Body and Mind: What’s Their Relationship?

What is your strongest sense perception?

The most acute sense among respondents was hearing, with 34%. Sight is the runner-up (28%), followed by the mysterious sixth sense, at 17%. Smell and touch were tied with 10% each, and only 1% chose taste.

What is your favorite exercise to do mindfully?

• Walking
• Weight lifting
• Hiking
• Kayaking
• Mindful aikido
• Karate
• Dancing
• Cleaning the house
• Barre classes
• Reiki
• Biking

Body and mind: How do they get along?

When do you feel most centered?

 Do you practice mindful eating?

23% say they cultivate the habit of eating mindfully. 36% have tried it once or twice. 16% eat mindfully only when they’re not too hungry (we’ve all been there!). 20% have never tried a mindful eating practice. Finally, 5% make the case that mindfulness shouldn’t relate to pressures about so-called right and wrong ways to eat.

Do you practice mindful eating? 36% of readers said they have tried it once or twice.

What is your favorite food to eat mindfully?

• “Peanuts.”
• “Baby carrots…or potato chips.”
• “My first cup of coffee in the morning!”
• “A Malteser.”
• “Dessert.”
• “If I have to eat something mindfully, it needs to be chewy and/or sticky, like dried fruit.”
• “Biryani.”
• “Salad—so many things grown from the earth, picked by hand, and made available to me with nutrients to fuel my body.”
• “Wine and cheese.”
• “Anything crunchy and juicy and fresh.”
• “Chocolate!”
• “Probably something smooth like yogurt.”
• “Sushi.”

Do physical cues (e.g., sitting up straight, deep breathing) help you to practice mindfulness?

Hugs are …

• 58% A genuine way to connect physically and emotionally. Hugs all around!
• 37% Nice, but only with good friends or family members.
• 1% Reserved for family reunions or under duress.
• 4% Awkward. I want my personal space.

What emotion creates the strongest feeling in your body?

The least powerful physical response comes from relief, with only 3%. Sadness and happiness also scored low (7% and 8%), and love only a little higher at 11%. Unpleasant emotions had the highest scores: fear (18%), anger (19%), and anxiety (34%).

In one word, how would you describe the relationship between your mind and body?

• “A journey.”
• “Complicated.”
• “Attuned.”
• “Strengthening.”
• “Progressing.”
• “Overrated.”
• “Compelling.”
• “Struggling.”
• “Integrated.”
• “Tentative.”
• “Give-and-take.”
• “Inextricable.”
• “Mysterious.”
• “Scattered.”
• “Balancing.”
• “Compassionate.”
• “Can’t do a word…a love in progress.”

This article appeared in the June 2018 issue of Mindful magazine.