The Mind-Body Connection

By: Jennifer Brignall-Strong

Is How You Think Stopping You from Reaching Your Fitness Target?

For thousands of years, people have pondered the mind-body connection.  What role does your mental state play in your overall health? Can attitude affect your physical wellbeing?

We’ve all heard the sayings: “Mind over matter,” and “The body achieves what the mind believes.”

While these adages may sound a little cliché, the truth is, your mindset plays a pivotal part in how your body moves and feels.

It also makes creating and maintaining healthy habits a challenge or a breeze, depending on your perspective.

Getting your brain “in the zone” as some call it, is the key to sticking to a weight loss plan, running that extra mile, or even improving your golf game.  It’s that “I can do it” attitude that pushes you to keep going.

But how do you get into that mind frame? And, more importantly, how do you stay there? That’s the real challenge, isn’t it?

Have you ever set out to accomplish something, started off strong, then, as if some invisible force is pulling you backwards, you start sliding into old comfort zones or “falling off the wagon?”

The solution to overcoming that ‘slip’ could be as simple as learning how to think, not what to think.

The MyndMethod app focuses on the one resource that builds your success faster and more effectively than any other – your own mind.

This mobile mindset mentor is designed to help you focus your intentions and keep you moving in the direction of your desired outcomes.

“MyndMethod was created to minimize that slip that happens so often,” explains co-creator Susan Shaw. “How many times have you endeavored to do something, only to slide back into old patterns? Our thoughts and emotions have powerful influences on our decision making, so choosing the ones that support your wellness goals will help you overcome your perceived limitations.”

The MyndMethod doesn’t tell you what to think, it guides you how to think by allowing you to create personalized “Lifetracks”; a synergistic blend of voice and music intended to help you form new patterns of thinking that will move you from where you are to where you want to be.

“One of the reasons you may not achieve your target is because your mind and emotions aren’t always aligned with your outcome,” explains Shaw. “It’s not ‘positive’ or ‘negative’ thinking; it’s what you choose to focus on. Are you focusing on your goals or your obstacles?”

For instance, if you’re looking to shed a few pounds, are you thinking about how you’ll move more and eating healthy foods, or are you fixated on how hard it seems to meal prep and make it to the gym?

It’s about being mindful. Do your thoughts and feelings line up with your goals?  Do they move you closer or further away?

The MyndMethod’s Lifetracks are custom generated using your input and your name, making the tool the first of its kind.  By tapping into your own thought patterns with specifically geared questions, these audio recordings make you an active participant in your growth; whether you’re trying to live healthier, play harder, or relax fully.

“You’re creating your own app along the way, so it speaks to the things that mean the most to you. No one in the world has the same experience.”

The original musical compositions utilized in the Lifetracks are also designed to engage and entertain.  The specific combination of voice and music helps listeners visualize and feel their outcomes.

“Music speaks directly to the soul on an emotional and even physical level,” says Chad Everaert, co-creator of MyndMethod and composer of Lifetrack music.

“When paired with a logical message or idea, the resulting experience can propel the listener into any mindset imaginable.”

But just like training for a race, creating a new perspective takes practice.

Shaw and Everaert both suggest listening to your Lifetrack playlist daily, as well as utilizing the app’s journaling section to record experiences and clarify objectives as needed. The app also features “MyndPrime”; a bank of interactive activities to support your progress.

“Through repetitive listening and journaling, you’re moving from passive to active learning and that’s how new thought patterns are reinforced,” says Shaw.

Mastering your thoughts and being able to deliberately choose them at any given time is what will propel you forward: in the gym, on the field, and in your daily life.

So before you start lifting weights to enhance your physique, try elevating your mind first.