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Journalism of Courage
Love is what the doctor ordered. Love is the greatest healing force. I am tired of these clicheacute;s until I find myself in the Chopra Centre for Well Being in California.
Here, American health professionals are attending a three-day workshop called 8216;Journey into Healing8217;.
Deepak Chopra, the mind-body guru and author of more than 40 best-selling books, explains his philosophy in measured tones.
I learn that there is a scientific explanation for why love, that rosy, head-in-the-cloud feeling, acts as a healing force. Chopra, an endocrinologist, elaborates on the hormones that are produced when one feels love:
Serotonin the 8216;happy hormone8217;, which gives a feeling of joy; dopamine the 8216;power hormone8217;, which gives a feeling of self-confidence; oxytocin the 8216;pleasure hormone8217;, which is produced when a mother gives birth and is now proven to be produced during orgasm.
So now you know why we feel self-confident, happy, adaptable and resilient when filled with love. And there8217;s more good news: When these hormones flood the body, the immune system also gets stimulated.
8216;8216;Lack of love can be fatal,8217;8217; Chopra says. 8216;8216;It really does make the difference between life and death.8217;8217; He explains it in terms of the 8216;8216;triune8221; three part nature of the brain.
While the 8216;reptilian brain8217;, the earliest part of the brain to develop 300 million years ago is responsible for basic responses, the 8216;limbic brain8217; 100 million years old is the seat of emotions and is responsible for the elaborate interactions with one8217;s young ones.
The most recently developed 9 million years old part of the brain is the neo cortex, which grew when oral and written language were discovered.
These three brain parts function independently. However, the limbic brain monitors outside environment and modulates our internal environment.
Therefore, it is important to generate 8216;limbic resonance8217; by listening to your loved one and 8216;limbic regulation8217; by cuddling and massaging. Healing takes place when this limbic regulation and stabilisation of biological function occurs.
Chopra cites documented case studies to prove his point. He quotes Charles Darwin: 8216;We have emotions because they protect us8217;. The message is that love, compassion and empathy are 8216;8216;important for homeostasis and the feedback loop8217;8217;.
Translated into simple English, that means8212;love and empathy are great for your health.
Couldn8217;t send you any better news from California, could I?
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You Ask, They Answer
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| Counselling Conundrum 8226; Suman, 25, wants to know whether there is a difference between a counsellor and a psychologist. She also seeks the addresses of counsellors, preferably in North Delhi. The term 8216;counselling8217; has no universally accepted definition. Meanings range from giving advice for a specific life problem to support for an ongoing problem.The term 8216;psychologist8217; is used for a person who has a postgraduate degree in psychology. A clinical psychologist undergoes two more years of training, with mental health patients. The terms 8216;psychotherapist8217; and 8216;counsellor8217; are loosely used. Often, the practitioners do not have the required training and qualifications. Be vigilant. Psychiatric and psychological services are available at most general hospitals Ram Manohar Lohia and Lady Hardinge Medical College hospitals in Central Delhi, as well as psychiatry specialty institutions such as Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences IHBAS at Dilshad Garden in East Delhi and VIMHANS in South Delhi. Dr Subhash Chandra Gupta, Senior Resident, IHBAS, New Delhi |
