Recently, I read an article on NPR, Mapping Emotions On the Body: Love Makes Us Warm All Over. It reported that scientists have found in their research a strong connection between body and emotions. It seems that specific emotions are located in specific parts of our body, and it is universal across cultures. An example from their research is that when we love we experience activation in our chest or heart, head, and abdominal regions, while depression deactivates our entire body. It is interesting research and a validation of the work of psychotherapy that focuses on body mind connection and treatment. Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D., author of The Body Keeps the Score, provides excellent insight and evidence-based treatments for trauma with a strong emphasis on body, mind, and emotional connection. In my experience treating clients with trauma, it is evident that our body remembers things that our mind may not remember. What we do not know at the unconscious or the subconscious level may often drive our emotions and behaviors. The disconnect that happens, either due to upbringing, conditioning, or life experience such as trauma, are all factors that lead us to feel fragmented. The process of healing requires us to reconnect body, mind, and emotions so they will give us a sense of wholeness. The step toward integration begins with the willingness to become aware of how you think, how you feel, and where do you feel it in your body. The answers may be surprising, scary or familiar, but often worth knowing.

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