It seems lately that you see a lot of t- and sweatshirts with “Mind, Body, Spirit” printed on them. While that’s a great concept and goal, what does it actually mean? Obviously, we know how to take care of our bodies, whether we do it or not. Care of the mind is quite different and there are literally thousands of definitions of what having a “sound mind” means! Fortunately, that is also not the subject of this blog!
So what is? “Shen”! The concept of Shen (aka Spirit) has been documented in texts older than 3,000 years. In fact, Chinese Medicine considers Shen (spirit) as one of the “Three Treasures” in life. Shen is defined or translated many different ways. It is considered our “heart-mind”, self, our presence, or the essence of who we are. It is believed that Shen is responsible for our thoughts, cognition, emotions, and our spiritual consciousness. Shen connects our attention and intention. Where our attention goes, our Qi energy follows and flows.
To many, if not most, Westerners, “spirit” has religious or belief system connotations. In fact, outside of religion, many have never stopped and thought about what Shen (or Spirit) means. Let’s look at a few examples in order to better understand the “essence” of Shen or Spirit. We will start with low or unbalanced Shen. Has this become more apparent or obvious during the last 3 years, when the world seems full of fear, unrest, anger, and unhappiness?
We’ve all seen and/or met people who are depressed, anxious, irritable, nervous, forgetful, and appear chronically angry. Low or unbalanced Shen seems to radiate from them. Their eyes are dull, their thinking is slow or muddled, and their speech is slow or unclear. People with low or unbalanced Shen often exhibit an inability to connect with others, and are not comfortable being themselves. They are “without spirit”, and often present with mental, emotional, and/or spiritual illnesses and imbalance in addition to pathological conditions.
Chinese medicine refers to this as having a “Shen disturbance” which is diagnosed by a thorough examination, which includes observation, touch, talk, and even olfactory (smell). The doctors treat the “whole person”, not just a diagnosis!
Now let’s look at someone with healthy, harmonious Shen. You can easily observe their vitality, clear thinking. They connect with others and are comfortable “in their own skin.” The eyes are considered the window to the soul. There is a look or light in the eyes indicative of healthy Shen. A person with healthy Shen has clear, shining, and bright eyes.
Western medicine has recently accepted that the eyes can detect such things as cognitive and mental health. There has been research linking dry eyes to depression and anxiety. There is also ongoing research to determine whether eye examinations can detect early signs of neurological and/or mental health conditions. Overall, Western medicine is making strides and, hopefully, more physicians will start treating the “whole” person.
According to at least one Doctor of Chinese Medicine and/or Acupuncture, by “integrating Eastern medicine philosophies” into Western medicine, physicians can diagnose and treat mental, emotional, and spiritual disorders holistically. Doing so may increase the chances of healing the person. This means considering the mental, emotional, and/or spiritual health of a person as well as the physical.
So how do we calm (and balance) our Shen and remove stagnated Qi?
Tai Chi and Qigong - I’m sure you aren’t surprised that I've started with these two. After all, I am a Tai Chi and Qigong Instructor! Qigong is the “grandmother of Tai Chi”. While these exercises are not totally the same, both are internal martial arts and consist of slow movement, deep controlled breathing, intention, visualization, and awareness. Both reduce stress and improve the body physically, mentally, and spiritually. Qigong involves more meditation and less movement than Tai Chi.
Meditation - there are so many different types of meditation. Like Tai Chi and/or Qigong, meditation reduces stress, anxiety, high blood pressure, and improves our mood and outlook.
Other practices which have similar benefits are yoga, singing (or listening to music), praying, repeating mantras, spiritual drumming, painting, drawing, dancing, etc.
Taking the time to sit, contemplate, and be still.
Getting a massage.
Spending time in nature.
Traditional Chinese Medicine practices, such as acupuncture, acupressure, etc.
Some other non-movement, non-exercise methods of nurturing your Shen include:
A healthy, high quality diet rich in iron, protein, vitamin C, vegetables, and fruit. Avoid: alcohol, spicy, processed, or fried foods, refined sugar, and too much coffee.
Breathing clean air and drinking clean water.
Adequate rest and practicing good sleep hygiene.
Deep, slow, abdominal breathing.
Undertaking peaceful, quiet activities.
Companionship, self-compassion, love and allowing yourself to be loved.
Practicing gratitude.
I recently read an article in Supreme Chi Living by a clinical counselor and newly certified Tai Chi Instructor. He has repeatedly observed that pairing movements (think Tai Chi and Qigong) with “talk therapy” for his clients (soldiers, teens, LGBTQ, you name it) has helped them gain resilience. Even using a simple Qigong exercise has helped them deal with “depression, anxiety, and grief.”
In a fairly recent blog, I mentioned a terrific book called: “The Body Keeps the Score”. Our mind and emotions definitely have an effect on our body. When we take care of one, we take care of the other.
It’s important to find methods of improving and strengthening our Shen. This is a path towards improving our memory, our thought processes, and our emotions. Yes, it does take work and commitment.
“Mind, Body, and Spirit” harmony is vital to our well-being and quality of life!
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