Mind Over Matter
Mind-body therapies, also known as complementary health approaches (CHAs) are a diverse group of healthcare practices and healing techniques focused on the integration of mind, body, brain, and behavior.[1] While mind-body therapies treat a variety of acute and chronic health conditions, there has been renewed interest in ancient traditions, such as yoga and meditation, to treat mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.
These therapies serve as complementary adjuncts to conventional forms of mental health treatment. “Complementary” medicine differs from “alternative” medicine in the sense that complementary medicine is utilized together with other forms of medicine whereas alternative medicine serves as a complete replacement. While both have historically drawn some skepticism as their origins lie outside of typical Western modes of treatment, complementary medicine has been shown to effectively bridge various forms of therapy in a coordinated way. Moreover, mind-body therapy provides a low intensity and accessible therapy and treatment option for a wide variety of individuals, including those in marginalized populations and disadvantaged individuals who may not otherwise receive mental health treatment.[2]
Health Benefits
The goal of mind body therapy is to lower levels of stress hormones to improve overall health and reduce risk of chronic illness. With heightened levels of stress, one is at greater risk for several diseases including high blood pressure, heart irregularities, anxiety, insomnia, persistent fatigue, digestive disorders, diminished fertility, and diabetes.[3]
Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine states that mind-body techniques can encourage relaxation, improve coping skills, reduce tension and pain, and lessen the need for medication.[4] Specifically related to improvements in mental health, it has been posited that mind-body practices can foster a sense of control, increase optimism, and provide social support that improves one’s quality of life and reduce symptoms related to depression and anxiety.[5] In addition, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) believes that multiple modes of treatment can better treat the whole person rather than administering a treatment for one single organ.[6]
Types of Mind-Body Therapies
There are several types of Mind-Body Therapy as defined by the NCCIH, however the most popular are yoga, tai-chi, and qigong, followed by meditation and massage therapy.[7,8]
Low-Intensity & Movement-Based:
Yoga: Yoga has its origins in an ancient healing practice in India known as Ayurveda, and draws upon the intersection of movement through postures, mindful breathing and meditation, and well as an emphasis on personal and spiritual growth. A typical yoga practice moves through a series of poses to help strengthen the physical body as well as establish a stronger connection to one’s own interiority (i.e., mind to muscle connection). Yoga is one of the most utilized and effective forms of mind-body therapy. It has been shown to increase feelings of relaxation, improve self-confidence and body image, and induce feelings of optimism and well-being.[9]
Tai Chi: Tai chi has its roots in ancient Chinese philosophy and traditional medicine theory that focuses primarily on controlling breath and internal energy. Tai chi features specific exercises that improve balance, mobility, and stamina and is also effective in treating stress and anxiety disorders through the encouragement of bodily awareness. Tai chi has been posited to have similar effects to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), specifically in its ability to treat insomnia. A study by Raman et al. (2013) showed that older adults with chronic conditions who practiced tai chi reported improved sleep quality and better psychological well-being.[10]
Qigong: Qigong is an ancient Chinese healing practice which integrates bodily movements and muscle relaxation with breathing techniques and meditation that strengthen one’s connection to their internal vital energy force. Qigong can stabilize both sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system activity in order to reduce blood pressure and feelings of stress and anxiety. Related to improvements in cognitive function, qigong has been shown to improve both processing speed and sustained attention in older adults.[11]
Encourage Physical & Mental Relaxation:
Acupuncture: Acupuncture has its roots in traditional Chinese medicine and healing systems. This practice draws from the belief that one’s qi or energy (similar to the energetic life force which generates the movements of qi-gong) flows along channels that connect different parts of the body in a synergetic way. When this energy becomes stagnant, individuals may experience pain or psychological distress related to anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Acupuncture stimulates areas of the brain known to reduce sensitivity to pain and stress as well as promote relaxation by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which initiates the relaxation response.[12]
Aromatherapy: Aromatherapy utilizes the scent of plant oils and extracts to promote relaxation by engaging specific brain pathways.[13] Since olfactory smell receptors have signaling pathways connected to the brain, aromatherapy engages the parasympathetic nervous system to promote relaxation and also encourages the brain to produce more chemicals like serotonin or dopamine which are primarily responsible for controlling mood.[14] Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center notes that aromatherapy using lavender or sweet marjoram may help anxiety. Additionally, they found that aromatherapy combined with massage was preferred to cognitive behavior therapy, but with similar benefits on lessening distress in cancer patients.[15]
