Category: Creative Work

Heal is a documentary that tells the “why” behind mindfulness, meditation and the power of positive thinking. Heal tells the story of many individual’s that have experienced life threatening trauma or chronic health problems. The film also features the science behind the impact of our thoughts on our bodies. Many Doctors, biologist, and physicist were interviewed in the film from Deepak Chopra to Micheal Beckwith. Many of the ideas expressed in the film are profound because of their ideals, as well as the science that actually proves their ideas. 

I learned from the film that the emotional trauma that individuals harbor actually effects their overall health. Someone may be a kind, easy going individual that is liked by many, but if that individual does love themselves, it doesn’t matter. I did not know that there is proven science behind the health benefits of meditation. Meditation puts people in a state of relaxation, also know as when the parasympathetic nervous system is engaged. This is a state of rest where the body conserves energy and “good” chemicals are released such as dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins. I also learned that the practice of gratitude is incredible power and can actually alter the chemistry in our bodies. When we receive something and practice thanks, our body releases chemicals that support healing and relaxation in the body. When we practice gratitude, our body thinks we are receiving something and release those healing chemicals in our body. It is as if we are tricking our body into pumping out “good chemicals”. Just the simple act of gratitude can help strengthen our immune system, support healing in the body and act as a preventative to developing chronic diseases. 

These natural healing qualities in the body are supported through the facilitation of mindfulness, meditation and yoga. This filmed helped educate me around the deeper meaning of mindfulness and why it is so important to our overall health. I also learned that when we practice gratitude there are chemicals that are released into our bodies that support our immune system, heal our body, and make us feel happy. All of my content questions were answered through this film and have helped me understand the power of the mind. 

Noonan, K. (Director). (2017). Heal [Motion picture]. United States: Paladin.

In the Netflix film, I am Maris, a young girl is able to use yoga to heal herself mentally, physically and emotion. Maris was about twelve-years-old when she began harming herself physically and emotionally. She was a perfectionist that needed some type of control over her life which is when she began harming herself. It wasn’t until she became extremely ill that her family realized the degree of her illness. At rock bottom, her therapist suggested that she should try yoga. It was after her first class that she knew she need more of “that”. After many classes at Just Be Yoga in Walnut Creek, CA and a teacher training, Maris was finally able to heal herself physically and emotionally and find self love and accept. 

For Maris, yoga was the catalyst for her physically, emotionally and mentally healing. The documentary taught me that yoga is much more than the physical act of moving through a sequence of poses. I learned that yoga is a connection of the body, mind, and spirit and that when one aspect become ill, all three parts suffer. The film helped answer my content question regarding if the facilitation of yoga can act as tool of healing for individuals. 

Film: Vanzee Taylor, L. (Director). (2018). I am Maris [Video file]. United States: Netflix.