One book about the interaction between body and mind.

Although recent advances in medicine have been very rapid in the western world, treatment for stress and stress-related illnesses such as migraine, ulcers, disturbed bowel syndrome, high blood pressure, asthma, muscle tension and fatigue, cancer and sclerosis multiplex is often not found. Medicine often focuses on treating the symptoms, leaving the causes in the background. However, 70 percent of patients seek medical attention for stress-related illnesses. In the western world, the body is considered to be a machine to be repaired, Doctors are all specialized in their own narrow specialty, and the body is not considered as a whole, but it is used treating different parts of the body by different specialists. In  the east the attitude is completely different - the body is seen as an energy system. Eastern medicine is based on precisely mapped energy, that flows through the body. The disease is seen as an imbalance or blockage of the energy flow, caused by bad habits, stress, negative emotions.

The book also explains the historical background of why and how eastern and western medicine have such different opinions.

The first part of the book deals with understanding the mind, all the ways, in which the mind and body are connected. The second part discusses, how we can use this understanding to heal - through positive states of mind, visualization, meditation, creative therapies, dance or expressive movement. The third part can be considered as the healing handbook, where you can look up the appropriate chapter, as well as other chapters, that are relevant to the problem, when a health problem occurs.

When there is mental or emotional pressure within us, the problem will find its way out. If it cannot get out by expressioning and solution, it will use the weakest parts of the body, such as the digestive system, nerves, immune system or sleep patterns. When suppressed, it becomes a disease like depression, addiction or anxiety, Outwardly it becomes hostility, crime, suspicion, aggression.

Stress itself is neither good nor bad. It all depends on our reaction to the stressors. In some cases, stress can be a driving force, other times it is the origin of the disease.

In the book, the author highlights people's stories to explain the causes of stress, how to deal with it, and what happens, when emotions created by stress are not released properly.

It also explains the chemical processes, that take place in the body and points to various health studies.

The book was published quite a long time ago, but there was a lot of interesting information for me. I listened to it in audio, because I was running at the same time, but actually this book is better suited for reading to understand and delve deeper.