The benefits

Mindfulness improves endurance, reduces physical pain, reduces blood pressure, improves sleep, and improves other physical conditions like psoriasis and fibromyalgia.(Wondering what those are? Say them ten times fast and then google them – bottom line, you don’t want them.)

The mind body connection

When you work on your mind – your thoughts, that constant chatter! – you improve the body.

Your conscious mind is approximately 5% of your brain activity. These are your thoughts about the past, present and future of which you are AWARE. When you think, I’m going to miss this penalty kick, your conscious mind is driving that thought.

Your subconscious mind is 95% of your brain activity and includes all the activity outside of your awareness, like the beating or your heart, your response to a smell and the steps you take to walk to the bathroom. They all happen without much conscious thought. However, your conscious mind does impact and direct your subconscious. You think you might miss the penalty kick? Well, then Ok, the subconscious mind, because it deals with the here and now, will respond with missing the penalty kick. What your conscious mind thinks, you subconscious mind delivers.

Now you can see why your thoughts are so powerful. And those thoughts directly impact your physical self. Feeling super angry? Do you feel your heart race? Your blood pump through your veins? That’s your physical body responding to your thoughts and feelings. Have to make a speech in class and feel like you are going to throw up? That is your physical body responding to your thoughts and feelings. See your crush walking down the hallway and suddenly your cheeks feel hot and you start to shake a bit? Say, “Hello subconscious mind at work.” Your subconscious mind has responded to all the thoughts you have had about these situations. This is why making sure that our thoughts are positive and beneficial to us is so important, because our bodies will be impacted.  Over the long term, less stress and more positive thoughts help our bodies to stay healthy.

So, become aware of your thoughts. Make them beneficial and your body will thank you!