Ph.D. in Molecular Biology specialized in neuroscience, Estanislao Bachrach states that "we are not a brain that has a body, but a body that contains a brain" and that "sensations, despite being the most fascinating aspect of our nervous system, are the least understood (and attended to)."
After years dedicated to brain research, Bachrach began to miss something, "a sensory intelligence that allows us to register and understand our body and its relationship with the brain." In his new book, 'ZensorialMente', he advocates, from the solidity of scientific knowledge, for us to "learn to use the body as a tool for self-awareness, applying the appropriate exercises and techniques to achieve greater sensory development and thus understand more clearly what really matters to us, in order to be able to make better decisions in life."
Estanislao Bachrach starts by clarifying that, from a biological perspective, "body and mind are the same." And he adds: "The mind is thoughts that, nowadays, are measurable. They are electrical waves and electricity equals energy. The body is composed of matter and, if you ask a physicist what matter is composed of, they will answer 0.001 mass and 99.99 energy. So, the body, which is matter, is energy. In the end, we are energy."
What information does the body transmit to the brain? And, most importantly, how can learning to read that information benefit us? "First of all, I would like to point out that I am talking about the subtlety of information, not the obvious. Not that our stomach hurts or our arm itches, but the information provided by the sensations that constantly occur in our body and that speak about our energy state, how we are breathing, our temperature, or the movement our viscera are producing."
What biologists demonstrate, he emphasizes, is that "as one learns to pay attention to these sensations, without thinking about it, the so-called interoceptive areas develop in the brain, receptors of the information sent by the interior of our organism (when thirsty, hungry, sleepy, feverish, needing to urinate, or experiencing sexual arousal, to give some examples). This is the intelligence of the body, somatic or sensory, which does not act in isolation from other intelligences (emotional, rational, etc.)."
His new book, basically, is "a guide to developing sensory intelligence, which will allow us to: make better decisions because we will be smarter and know ourselves better, and generate more well-being because we will learn to pay attention to our body when it tells us 'not this way; this way; rest a bit; don't call; don't react, don't answer the WhatsApp, wait...'. And all that information is not thought, but felt."
People - he assures - "begin to learn to recognize what they feel through concepts and categories - temperature, tension, etc. - and with practice, it is no longer necessary to name it. They already know what they feel."
How can we develop this sensory intelligence he speaks of? "The tool with the most scientific evidence, as demonstrated by nuclear magnetic resonance, in the development of this intelligence is meditation. Science leaves no doubt about the positive impact that meditation has, both on the brain and the body. And within the vast world of meditation, body scan meditation is generally used for the development of this intelligence. It consists of scanning our own body to discover how each part feels. Although it may seem simple, it is not, because we have learned to think, not to feel."
According to him, everyone can meditate. "Meditation does not mean not thinking. You cannot stop thinking because thoughts are always there. Meditation is observing what is happening in the present moment in some place, which can be our breathing, our body, or the sounds around us. One can meditate by observing the thoughts they have at that moment, without criticizing or judging them."
Meditation is not mandatory, but it is a tool that we could all use. "It is free, widely accessible, and has a direct impact on our well-being. Does it cost us, bore us, or not interest us? There are other tools. You can dance or engage in any other physical activity. Or relax. You can breathe differently."
Throughout the day, he states, "we can meditate in small micro-moments." What is it useful for? "It has been more than proven that it improves decision-making and helps us find our well-being within ourselves, instead of spending our lives blaming external factors for what happens to us. A worried mind contributes to having a tense body, and a tense body contributes to having a worried mind. How to break that vicious circle depends on each individual. Some may find it better to do it through meditation, others with relaxation exercises... When the body's tension is reduced, the mind also relaxes, and thoughts change."
Why is it so difficult for us to look inward? "As a biologist, I believe there are two key aspects. For a mere survival issue, in the evolution of 'Homo sapiens,' much more emphasis was placed on what was happening outside than on what was happening inside us, on 'beware of the leopard; where is the food; we need to find shelter...' rather than on what is happening in the intestine, pancreas, heart, lungs... If we study the nervous system, we realize that for humans, the important thing is not to die, not to be happy. The other aspect is education, which traditionally has focused on the mind, analysis, logic, thoughts. In short, on the rational. I believe that, to a large extent, the 'blame' for all this lies in the fact that until the 1990s, much more money was invested in research related to the rational aspect than in the field of emotions, whose impact on our decisions is vital."
For Dr. Bachrach, "one of the most evident sensations that one can quickly develop is breathing. We breathe all the time, but generally, we do not pay attention to how we do it. Today, technology allows us to demonstrate that every change in our breathing, whether deep or shallow; through the nose instead of the mouth; focusing on the abdomen, chest, or collarbones; or the speed, has a direct impact on our nervous system, activating or relaxing us. The secret lies in realizing this."
Breathing through the mouth, he emphasizes, is very bad. "I invite everyone to observe the impact that consciously breathing only through the nose, inhaling and exhaling has on their lives. In 15 days, we will be able to experience how our energy level doubles. Because, although we may not have noticed it, simply breathing poorly and agitatedly through the mouth tires us. In the book, there is an entire chapter on breathing where I explain how introducing small changes in our way of breathing changes our energy states. This is pure science, not a 'New Age' belief."