Mind-body interventions (MBI) are therapies or techniques designed to positively affect mental and physical fitness.
Examples include the Alexander technique, Feldenkrais method, guided imagery, huna, hypnotherapy, meditation, mindfulness-oriented recovery enhancement, pilates, positive thinking, prayer, tai chi, and yoga. Acupuncture, Osteopathy, and Tai Chi also include elements of mind-body interventions, but they are listed elsewhere.
Mind and body techniques focus on interactions among the brain, mind, body, and behavior to use the mind to enhance physical function and promote health.
MBI techniques are generally considered safe, particularly when done properly by a trained professional, but not everyone considers them to be equally effective.
Mind-body interventions have become increasingly popular since the early 20th century, but MBIs date back to Ancient Greece, where strength, beauty, and mythology, used in combination, were used in activities designed to promote confidence. Yoga originated in Ancient India and has existed since at least 500 BC, possibly much earlier.
Due, at least in part, to visits from yoga gurus in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, various MBI techniques were integrated into therapies in Western countries, and yoga itself became increasingly popular.
Joseph Pilates, a German physical trainer, developed the techniques that were later named for him while interned in Lancaster Castle, along with other German citizens, during World War I. He referred to his program as Controlology.
All mind-body interventions focus on the interaction between the brain, body, and behavior, and are designed to use the mind to alter physical function and promote health and well-being.
While some MBI techniques enjoy favor within mainstream medicine, as complementary approaches, most are considered to be within the realm of alternative or complementary medicine. Mind-body interventions are the most commonly used form of complementary and alternative medicine in the United States, with yoga and meditation being the most popular.
Categories
Alexander TechniqueEMDRHunaHypnotherapy | MeditationNeuro-Linguistic ProgrammingPositive ThinkingYoga |
Recommended Resources
Located in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, Michele Granberg is a mindset coach, teacher, healer, hypnotherapist, and TV show host who offers a variety of sessions, workshops, and training, including mindset coaching, Reiki, transpersonal hypnotherapy, past life regression therapy, shamanic journeying, holistic business coaching, meditation laughter therapy, and past life regression therapist certifications. Her services, television show, and a calendar of events are published on the site.
https://www.michelegranberg.com/
Developed in 1983, Nia is a mind-body fusion fitness practice. With a class or program for everyone, regardless of age, health, or fitness level, Nia uses a system of fifty-two simple moves, with each workout delivering full-body conditioning. Practiced barefoot, Nia is designed to inspire and guide practitioners to listen to the wisdom of their boy, choose a movement that feels good, and find a connection in the community. Classes, training, on-demand courses, and teacher resources.
https://nianow.com/
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH), a department of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, offers an overview of acupuncture, meditation, tai chi, yoga, and other mind and body practices, with a focus on verifiable benefits that may be attained from them, including the problems for which they may be used, and a conclusion that mind and body practices generally have good safety records when done properly by a trained professional or qualified instructor.
https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/mind-and-body-practices
Promoting Mind-Body Health in Schools: Interventions for Mental Health Professionals
The American Psychological Association (APA) features a book, edited by Cheryl Maykel and Melissa Bray, that reviews the benefits, limitations, and potential risks associated with the implementation of mind-body interventions in school settings, including reviews of specific practices in-depth, such as yoga, mindfulness, physical activity, and hypnosis. Sample pages are available via PDF, and contributor bios, reviews, and rewards are posted, and the book may be purchased online.
https://www.apa.org/pubs/books/4317526
