Dr. Michael Kerr points out that compulsive optimism is one of the way we bind our anxiety to avoid confronting it. This coping mechanism is often used when physical symptoms are presented in the body. How many times have you heard that positive thinking will cure the disease you are faced with.
Rather than try and convince your body and mind that all is well, we need to have a two-pronged inquiry: what is the illness saying about the past and present, and what will help in the future? Traditional medicine focuses only on the second half without considering fully what contributed to the illness in the first place. Such "positive" methods fill the bookshelves.
In order to heal, it is essential to gather the strength to think negatively. Negative thinking is not the same as a pessimistic view that is often called "realism". Rather it is a willingness to consider what is not working. Ask yourself, what is not in balance? What have I ignored? What is my body trying to tell me? Without exploring these answers the stresses responsible for our lack of balance will remain hidden. The trick is to be body aware and notice the manifestation of stress in your body BEFORE it becomes chronic. Mind/body movement practices teach you to become more present in your body and in tune with what you are feeling on a regular basis. Nia is one of the best mind/body exercises you can do! Try it once and you are hooked, try it again and you slowly become more aware of what your body is saying to you.
Rather than try and convince your body and mind that all is well, we need to have a two-pronged inquiry: what is the illness saying about the past and present, and what will help in the future? Traditional medicine focuses only on the second half without considering fully what contributed to the illness in the first place. Such "positive" methods fill the bookshelves.
In order to heal, it is essential to gather the strength to think negatively. Negative thinking is not the same as a pessimistic view that is often called "realism". Rather it is a willingness to consider what is not working. Ask yourself, what is not in balance? What have I ignored? What is my body trying to tell me? Without exploring these answers the stresses responsible for our lack of balance will remain hidden. The trick is to be body aware and notice the manifestation of stress in your body BEFORE it becomes chronic. Mind/body movement practices teach you to become more present in your body and in tune with what you are feeling on a regular basis. Nia is one of the best mind/body exercises you can do! Try it once and you are hooked, try it again and you slowly become more aware of what your body is saying to you.
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