Tell me if you’ve ever thought this before:

“Once I have a body I love, I’ll be the happiest human on earth!”

Or what about this:

“Once my stupid stomach gets flat, I will finally embrace myself fully, and feel confident.”

Or maybe it sounded something like THIS:

“PLEASE Santa, I promise I’ll never ask for ANYTHING else!”

Yes? No?

So maybe the Santa one was silly, but I’ve surely thought those top two lines before.

In fact, it’s something I used to think of often.

But what if it doesn’t work that way?

What if it’s not “look good, feel good,” but actually works the other way around?

What if your mindset surrounding your body’s state actually morphed your physicality just as powerfully as whether you choose the box of Oreos over the salad?

Or whether you eat carbs or go Keto?

Today, we’re taking a look at two, scientifically-supported phenomena that may change your mind on the matter of mind over matter.

But, before we move into it, one final – and VITAL – note:

There is no ONE type of healthy body.

Nor is there any one, singular standard of weight, aesthetic appearance, or body type that can tell us an accurate model of what a healthy body REALLY is.

Our own, personal expressions of wellness are unique and individualized, and I believe “healthy” looks different on everybody.

There is nothing wrong with being larger and there is nothing wrong with being smaller.

There is also nothing wrong with wanting to work towards looking and feeling better for yourself.

But there IS something wrong with living a life where you hate the body you’re housed in, which is why the information included in today’s blog is so critically important.

Trust me, I’ve lost too many years of my life embodying a belief like the one I just mentioned above.

So, please, let’s begin.

YOU CAN MAKE MUSCLES WITH YOUR MIND…ALONE

Shocking to think about, isn’t it?

So I’m going to start straight up with the scientific evidence.

In an investigation performed by the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio, there is evidence that reveals simply envisioning exercising can physically strengthen a person’s muscles.

The study was set up like this:

• 30 healthy, young adults were split into three groups.
• For 15 minutes a day, five days a week, for three months, each group was assigned a different task.
• Group #1 imagined exercising their little finger muscle, Group #2 imagined exercising their biceps muscle, and Group #3 acted as a control group and did NO imaginary exercise.

The results were astounding.

Group #1 (the subjects who simply imagined exercising their fingers) increased the strength of their finger by 53%.

Group #2 (the participants who practiced exercising their biceps, in their imagination) ALSO increased their strength by 13.4%.

So, what gives?

In support of these groundbreaking results, the scientists also monitored each participant’s brain activity throughout the process, and found that, when engaging their imaginations in exercise, they simultaneously strengthened their brains ability to signal muscle activity.

Mind > Matter.

This isn’t the only study that suggests our mind can interact with matter as much as the matter itself.

Repeating a similar study at Bishop’s University, Ohio University, University of Washington and many more, each test group revealed the same result:

The visualization subjects strengthened their muscles, regardless of their lack of physical exercise.

So simply visualizing activates the part of the brain that builds muscle mass?

How?

While I won’t bore you with ALL the details, I summarized this informative (and thus lengthy) article into one, bitty bullet:

• Through our brain’s direct connection to the endocrine system (the system that supports chemical circulation), various thoughts, emotions, and mental states release hormones that can both accelerate and/or impede the growth of our muscles.

In the same way, the chemical cocktail your brain releases when you simply imagine working out, LITERALLY goes to work on building up your neuromuscular pathways.

And as your brain continues to release these chemicals, they interact to accelerate muscle growth – regardless of whether or not you’re actually exercising!

Which calls out the question:

What if you envisioned your body in the same state you want to see yourself embody?

What if we could make #gainz without suffering through major pains?

(Like eating celery 24/7, or cycling through hours of your precious time at the gym?)

What if you could USE your mind to manifest the body of your dreams?

Keep scrolling, and let’s see!

CRYSTALIZING CONFIDENCE

Have you ever noticed fluctuations in your weight during busy seasons, or stressful times at work?

It may have more to do with your mind than the box of donuts you may have devoured when you were anxious.

And Ayurveda is here to prove it.

As an alternative medicine system whose roots were founded in the Indian subcontinent, Ayurveda views the body as a “crystallization of the mind.” [1]

AKA: Your body is not only your temple, but a tangible manifestation of what’s going through that noggin of yours.

Ever had a stomach ache or felt your heart race when you were anxious about something?

Or what about feeling like you couldn’t breathe when suffering through a tragedy?

