View of falls and Liberty Bridge at Falls Park in Greenville, SC.

This year my life has been a whirlwind of challenges and blessings, culminating in our move to Greenville, SC. I’m grateful to live only a short drive from my parents now. It’s interesting to transition back to the East Coast after 18 years in Southern California. I’m excited to get back into the rhythm of the seasons. I’ve been looking forward to walks along the paths in Fall Park. Ironically, I fell and sprained my ankle just a few weeks after we arrived so I have yet to enjoy those walks. I picture myself walking the paths in my mind though as I’m healing!

Another new venture is writing on Examiner.com as the Greenville Spirituality & Wellness Examiner. It will be another chance to write about my favorite topics and I will continue to blog (or return to blogging) on my Well Soul blog just located now at www.wellsoul.net.  If I’m lucky I may earn enough from my online writing to pay for some of my seminary textbooks

Hope the fall season finds you well in body and in spirit.

I’m suffering from a little case of Blogger-apathy. I think it’s this grueling pace of daily blogging. I was having a hard time working up any topics of interest when my search led me to this article on Dr. Christiane Northrup’s website: Who Says You Can’t Have Too Much Fun? Laughing for the health of it and I noticed this statement:

“Have you ever watched any little kids? Aren’t they having fun? That’s because the average child laughs about 400 times a day,” Dr. Northrup says. “But here’s the startling second half of this equation: The average adult laughs only about 40 times a day.

As someone who was always known for her laughter (and sometimes even got in trouble for it), I have a new appreciation for the fact that I haven’t lost that youthful sense of humor! Here are some of the health benefits to humor:

Scientific American.com cited a study by the University of Maryland that tested the blood flow in both men and women after they watched various video clips from both humorous and stress-inducing movies. Results showed that laughter had a positive impact on cardiovascular health by actually increasing blood flow in the body. According to the American Institute of Stress, laughter can lessen our pain and improve our immune systems.

Get out and laugh today for your health

The healing effects of music have raised my curiosity ever since I heard about an indigenous people whose system of healing is based on music. When you are sick a song is created for you. I love that idea and know how deeply affected I can be by music. Then there is the research on certain music enhancing the function of the brain. One of the course descriptions in the California Institute of Integral Studies has a Certificate in Sound, Voice and Music Healing describes sound as:

…an ancient healing modality that has retained its potency throughout modern times. Ancient wisdom complements new technologies to impart a deeper understanding of molecular reactions, neurological benefits, and the emotional effects of sound in healing. Psychoacoustics -the study of the effect of music and sound on the human nervous system-forms the foundation upon which the emerging field of soundwork builds.

In an interview, Deborah Brown, Certified Music Practitioner says:

“I played for the newborns at Stevens Hospital,” she recollects. “When I arrived they were screaming, but as soon as I started playing they all stopped crying. I play lullabies for them – Brahms, a slowed-down Mozart sonata theme, and similar gentle music.”

In an article about the Symposium on Music and Medicine at the University of Arizona, Gene Jones, founder of Opening Minds through the Arts, a national program that interweaves arts with education, said:

“If we can get them to show that, yes, there is a change that takes in the brain, and it is affected by music, then we can fine tune what were doing,” Jones said. “We know we’re doing good things. … We don’t know how it’s happening.”

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, I’m taking a music appreciation class. It’s very basic but I’m really enjoying going beyond the simple enjoyment of music and listening a little deeper.

Whooo hooo!!! ::horns blowing::

The much anticipated day has arrived and I feel… pretty much the same. But I’m sure tons of wisdom is just going to smack into me any second now or maybe while I’m sleeping.

Look out forty-somethings here I come