Up-Leveling Your Mind For A Healthy Body with Laura Di-Franco
How to achieve a more healthy body with 7 tools that can up-level your mind. I was trained to help the body reach a state of peak performance as a physical therapist. But there was something missing from that traditional education. Something big. And it had nothing to do with what I did physically.
After memorizing muscles and mastering the complex web of tissues that make up this amazing vessel we walk around in I quickly realized my teachers had forgotten about the mind. They neglected to teach us about how our thinking impacts our physiology. Thus began my quest to become a holistic physical therapist who would teach the importance of the mind, body and soul in the quest for healing and peak performance.
“Discipline the mind, the body will follow.” Master John Holloway
My martial arts instructor had the secret in that quote that’s one of the most powerful tools we can use for a healthy, strong, peak performing body. Get your mindset right and you can expect to feel and be healthier. Master it and you can expect to enjoy benefits that far outweigh just looking and feeling good physically.
We’re beginning to understand and embrace the mind-body as an intimately integrated unit. The work of Esther Hicks and Joe Dispenza is more mainstream now. Thoughts create. And positive thoughts raise your energy vibration to a state that helps you transform your physical body. It’s just that we aren’t yet making this part of our basic health education.
Until then it’s up to us to practice and teach our families, friends, clients, and colleagues how to think better, so they can enjoy the powerful effects of that important skill and discover the missing link they’ve been looking for.
Here are 7 tools you can use to up-level your mind, thoughts, and beliefs, to improve your physical health:
Journal Every Day
“You can’t clean the house if you don’t first see the dirt.” Louise Hay. Writing is an awareness tool and any transformational practice must start by practicing the tools that will enhance awareness so that you have a choice to think differently. Start by writing a little every day about how you feel, what you’re thinking, how the day went, what you ate, your exercise routine, etc. When you write it down it serves as a record to track your progress, but it also serves as a way to move what’s on the inside in the form of thoughts to the outside on the paper. And that process will help you shift the energy.
Envision Health And Fitness
Practice visualizing the state of your body-mind that you crave. Can you see and feel yourself
moving and living in the body you desire? What is she doing? Who is she hanging out with? What is she eating? What exercise is she practicing? The more detailed you are with your vision of the you, you desire, the better. Try doing this for five minutes every day.
Sometimes it’s hard to visualize that perfect body when you’re reality is far from it. Raising your energy vibration might require you get still and just breathe, with no agenda. If you’ve built a lifetime’s worth of negative thoughts about your body you may have to use meditation to take the first step toward clearing your mind and moving into neutral territory. Mindful meditation, where you clear your mind and connect with your body sensations, especially the breath, is the first step. Try to meditate for a few minutes every day.
Create A Positive Morning Routine
In your first waking hours, you have a great opportunity to set the rest of your day up for body-mind success. Creating a positive morning routine will boost your mood and raise your vibration. Start in bed, when you’re first noticing you’re waking up. Your eyes will still be closed. Practice reciting a positive affirmation, for example, “I can’t wait to see what this day brings!” After you get up you might choose several things as part of your positive morning routine, such as exercise, journaling, goal setting, meditation or visualization. Set your mind right and that will infuse into the rest of the day.
A state of mindful and embodied presence is a practice that will serve you well for the rest of your life. It’s a form of meditation but practiced in each moment of the day whenever we wish. You don’t have to sit on a pillow with your legs crossed, watch a candle flame, or chant to practice this. It’s more about the way you show up in your moments in a full-feeling state, observing what you sense and what you think. And then not attaching to those sensations, feelings or emotions, but just noticing them. With awareness you then have a choice to pick thoughts, beliefs and behaviors that serve your biggest goals or deepest desires.
Learn About Your intuition
A strong connection to your intuition will give you the clarity you want to make every decision you need to make in every area of your life. When you’re connected to your intuition you’ll receive messages about the next best step, whether it relates to your body, your relationships, your work or your purpose. Connecting to it requires learning the language of your body, the sensations, feelings and emotions, and understanding the difference between inner critic thoughts and intuitional messages. We all have intuition. It’s just a matter of learning, or re-learning how to connect with and use it.
Choose Better Thoughts
With all this awareness it’s time to take responsibility for everything in your life, including the thoughts you think about yourself and the world, the beliefs you hold and are living by, and the behaviors that are a result of those thoughts and beliefs. With awareness you choose what to think about your health, your body, your fitness level, and the next best step to take toward those things. With awareness and the ability to choose positive, high-vibe thoughts, you’ll be creating an energetic environment for whatever you desire to manifest. Consciously choosing things like health, wellness, love, joy, gratitude, empowerment, strength and hope is a practice worth mastering.
Remember, it is what you think it is. So think something good today!
Laura Di Franco, MPT won’t let you settle for a mediocre life. Your health, wealth and happiness is one Brave healing book, poem, workshop, strategy session or moment away. With almost three decades of expertise in holistic physical therapy, six published books and a third-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, Laura’s energy and method are contagious and unlike anything you’re experienced. Check out her newest book, BraveHealing, a Guide for Your Journey, her PODCAST, her badass programs and free
Facebook group for healers. www.BraveHealer.com
Great Tips Laura thanks for sharing your areas of expertise
Eileen Burns recently posted…Why FEAR False Evidence Appears Real Triggers Stress
Thanks so much for the opporutnity Eileen!
A pleasure Laura x
Great info, I wish more of my friends would try journaling, I find that it really leaves it “on the page”. What do you think of including some mindfulness or compassion meditation into the morning routines? I’ve found it to be very helpful before starting my workday.
Evander recently posted…How Athletes Can Improve Their Sleep Hygiene
Hi Evander,
Thanks for your comment.
We will ask Laura to reply, but yes we at the world of health definitely recommend any form of meditation and or mindfulness to start the day. I have studied meditation personally for 28 years so I am a big fan of starting the day with meditation.
The World of Health
Thanks so much for reading Evander! Yes the morning is a perfect time to practice. Have you read the book The Miracle Morning? Great time to align with the energy that sets up the rest of your day!
Thanks for the suggestion Laura, I haven’t actually read any books on meditation yet. I learned about mindfulness and compassion practices from the folks at the London Buddhist Centre. I will definitely check it out!
Evander recently posted…How To Increase Your Punching Power
Thank you for replying to my comment. 28 years is very experienced! I can only imagine the benefits and the ‘ripple effect’ of positive energy that can precipitate. I’ve been meditating for 3 years so far, a few unlikely friends have gotten into it too 🙂 Looking forward to Laura’s reply
BW
Evander
Evander recently posted…How To Deadlift Without Getting Injured ⚕️⚕️
Hey, thanks! PT is awesome! With pain management, you are improving your strength and flexibility that will allow you to increase your endurance and functional capacity to do physical activities with ease and comfort. Less pain at the very least. Physical therapy can give you your life back 🙂
We agree Physical Therapy is an important element in most pain management
Great and very enriching read Laura and I needed this! The mental part is the most important aspect of self care. I have been practicing mindful meditation but was not regular with it. But whenever I practiced it, this infused me with a sudden rush of energy that took away all my stress and tiredness.
What an insightful and empowering read! Laura Di-Franco beautifully articulates the integral connection between mind and body insulating the physical health and mental health in achieving optimal health and peak performance. The emphasis on mindset and positive thinking as powerful tools for transforming one’s health is truly inspiring. Laura’s practical tips, from visualization to meditation and intuition, offer actionable steps towards cultivating a healthier and more fulfilling life. Thank you for sharing these invaluable insights!