Laughter as Medicine?

"Laughter is a bodily exercise precious to health." ~ Aristotle

In life, there's very little that feels better than a deep, belly laugh that leaves you tearing up and practically gasping for breath. When's the last time you felt that wonderful, silly release? As an adult, how often do you note a child's easy and carefree laughter and smile to yourself wistfully that those days are gone? But, hey, wait a minute. Whoever said that adults can't laugh with the same wanton air?

The Relaxation Response

In 1975, Dr. Herbert Benson, a cardiologist and founder of the Mind/Body Medical Institute at Mass General Hospital in Boston, published a ground-breaking book called, "The Relaxation Response." In it, he discussed his discovery of what he called The Relaxation Response, defined in Mosby's Medical Dictionary as "a protective mechanism against stress that brings about decreased heart rate, lower metabolism, and decreased respiratory rate. It is the physiologic opposite of the "fight or flight," or stress, response." Stress, as you probably already know, can bring on or exacerbate physical and emotional health problems so it stands to reason that anything that can decrease stress is pretty darn great! And, if you have any doubts of the efficacy, check out MBMI's published research and clinical findings at http://www.mgh.harvard.edu/bhi/research/clinical_findings.aspx. So now that we know it works, let's see what it takes to trigger relaxation.

Fortunately, it's not actually all that terribly hard. The recommendation is to take somewhere between 10 and 20 minutes twice a day, preferably before breakfast and before dinner, and sit quietly and comfortably in privacy.

Comforting Rituals

To me, one of the most relaxing and satisfying things is to cook a delicious and healthy meal for my family.  As the weather begins to cool and the leaves start to turn glorious reds, yellow, and oranges, I get the urge to experiment with squashes and greens, maybe creating a beautiful risotto or a sturdy stew. The process of following a recipe and concentrating on the ingredients at hand becomes a kind of meditation. Chopping, slicing, mincing, sauteing, seasoning, tasting, and serving. The best times are when the phone and television are off and the strains of  soothing music are heard gently in the background.

It may sound familiar to folks that physical exercise like running, swimming, or biking can be a tremendous stress-buster. It's absolutely true, and the physical health benefits to the cardio-vascular system are also extremely important. When it comes to stress reduction in particular, research has shown that repetitive, productive, and creative activity using your hands is an excellent and even more effective treatment for the symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Risky Business

"The time to take counsel of your fears is before you make an important battle decision. That's the time to listen to every fear you can imagine! When you have collected all the facts and fears and made your decision, turn off all your fears and go ahead!" - General George S. Patton

Lately I've been thinking alot about taking risks. It's overwhelming and frightening but the potential for reward can be huge. Everyday, we take risks both big and small from deciding on a new flavored latte over your usual morning cup of joe to agreeing to a first date with a virtual stranger to quitting your job and pursuing alternative career goals. Many times, decisions are made after a careful analysis of the costs and benefits associated with each choice. What if I don't like the latte and end up half-asleep all morning until I can run out and get my normal coffee at lunch? What if it's amazing and I've been missing out on something all this time that I've been prudently sticking with the tried and true? 

Making the Decision to Begin Therapy

I was lucky enough to guest post on Jessica McFadden's popular blog at http://aparentinsilverspring.com/2010/09/making-the-decision-to-begin-therapy.html.

On her blog, she posts about activities to do with children as well as parenting resources around the Washington, DC area. I decided to write a post about the arduous and oftentimes scary process of engaging in therapy. Read below for the full post or click on the link above to bring you to Jessica's blog!