deep breathing
A Harvard Medical School article explaining how deep breathing taps into the relaxation response.

In this two-minute video, Dr. Linda Bolle, of the Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates Pain Management Program, discusses diaphragmatic breathing.

Mindfulness
This article shares how you can bring mindfulness into daily life activities. I liked how simple and practical it was.
Here is an interview with Jon Kabat-Zinn who founded Mindfulness-Based Stress-reduction. He shares about his masterclass (if you want to go deeper) and how mindfulness can be applied to daily life.

Guided Imagery
University of Minnesota shares how guided imagery can help enhance well-being and engage the relaxation response. It also has supportive articles if you are looking to go deeper.

Body Keeps The Score by Bessel van der Kolk MD
In this book, Dr. van der Kolk explains how trauma is a fact of life and how yoga and other modalities offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain’s natural neuroplasticity.

Why Zebra’s Don’t Get Ulcers by Dr. Robert M Sapolsky
This book shares how zebras and other animals simply shake stress off and get back to living in the moment. Human beings, gradually lose this skills of re-calibrating their nervous systems.

Vagus Nerve
Great information from Forbes about how the Vagus nerve supports our prime driving force of the parasympathetic nervous system which regulates our “rest-and-digest” response.

Dr. Dan Siegel MD- an internationally acclaimed author, award-winning educator, and renowned child psychiatrist

Bessel van der Kolk MD- spends his career studying how children and adults adapt to traumatic experiences

There are many beautifully supportive articles out there! If you have a favorite please let me know. So grateful for accessible mind/body techniques that can help us when we are experiencing big emotions.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay