Health and Happiness

I just returned from a lengthy trip that included stops in Israel, Egypt, Morocco, and Spain. The trip was planned with a loose itinerary because the best travel is the unexplored and the adventures you experience along the way. When you travel you open yourself up to experiences outside the safety of your nest.

Although all the stops were intriguing and all had special moments, in Marrakech we visited the art museum, which was a bit of a disappointment. It was sparse and the art crudely displayed. There were old Berber tribal bowls, jewelry, and blankets on display but nothing spectacular. Then suddenly it hit me that the real art of Marrakech was outside in the medina (the old city) where the Berbers where still hand-painting pots, making blankets, and jewelry. The art of Marrakech was alive and interactive! It existed in the souk or marketplace.

I turned to leave the museum and written on the wall was a quote from the philosopher Voltaire, “I decided to be happy because it is good for my health.” This made me stop in my tracks and contemplate the words on the wall. There I was in the middle of old Marrakech feeling a sense of simple enlightenment. Is it true? Does being happy make you healthy?

Scientific study after study tells us that when a person is in a happy relationship, is happy with their work and generally optimistic about life, he or she is healthier. Thiat's because when we are relaxed and happy (away from anxiety and stress) blood pressure is lower, heart rate is quieter, digestion works better and our minds are more relaxed. We sleep better, have more energy and generally feel better when we are happy. Studies have shown that being in a happy state improves immune functioning.

Speaking before an audience in Arizona, the Dalai Lama said, “I believe that the very purpose of life is to seek happiness. That is clear. Whether one believes in this religion or that religion, we all are seeking something better in life. So I think, the very motion of our life is towards happiness ...”

When asked if happiness was a reasonable goal for most of us, the Dalai Lama replied, "Yes. I believe that happiness can be achieved through training the mind.”

Isn’t this just want Voltaire meant by the quote on the wall? Isn’t happiness a state of mind or a state of being and not a state of possession? And when you feel happy doesn’t it reflect in your health?

Like everyone there are things in my life that cause me to feel anxious, sad and even angry at times. But when I move from these states of being into focusing on gratitude for what I have, for what I can do and for what I can experience, I find that happiness creeps in and my mind is a little quieter, my step a little peppier, my energy increases, and my laughter and smiles are infectious. When I am happy I sleep better and eat better, and by all accounts being happy seems to be good for my health; body, mind and soul.

Doctor Lynn
www.doctorlynn.com