Happy festive season everyone. I think this is the perfect time of year for cultivating more peace and connection. These 2 ingredients offer the best recipe for inviting miracles, health and happiness into life. They are also 2 elements which are wonderful for boosting my favourite hormone/neurotransmitter in the body - oxytocin. I have had many opportunities this year for developing my experience and knowledge for this profound body chemical, also known as the love hormone and the master hormone, as it influences so many hormones in the body. Oxytocin is one of the body chemicals involved in our experience of pleasure, which is medicine for the body, heart and soul. 2024 was the year I proclaimed as my year to focus on pleasure, and so I am grateful for all the pleasurable experiences this attracted for me.
One particular experience that was filled with pleasure and oxytocin boosting experiences, was my recent KaHuna massage training in Queensland. This was the 6th level in this profession, and is titled spiritual adventure. For those of you who have been asking me about it, here are a few juicy details, built into my blog post for this month.
One of my favourite quotes from Rumi captures the essence of my KaHuna training and spiritual adventure:
# Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love.
The art of healing and the wonder of the body continue to pull me through life with a spirit of curiosity and purpose. KaHuna trainings with Mette’s Institute are based on the ancient Huna philosophies and spiritual connection, which is essentially where all healing comes from. We are trained to use our bodies as instruments for the spirit of Aloha (AKA universal love) in the art of healing. Like any experience of connection, this boosts oxytocin production.
Essentially my training was one big oxytocin experience. #There was plenty of time for connection with nature to receive spiritual insight and restoration. #There was time for connection with our own body wisdom through learning practices which clear the energy channels receive intuitive guidance. #We had many opportunities to give and receive massage, a very nice way of boosting oxytocin through the power of touch. #There was also time for connection with so many other beautiful humans sharing the spirit of aloha - love and joy. It was super social and oxytocin gets a huge boost through social connection and laughter. #We practiced the ancient art of toning - using the voice to direct healing and love to others and to the environment. In return, we received many amazing displays of whales and dolphins, doing things I had never seen them do before. These moments were so magical, I get an oxytocin boost just remembering them.
It is easy to slip out of the expansive and joyful state cultivated by the KaHuna training bubble. I have practices that support me to stay inspired. One of them is to listen to podcasts. Recently I was very much touched by an interview with author Jennifer Wallace. She discussed the concept of ‘Mattering’ which also captures the essence of oxytocin and connection. #Her philosophy is to build strong connections with the people you trust in life by fostering mutual support. This could involve asking your kids to support you with tasks or reaching out to a friend for advice or support. It also involves showing gratitude for the people in your life, such as thanking them for bringing a smile or a laugh on a difficult day. By doing this we affirm to the people around us that they matter and this bolsters oxytocin, mental health and much more. When this is reversed and we offer our help or support to others, we are also able to receive an oxytocin boost. Study’s that have demonstrated this call it the ‘helper’s high’.
To explore the chemistry of oxytocin a little further, here are a few fun facts. It is produced in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. This brain gland is prone to the negative effects of fatigue and toxicity, as any part of the body is. #When the brain is in fatigue, or over-burdened with toxicity, the decline in oxytocin may be evident in these ways:
Poor ability to manage stress
Difficulty with soothing self
Poor immune function and ability to recover (frequent illness)
Poor cellular regeneration, particularly muscle cells.
Muscle and joint pain (oxytocin has pain-dulling and anti-inflammatory effects)
Poor bone mineral density.
Poor ability to connect socially and feel open and trusting towards others
Problems with sexual pleasure, intimacy, and intimate relationships
Poor appetite suppression
High blood pressure and stress levels
#Increasing your pleasurable experiences can support you to build your oxytocin. If pleasure for you is simply rest, relaxation and sleep, then it may be that you are fatigued. The body is always giving us important feedback about what feels better and what causes too much stress. When we take the time to listen to its wisdom we are richly rewarded with better health, better choices and a better life.
Lets look at what interferes with peace and connection (alias oxytocin).
In the wise words of Rupert Spira from his illuminating book You Are The Happiness You Seek, ‘psychological suffering arises on behalf of the belief that we are a separate and independently existing self.’ He refers to texts of the Zen Buddhist tradition which suggests that when we remember and trust in the nature of loving awareness that lives within, we are connected with all of life. #We can then allow things to be as they are, things allow us to be as we are, and the peace and happiness that is our nature emerges effortlessly. ‘If you wish to be happy and at peace, then hold no opinions for or against anyone or anything.’ P 91 A full time job of keeping a check on the thoughts that arise - I know! I have many moments of grappling with a mind that continues to bring up criticisms, judgements and opinions. These are the moments that I ask for help from a greater source, or turn to an activity that supports me with peace and connection such as a reading a spiritual text, heart centred breath and meditation, talking to loved ones.
Biochemically we can also consider what interferes with peace and pleasure. Something I see a lot of in my kinesiology practice is maladaptive survival patterns. The amygdala and a few other survival centres in the brain can become stuck in survival patterns of blocked pleasure and reward. This can look like an inability to enjoy your successes and instead look for the next achievement or task. It can look like being hyper focused on getting the jobs done, working long hours to earn a living and not able to enjoy your income. It can also look like not creating space to have pleasure or recognise your need for pleasure, and instead looking at all the things that need improving or that could be better. It can also be a stuck state of procrastination and not going ahead with the activities that the heart desires. #Change begins with awareness, and the re-patterning can take some time and mindfulness, so be kind with yourself as you grow and evolve in the ways your heart desires.
Here is the recap of the 11 paths to peace and connection:
Let yourself be drawn by the pull of what you really love - act on the things that truly matter to you.
Spend time in nature each day.
Take some still, quiet time to listen to your body’s needs and feedback each day.
Offer yourself or someone you love a massage.
Build relationships with people who light you up or make you smile and laugh.
Sing, hum, sigh or use and other sounds when you need a nervous system reset.
Reach out to loved ones when in need and offer a helping hand when you see the need.
Address any fatigue by ensuring you prioritise sleep and restoration time.
Include more pleasurable experiences in your day or week.
Let go of opinions, judgements or criticisms and refocus on what you are grateful for
Be kind to yourself while you release old patterns that block your ability to operate more from loving awareness.
If you need some support with anything mentioned here, I can offer:
Kinesiology for supporting your brain pathways and subconscious re-patterning or KaHuna massage to give you a nurturing space for connection with body, heart and soul.
References:
A Romm, THE JOURNAL / ON HEALTH: A PODCAST FOR WOMEN / ARE WE CHASING THE WRONG KIND OF SUCCESS? THE HIGH COST OF TOXIC ACHIEVEMENT CULTURE WITH JENNIFER WALLACE, https://avivaromm.com/toxic-achievement/
R Spira (2022) You Are The Happiness You seek, Sahaja Publications, UK