Unlocking the hidden healing potential of the human body

Veronica Tift enlightens us on the hidden healing potential of the human body and how you can tap into it.

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Have you ever stopped and actually thought about the marvel that is your body? What it is capable of and the amount of regeneration and healing potential that occurs every day without you even being aware of it happening?

Your body is constantly trying to find balance, its working hard to fight off infection, maybe as you read this it’s digesting lunch or eliminating the waste from breakfast. Your heart is pumping blood around your body as your lung’s breathe in the air, all while cells regenerate and repair. There is function of the human body that science is still discovering, and the full capabilities of the body is underestimated and unexplored.

For me, this is the most apparent when thinking of the placebo effect and the nocebo effect. Never heard of the nocebo effect? Well, it’s the phenomenon were when you are told you might have a symptom from a treatment or intervention and you actually manifest those symptoms, even if that treatment was harmless. It’s kind of the opposite to the placebo effect, instead of having a positive effect from a belief you have a negative one.

In the book Mind Over Medicine, author Lissa Rankin writes about patients who were mistakenly informed that they had only a few months to live and died within that time frame, even when an autopsy found no physiological explanation for their death.

If the mind has been proven time and time again to have such a vital role in the ability to heal and even in how humans experience illness, then why are we not practicing more in-depth body-mind connection?

The power of regeneration of the body

One of the most powerful healings is the body’s ability to regenerate tissues and organs. You don’t need to ask the minor cut or bruises to heal, your body knows what to do and gets to it. More complex regeneration processes in the liver and stem cells are crucial without us even being aware of it.

The immune system became a hot topic during lock down. What I found fascinating is how little we actually understand what is considered the first-line of defence against harmful pathogens and foreign invaders. This protection function plays a key role in health and recovery from injury or infection.

We have hundreds of different immune cells at work within us. Making this system even more complex to study is the fact that every person’s immune system is unique. What is similar about the immune system in most people is that stress or exhaustion will have an effect on how we fight infection.

Nutrition and lifestyle, we know, has an important role to play in the body’s ability to heal. However, when looking at people who had experienced spontaneous remissions, Dr Joe Dispenza, a physician and scientist, found in years of interviews, that nutrition isn’t the major factor. He believes that while these can play a role in healing, changing the inner state of the mind will have a deeper impact on the body’s ability to heal.

While we can say “you are what you eat” and that proper nutrition, good quality sleep and physical exercise are the building blocks for healing and regeneration, it’s not the only factor. I would even argue that when humans have an inner state that is healing and processing emotions, rather than suppressing feelings and without anxiety taking over, humans are more capable of making better choices around nutrition and sleep habits, leading to better health overall.

The mind-body connection

The field of psychoneuroimmunology is a field of study that explores the complex connection between the brain, nervous system and immune system. Factors like stress, emotions and social structure all influence the immune function and healing. There are many factors that have been shown to help the body, like meditation, yoga and a variety of body work.

When stress is reduced, inflammation lowers, enhanced immune function is seen and these all help the healing processes. These all complement conventional medical treatment and support overall health and well-being. Please note: while I absolutely believe in the body’s ability to repair itself, I’m in no way suggesting that you should not seek medical advice of modern medicine.

Reflexology

Reflexology is an ancient healing practice which can help unlock the hidden healing potential of the human body. This gentle art of applying pressure to the reflex points on the feet can stimulate the body’s natural healing mechanism, aid in relaxation and help to restore balance to the body.

Part of my education as a coach, we learn the importance that self-care has on our mental well-being and while things like body work, coaching, or even time to journal might seem like luxuries, its actually self-love and caring for your body and mind, and in turn give yourself the space and time to heal.

Harnessing the healing potential

There is little doubt that the body is able of remarkable healing and I’m sure we can all think of an instance when someone was given little chance of healing and made a miraculous recovery.

Unlocking the body’s full potential while still not fully understood, we know where to start. A holistic approach to physical, emotional and environmental factors is needed. Conventional medicine with complementary approaches, optimising nutrition, managing stress, positive relationships and emotional support can all help the body heal and thrive.

The body really is resilient and has a range of sophisticated mechanism for healing and regeneration that we are still trying to understand. We can tap into this healing potential of our bodies and support it with the right tools, tools that you can discover for yourself through exploration of supportive modalities, like reflexology.

References

The Four Pillars of Healing (drjoedispenza.com)

Adding Nutrition to Balance the Body (drjoedispenza.com)

Rankin, Lissa. Mind Over Medicine. Hay House. Kindle Edition.

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