{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Radio Chatskill","title":"Coach Maggi: Enhancing Wellness Through the Mind-Body Connection","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":512,"description":"Our mind and body are deeply connected. While it used to be common practice to view, evaluate, and treat them as separate body systems, new research is showing that this approach may not be best in all situations. Not only does our mind have the ability to impact our physical state, but the way we use our body has the ability to change our mental state as well. It’s easy to look at the mind-body connection and view the trouble it can cause. Mental stress can easily turn into physical stress, leading to not only mental illnesses but manifesting into physical illnesses, too. The same can happen in the reverse, where physical illnesses can trigger struggles in our mind. While it’s easy to look at the bad, let’s shift for a moment to looking at the good.If the mind and body are so powerfully connected that illness in one can trigger illness in the other, then it must be true that wellness in one can also trigger wellness in the other. When I am experiencing struggles in my mind, such as feelings of sadness or anxiousness, I have learned that I can turn to my body to help mitigate these feelings. While it would be nice, the body cannot make changes to the mind by itself. To capture the full power of our body, it must be used, or put into motion. Just as we wouldn’t expect a tool, such as a hammer, to work well without proper intentions and someone swinging it, we can’t expect our bodies to work without proper intentions and initiations of action either. The options of how we can put our body into motion to shift our mental state are endless, but three of my favorites include deep belly breathing, going for walks, and exercising. I love these options because they are all free and accessible at any time, anywhere. The first step I take when I notice I am in an undesirable mental state is to take as deep of a breath as possible, with emphasis on elongating the time it takes for me to exhale. Taking deep breaths triggers our vagus nerve to turn on our parasympathetic...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/q7XXsnSXT_u4mZLCn3chUorwDmUD_kWiB272D6emB18/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS80N2Uy/OGY5MWUwZThkYTEw/NDVkZGM2ZGZkZDIw/ZjliOS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}