Mind-Body Practices and Definitions
Art therapy: invokes creative expression with multiple media (e.g., drawing, collage, mask-making) as a means to understand and uncover unconscious feelings, emotions, and inner conflicts.
Autogenics: teaches self-regulation through learned responses to verbal commands targeted to control a specific body function.
Biofeedback: trains people to use signals from their own bodies to control and modify the physiological response (e.g., heart rate, breathing rate, brain waves).
Breath work: engages rhythmic breathing to quiet the mind, reduce tension or restore energy.
Guided imagery: activates the imagination to invoke sensory experiences that facilitate relaxation and pain reduction, modulate mood states, stimulate the immune response, and enhance self-awareness.
Hypnosis: uses suggestion and mental imagery to faciliate the release of unconscious issues and promote new intentions and perceptions to emerge.
Journaling: stimulates discovery of emotions and feelings through reflection of events and relationships that can promote new construction of meaning.
Meditation: teaches quieting of the mind by focusing on moment-to-moment awareness using a mantra, sound, image or breathing rhythm. Meditation techniques may involve sitting or movement practices.
Movement system practices (e.g., yoga, tai chi, qi-qong): provide gentle physical release and quiet concentration to facilitate relaxation, stress reduction and pain relief:
Yoga involves a variety of physical postures and breathing techniques that align the body's musculoskeletal structure and enhance emotional equilibrium.
Tai Chi consists of a series of slow sequences of graceful movements to enhance physical balance and stability of mind.
Qi qong is an integral part of Traditional Chinese Medicine using gentle deliberate circular movements, breathwork and meditation to improve the flow of "qi" or life force and restore internal harmony.