Children have such a joyous outlook on life. It’s seems that children can reach into that place where joy tickles their soul. But as we get older, we tend to lose that sense of wonderment and spontaneous joy.

Pre-school aged children don’t have to be told to laugh. They laugh naturally and a lot more often than adults do. In fact, a study has shown that children laugh about 400 times a day as compared to adults who laugh 17 times a day.

More health-care professionals are finding that laughter helps to lower blood pressure, boost the immune system, and reduce stress hormones while triggering the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers.

More and more research is indicating that laughter is indeed the best medicine. The bottom line is that laughter helps to produce a wonderful sense of well-being and there are no “feel good” pills required.

Laughter is contagious and has no known side effects, unless you count laughing until you cry. It’s that good belly laugh that exercises the diaphragm, relaxes muscles, and reduces stress while giving the heart a good workout as well while contracting the abs.

Humor Therapy is showing up in hospitals around the country as being therapeutic. Studies even show that laughing actually raises levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting proteins called Gamma-interferon and B-cells, which produce disease-destroying antibodies and also helps people to heal. The physical and emotional releases from laughing produce a cleansed feeling.

Laughter and humor give a light hearted perspective to life’s challenges and brings the focus away from negative emotions such as guilt, anger, fear and stress.

Laughing Clubs are becoming popular in countries such as India as well as the United States. Participants gather for the sole purpose of laughing.

Humor is a universal language which connects us to each other. As a natural diversion, it helps to break down barriers and bring people together. Perhaps by lightening the mood, it helps to improve the quality of social interaction. As more and more people bring laughter into their lives, others around will most likely laugh more and everyone will realize the benefits. Yoga laughing is receiving attention as a means of healing mind, body and spirit.

How can you find more humor in your life?
TV and Movies offer an assortment of comedies, while getting together with friends at a comedy club is a great way to bring more laughter into your life.

Change your attitude and instead of complaining about life’s frustrations, bring humor into the situation. Approach life with more joy and you’ll feel less stressed about negative events.

For more information about energy healing, please visit www.SynergisticCenter.com
To learn how you can create your own relaxation sanctuary and heal with nature, please visit
www.enchanted-garden.com

The majority of what we fear usually does not materialize.  It’s in the allowing the fear to control you that makes it stronger by interacting with it.  The news media is great for instilling that fear in our minds and keeping it there.  By constantly being exposed to the fear based channels, you are generating more of that fear by giving it more power.

Everyone at one time or another in his or her lifetime has had an event or situation that would be considered as traumatic.  It can be a series of events, abuse, and fear produced by a critical and unsupportive parent or anything that produces a feeling of helplessness. These experiences can be overwhelming and dealing with emotions can be difficult. Although the event has ended, the memories may last for months or years to come.

What about the fear from the past or feelings of panic or anxiety that comes out of nowhere?  If you have ever experienced PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) or severe or chronic stress, then possibly you may be re-living that traumatic event or events and not be aware of it.

One way that these emotions may be released from the part of the brain that stores these memories is with energy-based therapies. Energy-based therapies use techniques that address all levels of the individual: mental, emotional, spiritual as well as physical and allow the person to heal on whatever level is needed.

What happens in our bodies and our brain when we perceive a threatening situation or we have been through a traumatic situation? Feelings of anger, rage, fear, avoidance and defensiveness are involved in the limbic brain or our emotional brain. Our emotional brain creates the freeze reaction, sweaty palms, and muscles to tense, protective postures or facial expressions. This area of the brain sends adrenaline and other hormones into the blood stream during a stressful or fearful situation.

There are unconscious memory centers in our brains that store these traumatic events. When we experience sensations, images, smells, sights or anything that reminds us of the trauma, our body reacts as if being a present threat. The traumatic experience still exists in our brain and contains the emotional and conscious memory traces of the event. Our brains are unable to release this message of threat that it is receiving and shows up as symptoms of fear and anxiety.

Instead of focusing on something negative that might happen, visualize what you would like to happen.  Keep your focus on a positive outcome.

Using energy-based techniques such as Healing Touch can help to release these stuck emotions and give the person a sense of peace and well-being.  Practitioners act as facilitators in assisting the individual in their journey to self heal.

