The body and physical health
![View from inside a bakery window showing blurred people outside, cars, and pastries in the foreground.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/5f9438b6-bedd-408e-9995-004f540bca09/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Mental health
idea
The brain’s reading of the body’s state is key to mental health
The neural basis of ‘interoception’ – the interpretation of bodily signals – is affected in many mental health conditions
by Camilla Nord
![Medical imaging scan showing the internal organs of a human torso, including intestines highlighted in blue and other organs in shades of red and orange.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/b7669f62-9539-47b4-a270-a146e1e1b03c/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Mind and brain
idea
To grasp how serotonin works on the brain, look to the gut
A new perspective uses an analogy between digestion and cognition to help explain the function of a key neurochemical
by James M Shine
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/f4e5ab54-e116-4178-b8c5-745a8bb7840f/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
The body and physical health
guide
How to breathe
Whether your aim is improved health, mental calm or achieving transcendence, breathing techniques can help you get there
by Martin Petrus
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/e54af4a6-7add-45ac-90db-ff221b4d2a5f/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Play
film
An Oscar-nominated animation that celebrates walking with humans
Directed by Ryan Larkin
![Cyclist in a white polka dot jersey racing during a cycling event, with a crowd of spectators cheering in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/3f1614e8-089c-4753-99f3-60e1937315ec/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Sports and games
idea
Physical fatigue is in the brain as much as in the body
The idea of ‘mind over muscle’ is more than motivational rhetoric – exercise science shows how the brain manages fatigue
by David Robson
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/8ef8d3d6-571e-459d-8e18-5d7392c45096/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Pain
idea
Solving chronic pain via the kitchen, not the medicine cabinet
While medicine still struggles with the mystery of chronic pain, simple dietary changes can bring much-needed relief
by Rowena Field
![A close-up photo of a person’s neck and upper chest, illuminated by blue and pink lighting, against a dark background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/4a6b6903-de00-426c-b09b-af94d5131c8a/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Mind-body interactions
guide
How to trust your body
Your heart, lungs, abdomen and gut are trying to tell you something. Learning to tune in can significantly boost your health
by Saga Briggs
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/6d844c71-25c0-4b03-8efe-12d2cc0359a4/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
The body and physical health
film
A gym built of Soviet-era scraps is a creative community hub in Kyiv, 2019
Directed by Gar O’Rourke
![Three people wearing bathing suits and felt hats sit on a wooden bench in a sauna. The sauna is filled with steam, making the ambience hazy. The woman on the left is holding a bundle of twigs, likely for traditional sauna rituals. The mood appears relaxed and warm within the wooden interior.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/b625f91b-7bc1-48fe-a238-35d2af336552/rt-final-mg141018.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
The body and physical health
idea
You are your body: here’s how to feel more at home in it
Just because you live in a body, doesn’t mean you feel at one with it. Embodiment psychology can help you reconnect
by Elna Schütz
![Close-up of two women in colourful gym wear, one wearing a blue watch, the other lifting a dumbbell, both with manicured nails.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/e483c307-0f64-4d8a-9f4f-967eff244965/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
The body and physical health
idea
Body positivity is fixated on beauty – here’s how to fix that
Body positivity is stuck in the shallow. We should move beyond beauty and towards health, pleasure and acceptance
by Céline Leboeuf
![A minimalist ink sketch of a woman sitting, looking downwards, with soft shading and brush strokes for detailing.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/faf62eb7-a567-40c1-887f-124783a69cb5/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
The body and physical health
guide
How to love your body
Are you unhappy with what you see in the mirror? Getting comfortable in your own skin can be hard work, but it’s worth it
by Charlotte H Markey
![Close-up of a woman with curly hair playfully biting a man’s shoulder while both are smiling.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/a25597b4-b98d-49c4-9e75-96c1f228971c/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Love
film
In the bliss of budding love, a couple becomes – quite literally – entangled
Directed by Ben Brewer