I’ve not written a blog for ages and I’ve missed it.  So the prospect of having a free day today to put pen to paper was really exciting….and then I sat down to write and my mind went blank and old, unhelpful thinking patterns kicked in…the inner voice that said “you’re not very good at this, you don’t even know what to write about”.

So, I thought I’d have a read through some of my previous blogs and surprise, surprise, I seem to start every blog with the same pattern of thinking; I start telling myself I don’t know where to start and I’m not very good at this.  It made me laugh, which jolted me into awareness, and I said to myself “get a grip, Sarah!  What can you do differently right now”?  Well….I can read some of my other blogs and get some inspiration about what I want to write about.  So I did.

And, guess what?  Reading some of my other blogs showed me that I can actually write quite well and sometimes even make a reasonable point!  So I’m going to remember that for next time I start to repeat that old, unhelpful thinking pattern.   Or will I?

Anyway, I had a read of this previous blog where I talked about how I am trying to keep my vibration high in order to support my body to be in it’s natural healing mode – the Parasympathetic Nervous System’s response.  The higher the frequency of our energy or vibration, the lighter we feel in our physical, emotional, and mental bodies. We are then likely to experience greater personal power, clarity, peace, love, and joy and likely to experience less discomfort or pain in our physical body, and our emotions are more manageable.

What I realised was, whilst I knew this, I had allowed my vibration to drop recently.  Clearly another ‘note-to-self’ moment!  Not that I’m blaming myself for having allowed it drop, or anyone else for that matter…just a combination of life’s stressors outweighing my ability to stay grounded and present.

A powerful couple of questions which I frequently ask clients when we’re checking in to a session is “how are you feeling?” and “what do you need?” and that was what I asked myself over the Christmas period.

I needed a break.  I needed a rest; physically, mentally and emotionally.  And I needed to reconnect with myself; really listen to what my body was telling me and honour that.

And I’m so grateful that I was in a position to be able to really honour that by getting away for a week in the sun with my best friend.

It was a week of reconnection, relaxation, meaningful experiences and lots and lots of laughter.

During that ‘reconnection with myself’ process I realised how much laughter is a part of me.  I really feel at my best when I’m laughing; I feel most like me.  And I needed to bring more of it back into my life because it feels REALLY good.

And here’s why it feels so good:

• It relives physical tension and stress.
• It reduces stress hormones and improves mood.
• It boosts the immune system and Improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow.
• It triggers the release of oxytocin and endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals.
• It can help you see a different perspective on problems and help you build resilience and positive mindset.
• It builds bonding and strengthens relationships.
• It empowers you to find meaning and hope, even in the most difficult times.

And laughter is contagious – how cool is that?!

All emotions are contagious; It’s called ‘emotional contagion’.  Mirror neurons mirror the movement of the person you’re interacting with’s facial muscles.  The more time you spend with them the more you’ll smile if they’re smiling.  The parts of the emotional brain that correspond with those muscles will be activated so you will start to feel how they are feeling.

This, of course, also works if you’re interacting with someone who has low frequency energy e.g. anger, sadness or fear so be careful to protect your energy.

So back to my week in the sun (sorry!).  Despite drinking rather a lot of San Miguel and laughing so much my stomach hurt (which is, of course, actually sit-up’s in disguise 😊) we also meditated on the beach every day.  And what a privilege that was.  Meditation strengthens the pre-frontal cortex part of the brain, which helps us manage our state, enhances our focus and helps us experience happiness and joy.

So have I made a point in this blog?  I think so, and here it is.  Meditation and laughter is really bloody good for you.  Why not bring some more of it into your life?

With love Sarah xx