For more information about this form of trauma release or other forms of energy-based therapies, please visit http://wwwsynergisticcenter.com.  Holistic Health practitioners can sign up to be included in our directory) or http://www.enchanting-garden.com, to find ways to heal with nature (A garden decor site with an emphasis on healing with nature, free newsletter)

Sue Heldenbrand BS, CHTP, CIET

Lafayette, La.

energyworker2003@yahoo.com

Sue became involved with Healing Touch in 1998 and received her certification as a Healing Touch practitioner in 2002.  She is also a Certified Integrated Energy Therapy Practitioner, a Reiki Practitioner, Trauma Release and a Quantum Touch Practitioner.  She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Personnel Management from the University of Southwestern Louisiana.  She has been a guest speaker for numerous organizations, as well as presenting at state conferences.  Sue has written articles on energy work for alternative and complementary newsletters. She has developed material and has been a trainer for education classes for child care providers.  She has been able to integrate energy- based therapies into local hospital’s operating and recovery rooms as well as providing these therapies to newborn babies at a local hospital.  As a volunteer at health fairs and cancer survivor retreats offering energy based therapies, Sue has gained experience in dealing with a variety of health challenges.

Training in an advanced Healing Touch technique for PTSD (“amygdala connection”) proved helpful for recovery personnel dealing with the aftermath of hurricanes as they dealt with anxiety, confusion, sleeping disturbances, undiagnosed pain and other symptoms of acute stress disorder. Trauma Release is helpful for health providers to reduce secondary stress effects of working with traumatized clients or in trauma settings like hospitals, first response settings, disasters, battle zones, etc.

Sue’s private clientele includes World War II and Iraqi war veterans, abuse victims and other individuals reporting symptoms of stress from life-threatening illnesses, chronic pain, accidents, and the death of loved ones. As a volunteer working with cancer survivors and hospital personnel, Sue has assisted individuals dealing with the trauma of their illness.

Sue has a private practice in Lafayette, Louisiana.

http://www.SynergisticCenter.com

As one walks the labyrinth, the path becomes a mirror for where we are in our lives. The way you walk the labyrinth may also reflect your life. Do you rush through it like you are rushing through your day? Do you take the time to reflect on your thoughts and feelings as you put one foot in front of the other? Each walk may be different depending on who you are with, if you are with a group, a loved one or by yourself.

Labyrinths go back thousands of years. The oldest labyrinth that was dated in existence today was carved onto a clay tablet about 4,000 years ago, and was found in Southern Greece. The original form contains seven circuits, or rings, and is called the classical or Cretan labyrinth.

Pilgrimages were made to Cathedrals such as the one in Chartes, France for those that could not make it to Jerusalem. This ancient labyrinth provided a walking meditation as part of an important spiritual practice for early Christian pilgrims.

One suggestion as you begin your walk is to take a moment to quiet your mind as you enter. Give yourself permission to let go of all stress or concerns that are troubling you as you walk the path to the center. Once you have reached the center, take time to listen for the still small voice within or to pray. As you retrace the pattern to exit, allow yourself to imagine that you are gathering all the grace or insight that you need to deal with whatever your life holds in that moment. Once you have completed the walk, you may find it helpful to write down your reflections of your journey and how it relates to your life. Anyone who desires can walk the labyrinth. It is accessible to everyone. As a walking meditative practice, it can help center, focus, and relax. The present day labyrinths serve as a tool for spiritual exploration. The path belongs to all cultures and all religions. There is no right or wrong way to walk the labyrinth. Walk the labyrinth with an open mind and an open heart. Sue was fortunate to be able to bring a portable canvas labyrinth into a women’s correctional institute for many years as part of The Angel Team.

