Cary Neeper's Blog: Reviewing World-changing Nonfiction - Posts Tagged "body"

“How the Body Knows Its Mind” by Sian Bailock, New York, Atria Paperback, Simon and Schuster, 2015.
Our physical environment--including our bodies and the way they do things-- “…influence how [we] think and feel.” Chapter 5 of this book is entitled “…How our Hands Help Us Think…” Watch any speaker, says the author. We usually use our hands to help us communicate. This book also goes on to explain learning by doing, the “Physical Nature of Emotion,” the benefits of movement and sports and laughter to our mental health and well-being.

There is a two-way street between body and mind. Holding a pencil in your teeth, even a fake smile can make you feel happier. Body expressions “send feedback to our brain,” providing relief, stress reduction, and emotion. Tylenol can reduce social as well as physical pain. Infants who crawl have better memory. Action creates thought.

The sea squirt tadpole has a brain until it finds a place to attach itself. Then “…their brain is absorbed by their body.” This makes clear why block play is so important for very young humans. Maria Montessori pointed out years ago that mental development is dependent on movement. Physical experience helps in learning math. Dancers learn choreography by physically acting out the movements. Or entire body can be useful in memory.

One chapter is devoted to Body Language. Body posture is important. No wonder exercise can make a big difference in our attitudes. It can also slow the influence of Alzheimers disease.

Unstable walking can indicate “cognitive impairment.” Sedentary rats have more heart problems than active ones.“How you stand can change your state of mind.” So can medication. Physical closeness can help you feel more connected. Bailock’s book makes all this, and much more, clear.