what is there that we haven't discovered?

Are you talking physically or conceptually? Probably more brain matter and more neurons.

However, I believe that the mind is immensely powerful. Frostbite and hypothermia are caused by the mind ceasing blood flow through various portions of the body in order to preserve the heart and brain. Psychosomatic responses (such as hypochondria or Munchausen syndrome) are sometimes powerful enough to actually manifest physical trauma to the body. Basically, if your mind believes that you are sick...you will be. There are people who can withstand extreme heat or cold merely through willpower exercises. Temperatures that would typically be fatal to humans are endured because of mental focus.

As part of a Buddhist monks training, there is a test. After years of intense mental focus, a monk is sent out into the mountain winter chill with nothing on his person but a entirely wet blanket. If you or I were to be out there with this wet blanket on, it would freeze, and then we would. However, the monk does not freeze, nor does the blanket. Through a specialized meditation technique, the monk raises his body temperature to not only freeze to death in subzero temperatures, [i][/i]but to also completely dry the blanket[i][/i]. Not only is this test seemingly impossible, but it is [i][/i]timed.[i][/i] They have to do it within a certain time frame to pass. Simply drying it is not enough!

I offer an example of the mind/body relation:

Take a normal breath. Watch/listen/feel your body. Now, while breathing normally, place your hands so they encompass your stomach and the small of your back. As you breathe, you should notice an expansion in the belly, maybe a tiny bit in the side of your body, but nothing else.

Now, with hands still in place, breathe into an imaginary balloon in your belly. Imagine, as you breathe, this balloon expanding in all directions --- imagine it expanding your back, your sides, your front. Feel your hands now, as you breathe with this in mind.

Surprised by the results? ...That's only the beginning of what one can do!

controlled breathing is one of the oldest and most common forms meditation and is not hard if you want to try some thing fun try control your heartbeat without changing your breathing or try controling your blood pressure all can be done without any training and if you pay attention you can use these to increase your physical abilities to a small degree

wow tell me more techniques

slam you head into a steel plate tell you can no longer think this is the MD forum not a matial arts school(smirks)