Mind Body Medicine

Body and mind in balance

Mind Body Medicine is a health concept that focuses on the whole person and balances body and mind. The “Temple of Health” visualizes this concept and shows how different levels can be used to promote self-care and self-efficacy and reduce symptoms through multimodal therapies.

Mind Body Medicine is a modern, science-based, integrative approach. It connects the body and mind, promotes self-care, and is used both for prevention and treatment.

Through multimodal therapy approaches, it aims to reduce symptoms, strengthen personal resources, and enhance self-efficacy.

In Switzerland, Mind-Body Medicine is practiced by health professionals from various fields and is represented by the Swiss Association for Mind-Body Medicine (SFMBM). At the University of Zurich, we also offer the Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in "Health Psychological Lifestyle Change and Mind-Body Medicine."

“Whole Person Health” views the person as a whole and takes into account biological, behavioral, social, and environmental factors to promote health, strengthen resilience, and prevent illness, rather than just treating individual diseases.

In modern Mind-Body Medicine, digitalization and the One Health approach also play a significant role.

In 2024, we further developed the Temple of Health to represent the Whole Person Health-Mind Body Medicine concept. This visualization supports Mind-Body Medicine consultations and illustrates how various factors and levels are interconnected for a healthy life.

The foundation represents the fundamental aspects for evaluations and recommendations in Mind Body Medicine. It outlines the context for an individual or a community and includes physical and mental health status, details about life circumstances, as well as information on personality, mindset, and spirituality.
Mindfulness (depicted as the base plate) plays a special role, as it can be seen both as a foundation and as something that can be cultivated through specific interventions or in combination with other interventions.
The six pillars of the temple represent resources that can be strengthened through targeted interventions. These include physical activity, nutrition, relaxation & breathing, sleep, complementary self-care therapies, and nature & the arts.
The ceiling plate represents cognition (thoughts) and emotion (feelings). These arise from an individual’s perception of reality and form the basis for behavior. Mind Body Medicine approaches particularly support cognitive processes and emotional regulation in this context.
The roof represents relationships. People live in a complex world and have diverse relationships. Various levels of the temple influence relationships. These multifaceted relationships and interactions, for example with oneself, others, animals, the environment, and digital tools—impact both individual and social life as well as overall health.

Version 2025, further developed based on version 2024.
Version 2024 developed in a systematic participatory process by: Claudia M. Witt, Simon Ruegg & Daniel Hausmann-Thürig; supported by Elina Christes, Anna Paul, Christiane Pithan, Nadine Laub, Anne-Marie Flammersfeld, Anita Thomae, Sonja Schläpfer, Anja Kröner, Silvia Rusch, Amelie-Marie Rojas, Beatrice Gschwend, Heidrun Pöcherstorfer, Petra Uffer, Imke Grosse-Wilde, Hannah Geiger, Bettina Plattner, student group of the Mind Body Medicine Summer School in Essen August 2024, students of the One Health Seminar of the Vetsuisse Faculty of the UZH in September 2024 Graphic Design: Casey Murphy

Graphic Design: Casey Murphy

Relaxation and breathing exercises are essential components for reducing stress and supporting mental health.

In Mind-Body Medicine, engaging with nature involves conscious contact (nature connection) through one or more senses with living or non-living, individual or collective elements of nature. Not all nature contact inherently supports health and well-being; within Mind-Body Medicine, mindfulness plays a key role in maximizing the benefits of nature.