Wonderfully Wired
Mindful Moments
Melanie VanderPol-Bailey, MSW, CSW-PIP
In life there is injury. Shortly after you scrape your knee, without your knowing or permission, millions of cells within your body begin communicating. Blood clots form, inflammation rushes in to protect the wound and new tissue develops. Over time, the skin repairs itself, often leaving only a faint reminder of what happened.
You don’t have to consciously tell your body what to do, it simply knows.
There is something deeply humbling about recognizing that our bodies were designed with an incredible capacity to heal. Modern neuroscience continues to uncover the elegant human systems that work around the clock to restore balance, regulate stress, and protect us. Long before scientist could peer into the brain with sophisticated imaging, many spiritual traditions, spoke of humanity as being “wonderfully made”. We are created with goodness, wisdom, purpose and with a body that knows how to heal.
When we cut our skin, the body doesn’t criticize the wound. It doesn’t panic because healing isn’t immediate, it doesn’t shame itself for bleeding. Instead, it responds with precision and care. The body asks, “What is needed now?”
Our brains, however, seem to always have something to say. But here is the truth about the brain: it is always trying to help us. The brain’s primary job is survival, and deep within the brain are networks that constantly scan for danger. If you’ve experienced trauma or painful life events, your brain becomes more efficient at detecting anything that resembles past hurts. It can often incorrectly anticipate or detect danger (remember it is trying to protect you). And when that protective system (brain) becomes overactive, the smoke detector starts sounding when someone burns toast instead of when the house is actually on fire.
Our brains respond to thoughts, and this doesn’t mean that something is wrong with us. It’s simply evidence that our brain is working hard to protect us. We must learn how to be a of a gatekeeper of our thoughts, instead of a first responder, reacting to every thought that passes through. With conditions like anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorder, this hard working protective brain can feel exhausting and even debilitating.
One of the most remarkable discoveries in neuroscience is neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to change throughout life. The good news here is that new neural pathways can take form, old thought patterns can weaken, healthy habits strengthen overtime, healing relationships reshape emotional responses. The brain is always learning. Healing becomes something we learn to cooperate with versus something we wait to happen to us.
Just as we nourish a physical wound with rest, clean water and proper care, we can nourish our emotional lives through practices that support and regulate our nervous system. We do not live in a world with guaranteed outcomes and situations may happen to us that we will never understand. Pain can seem to override hope, but it cannot eliminate choice.
Things like honest conversations, deep breathing, time in nature, prayer, meditation, movement, nutritious food, healthy sleep, laughter, meaningful relationships, therapy, service, gratitude and moments of awe are simple and powerful ways to nourish our nervous systems.
These practices are ways of partnering with the remarkable design of the human body and spirit. The Creator, who fashioned the intricate pathways of your brain, also understands and cares deeply for the landscape of your heart. The same wisdom that guides cells to repair a wound invites us toward restoration through connection, rest, hope and love.
If you feel stuck, discouraged or disheartened by the injuries of life, you are not alone. Reach out to any local area mental health providers if you are seeking resources and additional support.
