True wellness includes not just our physical health but also our mental and spiritual well-being. When our physical health, emotions, thoughts, and spirit are all in harmony, we feel more balanced and can handle life better.
Trauma, along with many other factors and aspects of modern life, often causes us to disconnect from our body and spirit. Our own minds can sidetrack us – turning us into big intellectualisers – when we try to understand our feelings, behaviours, and relationships through a mental schema alone. We forget that our bodies are intelligent; they store information from the moment we are conceived in our mother’s womb. Every inch of our body holds wisdom, and our body language can reveal what a person truly thinks or feels – often before they even speak. All we have to do is listen to the signals our bodies are sending us.
What disconnect us from our body and spirit?
Trauma or Loss – Deep pain or grief can make us feel disconnected from our faith or spiritual purpose.
Materialism – When we focus too much on money and achievements, we might forget about our spiritual well-being and inner life.
Rationalism – If we focus only on logic and reason, as often happens in modern education, we might lose touch with our spiritual and emotional sides.
Busy Lifestyle – Being constantly busy with a packed schedule leaves little time for reflection or spiritual practices, causing us to lose touch with our inner self.
Cultural Disconnection: In societies that don’t emphasise spiritual exploration, people might feel disconnected from their spiritual side.
We can only get in touch with our feelings when we are connected to our body. We can access vision, find purpose and meaning through our spirit. Disconnect from these two and there is the perfect recipe for anxiety and depression.
Acknowledging the disconnection is just the first step. It is only when we begin to take action that things start to change.
What I have done to help this:
I reconnected with my body through yoga, moving with dance (dancing on the ‘5 Rhythms’ – where psychology meets the dance floor), and following a healthier diet.
I reconnected with my spirit through meditation, Yoga Nidra, fasting, and journaling. I followed something similar with my mind as I began learning a new language, reading, and studying but disciplined it with delayed gratification, for example.
I started small—just 5 minutes a day for each aspect—and gradually built up, especially with Yoga Nidra, which takes at least 30 minutes. I stopped focusing on immediate results because I knew that undoing six years of disconnect wouldn’t happen overnight. But now, I am content with my practice, knowing that I am no longer neglecting any part of myself. And yes, I feel better – my energy is starting to flow!
Back to Mind, Body and Spirit
Mind
The mind plays a huge role in how we see the world and respond to it, so maintaining a healthy relationship with it is hugely important. A well-trained mind helps us face challenges with strength, stay on track with our goals, and manage our emotions better. As the philosopher Marcus Aurelius said: “You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realise this, and you will find strength.”
Body
The body holds onto more than just physical sensations—it stores emotions and memories as well. Trauma expert Bessel van der Kolk, in his book The Body Keeps the Score, explains that our bodies remember what our minds may try to forget. Unresolved emotions, particularly those tied to traumatic experiences, can become lodged in our muscles, tissues, and nervous system; manifesting as chronic pain, tension, or unexplained physical symptoms. This is why reconnecting with the body is essential for healing, as it helps release these deeply held emotional memories stored in our physical being.
Spirit
Carl Jung believed that the divine spirit is an integral part of the human psyche. He suggested that the psyche is not limited to the personal unconscious but also includes the collective unconscious, which contains archetypes—universal, primordial images shared by all humanity.
Among these archetypes, the “Self” represents the wholeness of the individual and the integration of opposites, including the divine. Jung saw the divine spirit as an expression of this archetype, a transcendent force that connects individuals to something greater than themselves. He believed that spiritual experiences, often interpreted as encounters with the divine, are profound manifestations of the psyche’s deeper layers, crucial for achieving psychological balance and individuation—the process of becoming one’s true self. Through this lens, Jung viewed the divine as not external but intimately woven into the fabric of human consciousness.
Tips for Reconnecting with the Mind, Body and Spirit:
For the mind: engage in mindfulness practices, journaling, learning new skills, and using cognitive behavioural techniques to challenge negative thoughts.
To reconnect with the body: incorporate physical movement like yoga or exercise, practice body scanning and breathwork, focus on healthy eating, and explore touch through massage.
As for the spirit: meditation, spending time in nature, prayer or reflection, and creative expression through art or music can help deepen your connection with your inner/higher self and a sense of purpose.
As you explore reconnecting with your mind, body, and spirit, think of it as a personal journey rather than a destination. Start with small, simple practices, notice how these small changes begin to impact your overall well-being and pay attention to how your mood shifts, your body feels, and your thoughts evolve. Dive into this process with curiosity and openness, and see for yourself how integrating these aspects can bring about meaningful transformation in your life.
What small changes can you make today to start reconnecting with your mind, body, and spirit?
