One day I took it into my head that I would walk to a particular library, which was two towns away, to return a book.  The concept of walking just seemed simple and logical to me, never mind the fact that the library was 12 miles away.  Needless to say I was physically drained by the time I reached the last leg of my return trip.  I felt as though I had expended every ounce of my physical energy.  I hadn't eaten all day so when I got home I thought my stomach would be as flat as a pancake, but when I looked in the mirror the potato pouch was still there.
    That episode became a monumental "aha" moment for me.  With all the physical activity I exerted it made no logical sense not to lose weight or change the shape of one specific area on my body.  I realized there had to be other forces at work besides the physical makeup of my cells, tissues and muscles.
As I began researching more in the field of mind-body healing I found many books written by revered medical people acknowledging the direct connection between thought and body structure.
    One such book is, Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, written by Dr. Deepak Chopra.  In one of many examples, Dr. Chopra writes about a controlled study conducted in 1979 by Ellen Langer and her Harvard colleagues.  In this study a group of senior males over the age of 75, in good health, went for a week's retreat at a resort in the country.  Everything was set up so they were exposed only to things existing in 1959.  Food, furnishings, clothing, magazines and even television programs were all from this previous time period.
    Before the group began their week in 1959 certain measurements of what is typical in determining biological age were taken.  At the end of the experiment the same measurements were taken with astonishing results.  Photos taken before and after showed the men's faces looked three years younger after their week in the country.  Measurements of their fingers, which had stiffened and contracted with age, had actually lengthened and become more flexible.  Overall muscle strength as well as hearing and vision had also improved remarkably.
    In one short week these people accomplished what has always been thought of as the impossible - they turned back the clock of time, and they did it by tricking the mind into believing something other than what it had been conditioned to believe.  Although the actual calendar year was 1979, the external stimulus this group was exposed to was telling their mind it was 1959.
    The emphasis within in this book is drawn to the inescapable conclusion that awareness or thought directly impacts the physiological interactions within the human body.  I chose to use this particular example from Dr. Chopra's book to illustrate how important it is to pay attention to what we choose to think.  Often we find that when we change our perception of one thing others tend to follow.
    When I learned to change my mind, my body followed.  I would like to say I just sat on the floor in my room and meditated my way to my perfect body, but alas this was not the case.  What did happen, once I changed my perception, was that what I needed specific to my body needs began to spontaneously manifest for me.  Browsing at the library I came across the perfect workout video; walking home from the store I passed a house where people moving out had placed an exercise bike and stair stepper on the curb for free; everything I needed followed the universal path of least resistance and came to me.

    Obviously I also needed to incorporate some physical changes along with my mental ones.  Perception is usually associated with thought but also includes our senses.  We perceive through our sense of sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch.  In following a mind-body philosophy to fitness I learned to harmonize my external perceptions with my internal ones.  I term my little tips on integrating mind with body - imaging techniques.