Body-Mind Connection Anchors You

by Alexandra Johnson

A client came to see me for a consultation last week. She was frightened about the condition of her body, and had researched her concerns and options thoroughly. The more she spoke, the more tense she became. As I listened to her, I experienced the tension in my own body. I saw that I was identifying with her suffering as if it was my own.

I recognized that instead of feeling bad for her situation, I could offer support by fully listening to her, without commentary. I connected to my breath and the weight of my body on the ground. I put my medical mind on hold, not trying to ‘fix’, or ‘change’ the state of her mind, body, or feelings. 

As a part of the visit, I did Breema bodywork with her, staying with my breath, and the principle of Firmness and Gentleness. Both of us became less tense, and instead, there was an atmosphere of calm and gratitude. She shared afterwards that she experienced a feeling of joy, and despite her mind’s ongoing narrative, a deep sense of peace. We developed an integrative plan to support her body. Breema bodywork and Self-Breema exercises were an integral part.

The more we practice coming home to the body, the better we are able to navigate the constantly changing events of life. The experience of body-mind connection serves as an anchor that supports us to know where we are and what we need to do. We are then available to relate to health in the most profound and effective way and we begin to understand that real health is harmony with Existence.

Alexandra Johnson, MD, is a Staff Instructor at the Breema Center. She has a private practice in Integrative Medicine at the Greeting Health Clinic in Oakland and Santa Cruz, California.