Compass of the Times 244

To Realign Mind and Body

Keiko Takahashi

The Natural Healing Power of Mind and Body

Six months have already passed in this year, 2024. This month marks the beginning of the second half of the year. It is precisely because we are at such a turning point that there is something we must think about.

That is about the harmony of our own mind and body. Both the human mind and body have a natural healing power—a self-adjustment power to create one kind of harmony.

In ancient Greece, Hippocrates, the founder of medicine, said that the body itself can heal its mal-conditions and that “illness” is the body’s attempt to regain the balance it has lost. Saying that “nature is the best doctor,” he believed that the primary role of the doctor is to assist the body’s own natural quality to heal itself.

Of course, natural healing power is not a panacea. It is a well-known fact that, even with this power as a base, appropriate medical treatments are necessary for various ailments.

Even so, the basic ideas presented by Hippocrates remain important as natural healing power is an important part of the life force that we possess.

Daily Realignment of Mind and Body

Such natural healing power does not merely work in an idle state, however.

In fact, it is not uncommon for the mind and body to become distorted in the course of our daily lives.

No matter how careful we are, our mind and body will always be slightly out of alignment with the axis of harmony with which it should align. These small discrepancies gradually add up to physical and mental disorders.

Our mind repeatedly oscillates toward pleasure and pain through countless stimuli. As our obsessions grow strong, it becomes difficult for us to make the right decisions.

Today, many people are under strain at work and in their relationships. The harder a person tries to cope with a situation, the more tension they unconsciously put on their bodies. This tension accumulates as stiffness in the body, causing physical disorders.

The distortions that accumulate little by little in our daily lives will one day exceed a threshold and become distortions that can be noticed.

This is why we must sometimes think about “realigning” our own mind and body.

To do this, it is important, above all, to face our own mind and body. We must consciously be aware of them and listen to their voices.

Try to be open and honest to perceive what your mind feels and whether your body is sending a sign that something is wrong.

Another way to do this is to regain the power of the mind to focus through meditation.

At that time, if possible, consider creating the state in which you feel most relaxed. Consider the lighting, room temperature, music, and other environmental factors. Taking a long bath to relieve tension and warm your body from the core may also be helpful in creating this state.

Try to make time to face your mind and body while placing them in a stress-free condition as much as possible.

Toward the Beginning of the Second Half of This Year

Taking time to have a relaxed dialogue with your own mind and body from time to time greatly revives its natural healing power.

By being aware of this power and working with it through words and thoughts, our mental and physical healing powers will naturally be awakened.

The second half of this year is about to begin.

Some of you may have big goals for this period. It may include new challenges that you have never experienced before. Some of you may have to face difficult challenges.

I hope that you will realign your mind and body, make full use of all of your abilities, and move toward the realization of the blueprint that is entrusted to you each day.

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