Mind and Body Practices

What are mind and body practices?

Mind and body practices are a large and diverse group of procedures or techniques that target brain-body interactions as a way to promote health. They are typically administered or taught by a trained practitioner or teacher. Examples include the following:

• Acupuncture
• Massage therapy
• Meditation
• Relaxation techniques
• Spinal manipulation
• Tai chi
• Yoga

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) now classifies complementary approaches by their primary therapeutic input (how the therapy is taken in or delivered). What were previously referred to as mind and body practices are now categorized as psychological, physical, or combined psychological-physical approaches. Here are some examples:

• Psychological approaches: meditation, mindfulness, music therapies
• Physical approaches: acupuncture, massage, spinal manipulation
• Psychological-physical combination approaches: yoga, tai chi, dance therapies

Can mind and body practices help improve health conditions?

Research findings suggest that several mind and body practices are helpful for a variety of conditions. A few examples include the following:

• Acupuncture may help ease types of pain that are often chronic, such as low-back pain, neck pain, and knee pain from osteoarthritis. Acupuncture may also help reduce the frequency of tension headaches and prevent migraine headaches.
• Meditation and mindfulness may help reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Meditation may also benefit people with insomnia and those with substance use disorder.
• Music therapies may be helpful for anxiety, depression, and pain experienced by people undergoing surgery or procedures. Music-based interventions might also help with other symptoms associated with dementia, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease.
• Tai chi appears to help improve balance and stability and reduce back pain and pain and stiffness from knee osteoarthritis. It may improve quality of life in people with heart disease and cancer.
• Yoga may benefit people’s general wellness by relieving stress, supporting good health habits, and improving mental/emotional health, sleep, and balance. Yoga may also help with low-back pain and neck pain, anxiety or depressive symptoms, quitting smoking, and quality of life for people with chronic diseases.

Are mind and body practices safe?

Mind and body practices generally have good safety records when done properly by a trained professional or taught by a well-qualified instructor. However, just because a practice is safe for most people doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe for you. Your medical conditions or other special circumstances (such as pregnancy) may affect the safety of a mind and body practice. 

More To Consider

• When considering mind and body practices, ask about the training and experience of the practitioner or teacher, and talk with that person about your individual needs.
• Don’t use a mind and body practice to postpone seeing a health care provider about a health problem. Take charge of your health—talk with your health care providers about any complementary health approaches you use. Together, you can make shared, well-informed decisions.

For More Information

Key References