To see what a labyrinth looks like and to read an article about the labyrinth experience, please visit: http://www.synergisticcenter.com

Sue Heldenbrand BS, CHTP, CIET

Lafayette, La. 70506

337-232-4799

energyworker2003@yahoo.com

Sue became involved with Healing Touch in 1998 and received her certification as a Healing Touch practitioner in 2002.  She is also a Certified Integrated Energy Therapy Practitioner, a Reiki Practitioner, Trauma Release and a Quantum Touch Practitioner.  She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Personnel Management from the University of Southwestern Louisiana.  She has been a guest speaker for numerous organizations, as well as presenting at state conferences.  Sue has written articles on energy work for alternative and complementary newsletters. She has developed material and has been a trainer for education classes for child care providers in several cities in Louisiana since 2003.   She has been able to integrate energy- based therapies into local hospital’s operating and recovery rooms as well as providing these therapies to newborn babies at a local hospital.  As a volunteer at health fairs and cancer survivor retreats offering energy based therapies, Sue has gained experience in dealing with a variety of health challenges.  Sue is also an Instructor at Blue Cliff College and has helped conduct workshops with local hospitals and hospice for caregivers.

Training in an advanced Healing Touch technique for PTSD (“amygdala connection”) proved helpful for recovery personnel dealing with the aftermath of hurricanes as they dealt with anxiety, confusion, sleeping disturbances, undiagnosed pain and other symptoms of acute stress disorder. Trauma Release is helpful for health providers to reduce secondary stress effects of working with traumatized clients or in trauma settings like hospitals, first response settings, disasters, battle zones, etc.

Sue’s private clientele includes World War II and Iraqi war veterans, abuse victims and other individuals reporting symptoms of stress from life-threatening illnesses, chronic pain, accidents, and the death of loved ones. As a volunteer working with cancer survivors and hospital personnel, Sue has assisted individuals dealing with the trauma of their illness.

Sue has a private practice in Lafayette, Louisiana.

http://www.SynergisticCenter.com

It could also be a series of stressful or traumatic events. It can be a series of events, abuse, and fear produced by a critical and unsupportive parent or anything that produces a feeling of helplessness. These experiences can be overwhelming and dealing with emotions can be difficult. Although the event has ended, the memories may last for months or years to come.

One way that these emotions may be released from the part of the brain that stores these memories is with energy-based therapies. Energy-based therapies use techniques that address all levels of the individual: mental, emotional, spiritual as well as physical and allow the person to heal on whatever level is needed.

What happens in our bodies and our brain when we perceive a threatening situation or we have been through a traumatic situation? Feelings of anger, rage, fear, avoidance and defensiveness are involved in the limbic brain or our emotional brain. There is a section of the limbic or emotional brain that inspires the freeze reaction, sweaty palms, and muscles to tense, protective postures or facial expressions. This area of the brain sends adrenaline and other hormones into the blood stream.

There are unconscious memory centers in our brains that store these traumatic events. When we experience sensations, images, smells, sights or anything that reminds us of the trauma, our body reacts as if being a present threat. The traumatic experience still exists in our brain and contains the emotional and conscious memory traces of the event. Our brains are unable to release this message of threat that it is receiving and shows up as symptoms of fear and anxiety.

Using energy-based techniques such as Healing Touch can help to release these stuck emotions and give the person a sense of peace and well-being. Practitioners act as facilitators in assisting the individual in their journey to self heal. For more information about this form of trauma release or other forms of energy-based therapies,

please visit http://www.synergisticcenter.com Holistic Health practitioners can sign up to be included in our directory) or http://www.enchanted-garden.com to find ways to heal with nature (A garden decor site with an emphasis on healing with nature, free newsletter)

Every second of my day I have to make a choice. It’s like this for everyone, I’m not different or unusual. I may have more obstacles to overcome in being successful when determining my path. What’s the most important part of my day? Keeping my mind clear so I can always see the goals I’m attempting to achieve. Because I have multiple goals I must think even more clearly – with every step I take in my day staying aware and mindful – because if I don’t cherish my goals I’ll lose them in the fight of trying to win.
 
Conversations with my self abound and I must take the time to voice my concerns, my reasons for wanting to win, my reasons for my goals so they must be written in stone so that I can call on them easily. It’s a tough fight every day. Day three of this very important journey and I’m not winning every fight. It’s when I don’t win that I must speak to myself again, encourage myself, be my own support system because Lord knows, I have only my maker and no one else to support me.
 
It’s a game almost. I talk to myself and ask myself, “What is it that you want to gain or achieve?” and I have to think about it and answer myself, “I want to gain strength, I want to be the strongest I have ever been before in my life. I want to be a leader. I want physical and mental optimal health. I want to be in total self control.”
 