These are all examples of Ayurveda – or your mind influencing your external reality, and the brain overpowering the body.

As founder of Fabletics, and celebrity health guru, Kate Hudson, shares:

“According to Ayurveda, molecules of negative or toxic emotion, such as anger, fear, sadness, jealousy, etc., are lipophilic, which means they take safe haven and store themselves in our fat cells, causing physical and emotional disturbances for years and years.”

According to Wikipedia, Lipophilic is a big work for: chemical compounds that tend to combine with or dissolve in lipids or fats.

Which means that our emotional states of mind don’t just temporarily affect our bodies functionality in the moment of feeling them, they also influence our bodies physical features in a way that lasts.

Want to reinvent what you don’t LOVE about your body?

Work on recalibrating your consciousness, and ridding yourself of wounds from your past.

All of which is a scientific-sounding way of saying:

LET GO of those thoughts, emotions, and memories that drag you down.

Because Ayurveda proves that they don’t just drag down your mind, they also detrimentally deteriorate your body’s ability to function physically.

And I know you don’t want to allow your awful ex-boyfriend the opportunity to free-ride within your fat cells.

OR the senseless shame you carry around (from that one time you “failed”) to cheat you from feeling free and in flow within your own skin.

Am I right?

Or am I right? 😉

Want to give it a try right now, and begin ridding yourself of the weight of your wounds?

• Close your eyes, and envision your favorite thing about your body.
• Notice the emotion you sense within your system in this moment. (How do you feel physically, on the inside?)
• Imagine yourself holding a mirror to the aspect of your body you absolutely adore, and then, allow your imagination to expand as the mirror gets bigger to surround your whole body.
• Look closely into the mirror to discover yourself staring back, in your own, unique epitome of holistic health.
• Allow the admiration you felt for your favorite part of your body, to expand throughout your entire being, as you admire yourself for what you ARE.
• Realize that being belongs to YOU, and is within you right at this very moment.
• Take a mental snapshot, and imprint it into your memory.
• Begin to open your eyes, all while holding your image in your head.

How are you feeling now?

The hope is that you will hold that image, until you hone in on it within your reality.

Maybe it will take some more practice, (or even an Ayurveda therapist ;), and that’s all okay too.

But whatever you do, understand that a multitude of scientific sources prove:

Your mind undoubtedly manifests into your reality.

What’s more?

You can use this to your ADVANTAGE.

Through choosing to crystalize the confidence you just captured.

HOLD YOUR IMAGE IN INTENTION

Now, I’m in NO way claiming that you can live an unhealthy lifestyle and still look healthy.

NOR am I saying that what you eat and how you move your body won’t impact your appearance.

Because they will – to a major extent.

But I am ALSO saying those tangible metrics may be (at the very least!) of equal importance to your mental motivations.

I’m sayin’ that your mind and your matter, your brain and your body, are more interconnected than you might think.

As Tony Robbins teaches, “Energy flows where attention goes.”

Meaning that whatever you choose to focus on (in regards to your body or anything else!), you are in the same moment of attention allowing your intention to follow suit.

And if you’re actively attracting attention to the things you DON’T like about your body, you’re also influencing your energy to go there, and reinforce that (no-fun, negative AF!) reality back to you, on a physical level.

This is not just in the nature of mind & matter, but of ALL self-limiting beliefs.

Because what you believe is what your brain will scan your world to see.

Which begs the question:

What if you empowered yourself into utilizing your ideas to attract what you WANT to see instead?

Like, that bangin’ body!

In understanding that many of our matters are made in our mind, we open ourselves up to the opportunity of innovating something truly great.

And once you learn to optimize your awareness into engaging in the emotions and ideas that UPLIFT your brain, science stands to show that you shall also have the opportunity to attract and enhance the body of your deepest dreams...LITERALLY!

Try it – I dare you!

Because seriously, what do you have to lose?

(Besides excess weight, diseases, and disabilities.)

Anyways, see you back here next week! <3

XO,

Kendra

P.S. Wanna catch up on a few more reads designed to support your breakthrough to a balanced body? Access more fitness findings in my Be Well blog category here.

Sources

https://www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/ayurvedic-living/living-ayurveda/health-guides/the-channel-of-the-mind/ [1]

https://www.verywellfit.com/can-you-build-strength-with-visualization-exercises-3120698

https://www.jonathanfields.com/brain-buff-research-thoughts-on-strength-fitness-weight-loss/