Issue #398
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
The Myth of the Mind/Body Connection
by Brett Miller
“The Pilates Technique not only strengthens the body, but also provides the potential to deepen into that vast greatness that the WHOLE human being is.”
I wrote that some time ago on this very website. Today, I endeavor to explore the pitfalls of the ‘Body-Mind Connection’ – a popular and abstract phrase thrown about rather loosely by many in our community – because I find that this phrase can limit an individual’s ability to perceive their WHOLE being.
One of Pilates’ most famous quotes on this topic is “It is the mind itself which shapes the body.” This quote speaks to his belief that our thoughts and mental focus have a direct impact on our physical movements and overall physical health. You see, even JP speaks about the mind as separate from the body….
But I just don’t agree, let’s dig in…
When using this phrase, there is an implicit assumption that there exists a mind that is separate from the body … and that the two relate to each other. We have all seen the statement that Pilates is a ‘body-mind’ technique – how the technique strengthens the connection by bringing the body and mind into harmony with each other. Another assumption is that “the mind” is understood in a similar way by each person. However, if you were to ask ten different people what their conception of “the mind” is, I can bet you would get at least ten different answers. Dictionary.com lists 5 definitions for ‘mind’; asking Google ‘What is the mind?’ results in a myriad of theories and approaches.
This speaks volumes about just how abstract the term is and just how broadly it is used. We’re not talking about a discussion of mere semantics here. Language shapes our ability to formulate, recall and apply concepts that we implement into our lives. So then, the language we use really is fundamental to our understanding.
Research from 1953 found that the indigenous Zuni tribes of New Mexico and Arizona had difficulty retaining and recalling the colors yellow, orange and combinations of those colors when compared to native English speakers. In the Zuni language, there are no separate words for the colors yellow and orange, and therefore insufficient linguistic precision to process the difference. Linguistic precision leads to cognitive precision. If distinct concepts are poorly defined, then they will be poorly understood. Given this, it is therefore more than worthwhile to question the use of ‘body-mind connection’.
I do not choose the term ‘mind’ due to its abstract nature, but what I think people are generally referring to when speaking of the mind is the mental process that is occurring. For example, when a person uses the term ‘mind’, they will often make a hand gesture towards the head, while ‘body’ is accompanied by a swoosh over the rest.
Regardless of the definition in use, to say that the body and mind are connected is to say that we are talking about two different things, which can be willfully brought together with certain techniques.
I think there is no difference between body and mind. The two are aspects of the same entity, too infused and integral to be considered separate, or different.
Let’s say I were to start writing about the blood-body connection. I think you would find that odd – but why? Because your blood is not separate from your body, your blood is infused and integrated with the body as a whole.
The same is true, or even truer, of the mind, for it is beautifully and intensely infused through the whole being.
What is already one cannot be brought more closely together by any method.
I’ve come to conclude that what is meant by working with the mind-body connection is actually the process of becoming more conscious and sensitive to the whole being, as it already is. One might say that connections are being made and while I would not disagree with that, the connection that’s being made is not of the ‘mind-body’ sort. The connection is a deepening into the cognizance of the wholeness of the being that is already in place. It is a process of the whole being becoming aware of itself.
Let me illustrate with this image of the human central nervous system. Just as expected, the brain is in the head and, also as expected, you can see that beautiful network of nerves that emanates from the brain and imbues itself into the flesh of the whole body, much like the circulatory system transports blood. Speaking only from observation, it is for the most part impulses from the brain that control the movements of the body. Concurrently, the quality of every movement, which is dependent on the overall condition of the body and the consciousness used to execute it, affects the brain and its activities. In turn, this has a profound effect on the brain’s control of the musculature of the body –a perpetual cycle of fluid interaction and feedback so intense that words cannot really describe it.
But we can experience it….and it is both beautiful AND important.
How else could it be, given the integral oneness of the being?
The important thing is that each person must individually experience this deep oneness, this beautiful infusion that already is.
This can often require a leap of faith, because:
- Given the prevalent use of ‘mind-body’, a person is conceptualizing the uniting of two different things that in fact are not separate.
- The importance of language in cognitive precision, this can hinder a person’s sensitivity to make that perception.
- Yet, until this perception of ‘I am already whole’ is made – little to no skepticism of the ‘mind-body’ term will occur.
The process of deepening in awareness of the “one that already is” is sure to be wrought with confusion and resistance.
It takes courage to overthrow that which is taken for granted.
The moral of my story today is:
What is already one cannot be brought more closely together by any method.
Brett Miller is the founder of Pilates Intel, he started his professional life in the world of ballet, working with various companies in the US. Later on he moved to New York and branched out into modern along with the ballet. Since then, he has lived in Finland and now in Stockholm Sweden.
Brett became a Pilates instructor in 2005 and has been teaching ever since. The intelligent technique that Pilates is, and the chance to continue to be physical, attracted him to this field after being so long in the dance world. Along with teaching Pilates and publishing Pilates Intel, Brett is a software developer for Ericsson.