Joy and Calm
Choosing joy and calm can profoundly impact your brain, body, and soul, guiding you to serve your highest self and the world around you. Even in adversity, this conscious choice can transform your mental state. I experienced this firsthand during a period of deep grief and complex post-traumatic stress. It felt like a train hurtling toward despair, but I refused to succumb. Instead, I declared, “Joy is in the room,” redirecting my awareness to the present moment. This shift allowed my mind to rebound, sparking creativity that led to writing and illustrating my first children’s book. Scientifically, joy triggers the release of dopamine and serotonin in the brain, neurotransmitters that enhance mood, focus, and emotional resilience. These chemicals strengthen neural connections in the prefrontal cortex, improving decision-making and creativity, which helped me channel my energy into meaningful work.
The Practice
This practice isn’t about bypassing pain but consciously engaging with emotions that uplift. By choosing joy, I didn’t erase the healing journey ahead, but I created space to serve myself and others. My book, Sun Play, brings joy to toddlers, becoming medicine for my soul and theirs. Joy’s impact on the brain is powerful: it reduces cortisol levels, the stress hormone, calming the amygdala and fostering emotional balance. This balance allows grief and joy to coexist, as seen when we laugh through tears. As we move into summer or winter, I encourage you to embrace joy alongside grief. This conscious choice not only heals but sends uplifting energy to the world around you, which often returns like a boomerang. By fostering joy, you nurture your brain’s capacity for resilience and connection, creating a ripple effect of positivity.
C-PTSD
I don’t wish to minimize the weight of complex post-traumatic stress (C-PTSD), having ridden the waves of trauma in many forms throughout my life. With compassion and personal experience, I can say that choosing joy in that pivotal moment created a path for new transformations in my journey. Do I still face sudden traumatic recall? Yes. Yet, each time, I grow stronger by activating an inner landscape ready to be freed. I remind myself: I choose joy, I choose peace, I choose calm. This is my golden ticket to a gentler path forward. For those navigating C-PTSD or PTSD, be gentle with yourself, and if inspired, choose joy. Bit by bit…It will help regenerate all of you.
Heart Food
Laughter’s Gift for a Child’s Heart and Soul
“Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.” —Victor Hugo
I still hear my children’s belly laughs, moments of pure joy that felt like touching the divine with unencumbered freedom. Those memories, held close to my heart, remind me of laughter’s transformative power.
Laughter is vital for a child’s emotional, social, cognitive, and physical development, fostering growth across all stages. Hearing laughter amplifies these benefits, creating a joyful, secure environment.
Developmental Benefits
Emotional Development: Laughter releases endorphins and dopamine, reducing stress and boosting mood. A 2017 Psychoneuroendocrinology study shows it lowers cortisol by up to 30%, helping children manage emotions. Hearing parents’ laughter signals safety, fostering trust and resilience (Developmental Psychology, 2020). A toddler giggling at peek-a-boo learns to express joy confidently.
Social Development: Laughter strengthens bonds through oxytocin release (Social Neuroscience, 2019). Shared giggles during play teach empathy and cooperation, building connections that nurture the heart.
Cognitive Development: Laughter stimulates the prefrontal cortex, enhancing creativity and problem-solving (Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 2014). Hearing laughter during lessons boosts memory and engagement (Cognitive Development, 2016). Verbal play, like silly rhymes, supports language skills, starting with babies’ responses to humorous sounds. (Maybe, we need more comedic skills in the class room and at home?)
Physical Development: Laughter improves blood flow by 22% (University of Maryland, 2005), lowers blood pressure, and strengthens immunity (Pediatric Research, 2015), benefiting a child’s heart health. Hearing laughter encourages participation, amplifying these effects.
Results
Laughter and hearing laughter nurture a child’s heart, mind, and relationships, serving as a bridge to joy and resilience. Like the soul cravings I’ve witnessed, laughter connects us to the eternal. Embrace silliness with your family, choose comedic moments over gloom, and let laughter’s light lift humanity’s spirit.
Body Food
The Transcendent Medicine of Laughter
Have you ever laughed so hard your face and stomach hurt? I have, and it feels incredible. Pause for a moment and recall a time when you couldn’t stop laughing (even if you wet your pants). Notice the smile returning to your face and how your entire state of being begins to shift. This is the power of laughter—a natural remedy that uplifts both body and soul.
Laughter is like a workout and therapy session rolled into one. Here’s how it boosts the physical and emotional heart:
Physical Heart
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Boosts Blood Flow: Laughing increases blood vessel dilation by up to 22%, improving circulation and reducing strain on the heart, similar to light exercise (University of Maryland study, 2005).
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Lowers Blood Pressure: A good chuckle reduces stress hormones like cortisol, which can lower blood pressure by 10-20 mmHg after just 10 minutes of laughter (studies in Journal of Psychosomatic Research).
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Strengthens Heart: Laughter triggers mild cardiovascular activity, acting like a mini aerobic workout, enhancing heart rate variability and oxygen delivery.
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Reduces Inflammation: Regular laughter may lower C-reactive protein levels, a marker of inflammation linked to heart disease, by up to 40% (research from American Journal of Cardiology).
Emotional Heart
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Releases Feel-Good Chemicals: Laughter spikes endorphins and dopamine, boosting mood and reducing anxiety by up to 30% in some studies (Psychoneuroendocrinology).
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Buffers Stress: It lowers cortisol and adrenaline, reducing emotional strain that can contribute to heart disease risk (Stanford University research).
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Fosters Connection: Shared laughter strengthens social bonds, increasing feelings of trust and emotional resilience by activating oxytocin release.
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Improves Mood Long-Term: Regular laughter is linked to a 20% lower risk of depression, which is closely tied to heart health (European Heart Journal).
Did you know?
Watching a 20-minute comedy show or talking to a funny friend can lower stress as much as a 15-minute silent meditation.
What are you waiting for?
Laughter is more than just a moment of joy, it’s a powerful elixir for both physical and emotional well being. By improving circulation, reducing stress, and fostering connection, laughter serves as a natural, accessible way to nurture your heart. So, embrace the giggles, hang out with your funny friends, share a joke, and/or watch your favorite comedy feed. You and your heart will thank you for it.
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