I recently overheard a conversation where a lady had been taught self hypnosis by a doctor. The lady had spent many years grinding her teeth to the point where she risked loosing them...

The doctor taught her a self hypnosis technique to stop her doing it. It was 'successful' and she was positively buzzing that she (or rather her ego) had the power of 'mind over matter'.

I couldn't help but interject and ask the question:
"What do you think your body was telling you by grinding it's teeth?".
"The fact that I am stressed" was the reply. "
"And why are you stressed?" I asked
"Because I don't enjoy my job." said the lady.

To me, the obvious had been missed. Her body was telling her one of two things:

- the job doesn't serve her so she should look for another
- accept that the job doesn't serve her and surrender into inner peace while doing it

The true inner self has an infinite number of ways of talking to us and through our bodies is one of the most powerful. The tendency however is not to hear if what we are listening to isn't to our liking. Although I frequently fail to listen to what my body is telling me, I find ultimately there is no avoiding the truth it offers - the universe will not allow me to move forwards in my spiritual evolution until I have understood and integrated what I am being shown.

Perhaps we don't need 'mind over matter' at all, but rather 'matter over mind'?