I’ve talked about educating ones self until you can understand what it is you must do and then taking action to arrive at change being made. It’s been my theme throughout the time I’ve had my network of websites. I discovered this theme early on but it’s not that simple or easy to follow in all ways. I must still love myself and value myself. A friend put this quote on my facebook today of all days… 

Without self promotion, one will never learn to value ones self. How can one find the value of others, if you cannot value yourself? 

How did he know I needed to hear that? He’s struggling too. He is on a personal growth journey of recovery as well, even if he doesn’t realize it – he is. He is very good at expressing himself through writing. I’m learning more about writing and enjoying it very much. If I could only write nearly as well as he does it will be an accomplisment for me. 

But the most important point I want to make is that gaining self mastery over ones self is like quitting cigarettes. You always want one, but you can’t light the match, you can’t even pick up the cigarette. You must throw them all away to quit cold turkey and you must stay vigilent because your mind will try to talk you into smoking just “ONE” just smoke one and then start to quit again… it will be okay. No one is completely successful at quitting. Sometimes cold turkey isn’t possible for everyone. Baloney! Cold turkey is possible for everyone. You just have to want to win against nicotine. 

You have to ask yourself the question – “What do you really want to accomplish here?” If you’re hungry what do you ask yourself? “Am I really hungry? When did I eat last? What will I eat? Will I eat something that is going to promote good health? Will I eat something that is good for my body?” Then you have to talk yourself through the choices you are making when you open the refrigerator. There is no reasoning concerning eating poor choices because you want to win! This is self help. This is what you must do to help yourself win and become stronger. Then when you win you must revel in it. You must thank yourself for making good choices and you must say to yourself, “Good job! You are becoming stronger!” 

If you ever watch Tiger Woods playing golf, (which you might think golf is boring, but try this sometime) you will notice that he carries himself like a professional. He carries himself like a winner. His body is in good shape and his mind must stay vigilent upon the goal of winning. He stays to himself and concentrates and doesn’t let outside influences interfere with his goal of winning the game. He is a champion. He must tell himself throughout the game that he is the best and he can do what he is setting out to do. Once he lets his mind wander the goal may get lost. He may hit some poor shots off the fairway and into the trees or the rough. Then he must get himself out of the trouble he is in if he just let his mind wander for a few seconds. He must conger up those powers of concentration as he gets himself back on the road of a winner.

If you don’t like golf, find someone that you admire who has accomplished great things. Study that person and see what you can do to follow in the winner’s footsteps! This is my challenge. It is a challenge I must meet every second of my day and not tire of it. I want to be a winner and accomplish great things. I don’t want to spend my time lamenting that I can never do what I want or that I am overwhelmed with the task. I am strong enough, I can gain more strength, I can beat the odds that self helpers face and win my game!

I had some time alone last night. Teenagers gone, husband fishing, and I had to think about what I was doing because I had neglected to think every second. I wasn’t remembering that I want to be strong and healthy. I was just reacting and moving about without any thoughts at all. Why would I jeopardize winning? It’s just because that is how I have been for too long. It’s difficult to change habits. This is why the conversations with myself will be many and close together. I will win. I will have difficulties but I will come out on top. I am worth the battle. I love myself enough to do it. I have found out how important I am to the world. I can make changes in it.

I just figured out that 25,000 people a month are coming to my network of sites from around the world, not just in the US. That means that I have won the battle already because I remember starting out and only accomplishing a few hundred visitors per month. I remember having only one website and now there are almost thirty-five. I’m thrilled that I can make a simple change in someone’s live every month, never mind the 25,000 visitors that are coming to my network. And I have a very large number of people who return! That is especially important to me because there is so much information here and I add info constantly to the network. I’m very happy to say I am accomplishing something good. Now I must help myself as much as I help others.

My motto of helping others while helping myself must stay forefront in my thoughts. I hope that if you are in a fight for accomplishing something that you will stay with me as I write my thoughts out for you to compare yours to. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, I’m so happy to receive them! You can always email me instead of commenting here at: emotionalfeelings101@hotmail.com ! Have a happy Sunday!

Kathleen Howe owns and operates the emotional feelings network of sites – a self help network of over 30 websites linked together. She also keeps her personal blog available so visitors can see what her real life struggles continue to be living with PTSD and depression while in her own personal growth recovery journey.