A healthy mind lives in a healthy body, proving that mind, body and soul connection plays an integral role in our overall health and wellbeing. As the world observes the International Mind-Body Wellbeing Day, The Goan speaks to experts to explore how the concept works in today’s times…
As the New Year ushers in with wishes for a healthy, happy year ahead, the International Mind-Body Wellness Day comes with a reminder to foster the connection between mental and physical health through practices like mindfulness, yoga, and self-care for a more balanced life, encouraging people to focus on holistic well-being. The day is observed on January 3 every year to highlight the interdependence of mental and physical health. Practices such as meditation, yoga, healthy eating, and stress reduction encourage a harmonious integration of mind and body for a healthier life, especially in our fast-paced world.
We all have experienced at some point or the other that a healthy mind and healthy emotions lead to a healthy body. If we are sad, depressed and annoyed, we lose our appetite as well as mood and become lethargic. Time also seems to roll slowly. However, when joyful and happy, the time passes quickly. We feel energetic and active. The mind plays a crucial role in keeping our body fit and fine. This shows that the way how we feel and behave has an important impact on mind-body harmony and overall health. That is why the International Mind-Body Wellness Day is celebrated at the start of each year – so that the person adopts it for the rest of the year and stays fit – physically and mentally.
Mind control – real key
The concept of mind body wellness has been around for decades and mankind has been taught various ways to maintain the balance between these two. Mindfulness and meditation, good food habits, kindness and compassion, generosity and gratitude, selflessness and spirituality are some of the means to live a stress-free life. Light and darkness, colours and sounds, words and actions – all these are means to control and balance the moods of a person.
Mita Arora, counselling psychologist and relationship counsellor at Antarman Centre for Psychosocial Wellbeing at Patto-Panaji, explains that our nervous system needs regulation to function optimally. “When mental well-being is neglected, the body absorbs the impact. I teach clients how not to suppress emotions, but to express them through clear communication and healthy venting. This mind–body sync builds emotional regulation, improves decision-making, strengthens relationships, reduces anxiety, and restores clarity, energy, and self-trust,” Arora states.
Practicing doctors share their practical experience with patients. Dr Amit Dias, assistant professor at the department of preventive and social medicine at Goa Medical College briefs that with over one billion people worldwide living with mental health conditions, the need to nurture mind–body balance has never been greater. “The mind, body, and soul are deeply interconnected—our emotions, beliefs, sense of purpose, habits, and actions shape our health every day. Balance is not about avoiding stress, but learning to master it. And self-care is not indulgence or selfishness; it is a wise investment that yields lifelong returns in resilience, well-being, and productivity,” asserts Dr Dias.
Neuro-linguistic programming
According to scientific research, thoughts influence brain chemistry, hormonal balance, and immune function. Repeated thought patterns program the nervous system. Stressful thoughts activate disease response, while calm and empowering thoughts trigger relaxation. Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) explains mind–body wellness through the connection between neural patterns, language, emotions, and physiology.
Ashok Parab, an internationally certified NLP trainer in Goa points out the clear cut difference between thought and thinking. “Thoughts get transformed into emotions, emotions into feelings, feelings into actions and action into habits. In your life you find what you seek: If you focus on problems you'll find problems; if you look for solutions you'll find solutions,” Parab asserts.
Highlighting the ways how we can mend and bend our ways of thinking, Parab states that all of our thoughts are made up of images, sounds and feelings. Once we become aware of how we formulate our thoughts, we gain the ability to change them. “Tragedy exists only in the mind as a terrible memory. A memory is just a representation of an experience. When you change the way you represent an experience, you change how you feel about the experience. Therefore, we don't have depression and anxiety. We create these feelings through what we do inside our head. So try to control what happens inside of your head,” advises the NLP expert.
“If someone went into your house and painted a horrible picture on your walls, you wouldn't leave them there, would you? Of course not! You'd repaint something nice over them. Similarly we shouldn’t leave bad ideas lingering in our head,” suggests Parab.
Human life revolves around three things – past, present and future. The best thing about the past is that it's over. The best thing about the present is that it's a gift, and the best thing about the future is that it's full of wonderful opportunities to feel good. According to the Bhagavad Gita, the mind alone is the cause of human beings’ bondage and liberation (Mana eva manuṣyāṇāṁ kāraṇaṁ bandha-mokṣayoḥ), hence training the mind consciously leads to lasting balance and wellbeing.
