Neurologically, gratitude can impact hormone and neurotransmitter levels in the brain and body, which can alter the mental state. When an individual is grateful, it impacts the part of the brain stem that produces dopamine. Dopamine helps control the reward and pleasure centers in the brain and helps regulate movement and emotional responses. Gratitude also has the ability to increase serotonin levels. Even if it is hard to think of a specific thing for which you are grateful for, research has shown that the simple act of searching for gratitude can increase serotonin production in the brain. Serotonin plays a role in constricting smooth muscles, transmitting impulses between nerve cells, regulating body processes, and contributing to well-being and happiness. Research has shown that seratonin is responsible for maintaining mood balance, and that a deficit of serotonin can lead to depression.
There are times in life when it seems like there is a barrier to feeling gratitude; sometimes there is a life event happening that makes it hard to feel grateful or a health crisis or it just feels like there is a road block. What happens if you can’t feel gratitude?
From a CranioSacral Therapy perspective, it is important to go within to seek answers. Dr. John Upledger, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, believed that each of us has an Inner Physician within us. This Inner Physician (IP) is the inner wisdom that provides you with a sense of knowing and your IP knows your whole story, from conception to your current situation. By enlisting the assistance of your IP, you are assisted in unlocking blockages that may be impacting your physical, emotional, and mental health, and that may be dampening your ability to feel gratitude. Using CranioSacral Therapy with the guidance of your IP, you may learn to release these barriers and enjoy a greater sense of well-being and thankfulness for your body’s ability to heal, be well, and to be the home for your soul.
This November, let’s be grateful for our Inner Physicians and our bodies!
(Featured in Natural Awakenings, November 2016)