Massage: Massage therapy promotes circulation, muscle relaxation, and alleviates stress through the manipulation of muscles and soft tissues in the body. It has also been posited that massage therapy can lower the production of the stress hormone cortisol in the body while releasing serotonin to boost mood and feelings of well-being. In addition to regulating breathing and improving sleep, the Mayo Clinic Health System notes that massage can help alleviate stress, anxiety, depression, nausea, pain, fatigue, and insomnia in cancer patients.[16]
Meditation: Meditation is a widely used and empirically-proven effective therapy technique focused on the reestablishment of mind to body and breath. While it is relatively easy to implement a few minutes of meditation into one’s daily routine, meditation therapy is often offered as a structured 8 week program known as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). Meditation has been shown to improve mental functioning, self-awareness, mood, and well-being. The most common goals of meditation include inner calmness, physical relaxation, psychological balance, and improved vitality and coping.[17]
Guided Imagery: Guided imagery involves the recreation of mental imagery, sounds, and smells to ease anxiety and reduces feelings of depression, stress, fatigue, and discomfort. Practicing visualization and utilizing mental imagery can elicit a positive mood and greater feelings of calm and joy. Guided imagery is often used in conjunction with or implemented into meditation or yoga sessions with the help of a licensed instructor. For example, in a typical session, the practitioner helps the client enter a state of deep relaxation via breathing techniques, music, and/or progressive muscle relaxation in a quiet environment.[18]
The mind-body therapies listed above are all unique and vary widely in terms of their mechanism of action and origin, however, all of these therapies are considered low-intensity and sustainable practices that promote well-being, mental and physical relaxation, and a stronger connection to one’s body.[19] With guidance from licensed professionals, these therapies can effectively address the social, spiritual, and behavioral factors in one’s personal life in order to elicit better mental health.
Contributed by: Kaylin Ong
Editor: Jennifer (Ghahari) Smith, Ph.D.
references
1 Integrative Medicine: About Mind-Body Therapies | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. (n.d.). Www.mskcc.org. https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/diagnosis-treatment/symptom-management/integrative-medicine/mind-body
2 Burnett-Zeigler, I., Schuette, S., Victorson, D., & Wisner, K. L. (2016). Mind–Body Approaches to Treating Mental Health Symptoms Among Disadvantaged Populations: A Comprehensive Review. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 22(2), 115–124. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2015.0038
3 Mind-Body Therapies | Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing. (2016). Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing. https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/explore-healing-practices/what-are-mind-body-therapies
4 Mind-body medicine Information | Mount Sinai - New York. (n.d.). Mount Sinai Health System. https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/treatment/mind-body-medicine#:~:text=What%20is%20mind%2Dbody%20medicine%20good%20for%3F
5 Mind-Body Therapies | Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing. (2016)
6 National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (n.d.). NCCIH. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/
7 Ibid.
8 Integrative Medicine: About Mind-Body Therapies | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. (n.d.). Www.mskcc.org. https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/diagnosis-treatment/symptom-management/integrative-medicine/mind-body
9 Woodyard, C. (2011). Exploring the therapeutic effects of yoga and its ability to increase quality of life. International Journal of Yoga, 4(2), 49–54. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-6131.85485
10 Vincent J Minichiello, Y. Z. (2013). Tai Chi Improves Sleep Quality in Healthy Adults and Patients with Chronic Conditions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Journal of Sleep Disorders & Therapy, 02(06). https://doi.org/10.4172/2167-0277.1000141
11 Qi, D., Wong, N. M. L., Shao, R., Man, I. S. C., Wong, C. H. Y., Yuen, L. P., Chan, C. C. H., & Lee, T. M. C. (2021). Qigong exercise enhances cognitive functions in the elderly via an interleukin-6-hippocampus pathway: A randomized active-controlled trial. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2021.04.011
12 Anxiety. (n.d.). British Acupuncture Council. Retrieved October 17, 2023, from https://acupuncture.org.uk/fact-sheets/anxiety-and-acupuncture-factsheet/
13 Aromatherapy: Do essential oils really work? (2019). John Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/aromatherapy-do-essential-oils-really-work
14 Camille Noe Pagán. (2018, January 11). What Is Aromatherapy? WebMD; WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/aromatherapy-overview
15 Aromatherapy. (2016). Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/therapies/aromatherapy
16 Massage helps anxiety, depression. (n.d.). Mayo Clinic Health System. https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/massage-for-depression-anxiety-and-stress
17 Grossman, P., Niemann, L., Schmidt, S., & Walach, H. (2004). Mindfulness-based stress reduction and health benefits. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 57(1), 35–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-3999(03)00573-7
18 Guided Imagery | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. (n.d.). Www.mskcc.org. https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/therapies/guided-imagery
19 Mind-Body Therapies. (n.d.). Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Retrieved October 17, 2023, from https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/complementary-medicine/mind-body-therapies#:~:text=Mind%2Dbody%20therapies%20focus%20on