Bodymind

Bodymind is an approach to understand the relationship between the human body and mind where they are seen as a single integrated unit. It attempts to address the mind–body problem and resists the Western traditions of mind–body dualism.

Dualism vs holism

In the field of philosophy, the theory of dualism is the speculation that the mental and the physical parts of us, like our minds and our bodies, are different or separate.^[1]

Modern understanding

"The mind is composed of mental fragments- sensations, feelings, thoughts, imaginations, all flowing now in an ordered sequence, now in a chaotic fashion…. On the other hand, the body is constructed under the underlying laws of physics, and its components obey the well-enumerated laws of physiology. It is these characteristic differences between these two – between mind and body – that lead to the Mind-Body problem.".^[2] While Western populations tend to believe more in the idea of dualism, there is also good research on the neurophysiology of emotions and their foundation in human meaning-making and mental function, such as the research of Candace Pert.^[3]

Relevance to alternative medicine

In the field of alternative medicine, bodymind implies that

• The body, mind, emotions, and spirit are dynamically interrelated.^[4]
• Experience, including physical stress, emotional injury, and pleasures are stored in the body's cells which in turn affects one's reactions to stimuli.^[5]

The term can be a number of disciplines, including:

• Psychoneuroimmunology, the study of the interaction between psychological processes and the nervous and immune systems of the human body.^[6]
• Body psychotherapy,^{[7][8][9][10]} a branch of psychotherapy^[11] which applies basic principles of somatic psychology. It originated in the work of Pierre Janet and particularly Wilhelm Reich.
• Neurobiology, the study of the nervous system^[12]
• Psychosomatic medicine, an interdisciplinary medical field exploring the relationships among social, psychological, and behavioral factors on bodily processes and quality of life in humans and animals. Clinical situations where mental processes act as a major factor affecting medical outcomes are areas where psychosomatic medicine excels.^[13]
• Postural Integration, a process-oriented body psychotherapy originally developed in the late 1960s by Jack Painter^[14] (1933–2010) in California, US, after exploration in the fields of humanistic psychology and the human potential movement.^[15] The method aims to support personal change and self development,^[16] through a particular form of manipulative holistic bodywork.^[17]

See also

• Ableism
• Binding problem
• Bodymind (disability studies)
• Developmental disability
• Disability
• Disability and religion
• Disability culture
• Disability in the United States
• Disability rights
• Disability studies
• Emotional or behavioral disability
• Inclusion (disability rights)
• Invisible disability
• List of disability studies journals
• Medical model of disability
• Services for the disabled
• Sexuality and disability
• Social model of disability
• Society for Disability Studies