The Body-Mind Axis

The way we think about the mind and body has been deeply influenced by René Descartes’ ideas. He proposed the theory of dualism, which posits that the mind and body exist as separate entities. Descartes believed the brain, as the seat of consciousness and reason, serves as the ultimate authority controlling the body. This separation initially enabled emerging natural sciences to conduct detailed studies of human anatomy and physiology. At the same time, the body could be scientifically explored without questioning the divine origin of the soul. Over time, this perspective led to psychological processes being viewed as distinct properties of the mind.

For centuries, the dualism of mind and body shaped our thinking, fostering a mechanistic worldview where the body was seen as a machine controlled by a conscious operator. While modern neuroscience has long dismissed this division, many dualistic assumptions persist in our everyday lives. For instance, the separation of mind and body is often likened to the distinction between software and hardware in a computer. However, unlike rigid software programs, our mental processes are highly flexible and individualized. Moreover, the body has a direct impact on the mind – our “hardware” significantly influences how we think, feel, and act.

Many mental training approaches focus primarily on the mind: change your thoughts to change how you feel, and with enough effort, you can regulate your emotions and achieve your goals. However, these methods often neglect the body, despite the close connection between body and mind. This oversight is a significant limitation, as interoception – the perception of internal bodily states – and the brain’s neural networks play a critical role in shaping our emotions, automatic actions, and our ability to consciously experience and influence them.

From the brain’s perspective, there is no clear separation between body and mind. Just as the mind influences our actions, the body is crucial to how we think, learn, know, and feel. We often fail to recognize the profound impact the body has on our thoughts and decisions, and we overlook how it shapes our emotions. The common assumption is that the mind controls the body, but the reverse is equally true. Direct pathways link the body to the mind. The science of embodied cognition highlights the deep interconnection between mental processes and physical sensations. Our thoughts and feelings emerge from the interplay of the brain, body, and particularly emotional experiences. Emotions don’t just use the body for expression – they originate in the body itself.

To fully understand our thoughts and feelings, we must integrate both body and mind. Performance arises not only from physical movement but also from mental engagement. For example, while Western martial arts often emphasize physical ability, Eastern traditions focus on refining the mental and spiritual state. The ultimate goal for the athlete is to act intuitively, swiftly, and without conscious deliberation.

Our conscious and subconscious minds have a profound influence on the body – an essential concept for athletes. Several key examples illustrate this connection. The body responds to conscious mental associations much like it does to real events, triggering emotional and physical changes that are part of how we interpret mental experiences. While these reactions are typically more subdued, they highlight that cognition is not confined to the brain but is deeply rooted in the body. Visualization techniques, for example, rely heavily on this principle.

One particularly fascinating phenomenon in this context is priming. Exposure to specific stimuli can unconsciously influence behavior, perception, and reactions to subsequent stimuli. This process activates certain associations or concepts in memory, which in turn alter physical responses. A well-known experiment demonstrated that people walked more slowly after forming sentences containing words associated with elderly individuals. Interestingly, this effect also works in reverse.

Additional research shows that athletic peak performance cannot be fully understood without considering the brain. In endurance sports, the perception of effort often determines whether an athlete chooses to speed up or slow down. While it remains unclear how deliberate this process is, it is evident that mental processes play a critical role in managing physical resources. In sports requiring high technical skill, excessive conscious control can interfere with automated processes, which function more efficiently without intense focus.

A range of studies has shown that a meta-representation of bodily sensations is formed in the anterior insular cortex of the right hemisphere. This brain region is particularly active when we perceive physical states. Interestingly, research reveals that this area is thicker and has a higher density of neurons in people who engage in intensive meditation practices, especially those focusing on bodily sensations.

The connection between the body and mental states is, quite literally, what we understand as emotions. Although information about our physical and emotional states is always available, it typically remains in the background, surfacing only when those states change – such as when we feel hunger, fatigue, or pain. When such sensations become intense enough, they command our attention, often without conscious awareness.

Our thinking is embodied, meaning it is deeply rooted in past physical experiences. The brain does not clearly distinguish between past memories and present experiences, intertwining thought and action. This connection allows us to leverage our body and physical surroundings to enhance mental sharpness.

The close relationship between physical and mental health is particularly evident in sports. The nervous system, especially the brain, looks and functions differently depending on whether it resides in an active or inactive body. Physical fitness is strongly linked to improved functionality in key brain regions associated with working memory and focus, demonstrating how physical fitness translates into mental fitness. Physical activity even promotes the growth of new brain cells, a process known as neurogenesis, which has profound effects down to the level of our genome.

In sports, the interplay between body and mind reaches its peak. Sports are the deliberate exploration of boundaries – both physical and mental. They demand peak performance from the body while simultaneously influencing our thoughts, actions, and emotions. Conversely, mental skills such as focus, emotional regulation, pain management, and body awareness play a crucial role in controlling the body during athletic performance.

One simple way to control your emotions in critical moments is through movement. Physical activity regulates internal states – a principle observed throughout the animal kingdom. In sports, where physical exertion is intense and causes significant changes in the body’s equilibrium, this connection becomes particularly evident. Emotions are not only shaped by what we think but also by what we do. The more active you are, the more emotions are generated. Many physical sensations reflect the mind’s perception rather than the body’s actual pain – we often feel the mind’s attention on the body rather than the body itself.

It’s no coincidence that sports are often seen as the ultimate challenge for the human brain. Body and mind constantly influence each other. So, during your next training session, remember: you’re not just training your body – you’re training your mind. To elevate your performance to the next level, it’s essential to focus on both. Integrating mental training into your physical routine is a fundamental step toward achieving your goals.

Sports often present unclear or incomplete situations, recurring patterns that aren’t always obvious, and delayed feedback. To perform effectively, athletes must train under varying conditions and simulate different scenarios to adapt better to diverse challenges. However, even this approach cannot prepare them for everything – especially when dealing with so-called “ill-defined” problems, as researchers describe them. Here, cognitive flexibility is the key: athletes must develop mental habits that allow them to adapt to a variety of challenges with ease. Instead of relying solely on detailed prior knowledge, procedural thinking and action take center stage. The fast-paced and complex nature of sports demands cognitive abilities that enable athletes to connect ideas and apply them across different contexts.

Cognitive flexibility refers to the ability to adjust one’s thinking and behavior to changing environments, situations, or demands. It involves smoothly switching between concepts, perspectives, or strategies when solving problems or facing new challenges. This skill is crucial for transitioning between tasks, adapting to new goals or unforeseen circumstances, and finding creative solutions. It is essential for making effective decisions and navigating complex or unpredictable situations – forming a core component of cognitive performance in sports.

A high degree of cognitive flexibility allows athletes to adjust their mental state as needed. The brain operates in two primary modes: automatic (unconscious) and cognitive (conscious). In most scenarios, we use a combination of both. Our perception, attention, thoughts, mood, and behavior are influenced by our position on the continuum between automatic and conscious processing. When relying on automatic processing, we act quickly and based on familiarity. In conscious mode, we focus on perception, attention, and deliberate thought. Training the ability to switch between narrow and broad thinking patterns is critical for athletic success.

This also includes recognizing physical signals, which is a fundamental aspect of emotional intelligence and essential for developing intuitive abilities. By training intuition, athletes can make better “gut decisions.” Intuition is essentially unconscious decision-making that surfaces as a positive feeling in the conscious mind. It involves trusting the outcome of unconscious processes without intentionally influencing them. Often linked to positive emotions, intuition becomes a powerful tool for performance when honed through practice.

Meditation techniques offer a powerful way to specifically train cognitive flexibility. They not only enhance focus and self-awareness but also deepen our understanding of the body and our ability to consciously navigate emotions. One common method is the body scan, where attention is systematically directed throughout the body. Similarly, walking meditation cultivates awareness of bodily sensations during movement. Practices like yoga also emphasize mindfulness during physical activity. These exercises help us understand how physical sensations influence thoughts and decisions, and how emotions and mental patterns are mirrored in the body. Through such practices, the often “fragmented” mind is reanchored in the body.

This forms the foundation for a dynamic meditation practice that integrates seamlessly with athletic movement. This “agile meditation” allows athletes to establish a stronger connection between mental resilience and physical performance. In my view, this approach is a critical step toward aligning mental training methods with the practical demands of sports, fostering holistic performance enhancement.