DR. JAY KUMAR

Why We Need Pleasure?  
When we speak about passion and pleasure in neuroscience, they are not the hedonistic, excessive aspects of debauchery or gluttony that come to mind. Rather passion and pleasure in neurobiology are defined as feelings or sensations, opposite to but also closely associated with pain. Just like pain, pleasure appears also to be a biological mechanism wired into our human nervous system and brain for survival. It’s easy to understand how the human brain’s pain mechanism is essential for survival, e.g. think of the first time you accidentally placed a hand on a hot stove and quickly learned as something not to do again. You might, however, wonder how can pleasure be an evolutionary tool for survival? I’ll offer two good examples to illustrate this point–food and sex! Both eating and reproduction are essential for the survival of the human species. Neuroscientists now believe that over the course of time the human brain developed specific “reward circuits” and “pleasure centers” to associate and foster all pleasurable experiences as being joyful and beneficial for survival. Eventually, other pleasurable experiences that were not necessary for human survival, such as smelling the fragrance of a rose, watching a beautiful sunset, or hearing a piece of soothing music, would trigger these same pleasure areas in the brain. In all of these situations the brain releases a host of “feel good” neurotransmitters, endorphins and peptides that the brain ultimately associates with positive emotions and feelings. While small and regular doses of these neurochemicals in the body are now shown to be healthy, the problem arises when we experience too much or even too little of these pleasurable activities that might lead to addictive and compulsive behavior. I will explore this topic in my next piece.  

How Pleasure is Healthy for the Brain and Body
My previous blog piece on Health, Stress, and Aging discussed how medical evidence shows that when you are under chronic stress, depression, and anxiety, elevated levels of cortisol and adrenaline in the body suppress your immune system, inhibit the cell’s ability to divide, and accelerate the aging process! In fact, numerous studies on the adverse effects of stress indicate that for every one year of life under chronic stress your body can age as much as six years! While that is certainly discouraging news to many, don’t worry, I have hope! By allowing yourself to experience healthy doses of pleasure in your life–whether it’s enjoying a great meal with friends, playing with your kids, walking the dog in the park, being intimate with your partner, or my personal favorite laughing to an episode of the Simpsons–you can actually lower stress, boost up the immune system, and most importantly possibly slow down the aging process. Let’s explore how!

In the growing medical field of psychoneuroimmunology, researchers explore the intimate relationship how human behavior, the brain, and body promote health and ward off disease. At the Neuroscience Research Institute at the State University of New York in 2004 Dr. George Stefano conducted experiments to show exactly how pleasure triggers the “feel-good” chemical proenkephalin, a hormone that plays an important physiological function to regulate pain perception and response to stress. Most surprising of all, the study indicates that healthy amounts of pleasure release an important antibacterial agent in the body, known as enkelytin, an opioid peptide that appears to attack bacteria and strengthen the immune system.

All Work and No Play
You’ve probably heard of the old adage that all work and no play make for a dull life. Well, it also now appears that all work and no play also make for an unhealthy and short-lived life! The notion that pleasure is not only healthy but an integral part of human behavior and survival might run counter to our long held stereotypes about the pursuit of pleasure. While the philosophical foundation of this country was established on a Puritan work ethic that viewed passion and pleasure as the sinful path to debauchery and vice, neurobiology and the growing field of social and affective neuroscience now advocate differently. Contrary to what many of you might have been taught, when you lack healthy pleasures in life, your brain experiences a “pleasure and reward deficiency,” which in turn inhibits the release of beneficial neurochemicals into the body to reduce stress, promote a strong immune system, and create overall health and wellness! So the next time someone criticizes you for “having too much fun,” just smile and know that not only is having pleasure good for the soul, it actually now turns out to crucial for your health and well-being!

As Neal Diamond Walsch eloquently states, “Give yourself abundant pleasure, that you may have abundant pleasure to give others.” 

May you always be Living Your Light as you enjoy all of life’s pleasures and passions!

Dr. Jay Kumar
www.drjaykumar.com
Facebook – Dr. Jay Kumar
Twitter - docjaykumar

We've all heard the phrase "take a breather." So, it now turns out that there's a medical fact behind that saying! Our brains naturally have a "relaxation response" tahat we can tap into through the breath! Learn what the latest research in neuroscience provides for you to experience greater health, cope with stress, and enjoy more calm in your life. Catch the latest podcast of AWAKE with Dr. Jay Kumar on the Doug Stephan Good Day Show.

Remember to relax, breathe, and enjoy life!

Dr. Jay Kumar

www.drjaykumar.com
Facebook – Dr. Jay Kumar
Twitter – docjaykumar 

I often like to say that we are nothing more than “humans in divine play.” We are all aspects of a universal divine energy choosing to have a wordly experience in the physical body. Many of the religious and spiritual traditions of the world express the common belief that we are merely spirits, who consciously chose to incarnate into the physical plane in order to express and celebrate the divine and sacred love of creation. The Indian philosopher and spiritual teacher, Paramahansa Yogananda, poetically describes that just as oil is present in every part of the olive, so too does love permeate all aspects of the universe. The way in which universe celebrates love is through YOU. Each and every one of you is a sacred aspect of divine creation, and you each carry within the divine spark of love that burns passionately at the core of your being.

Knowing that everyone embodies the eternal spark of divine love within, why is that so many choose to experience confusion, loneliness, fear, emptiness, drama or apathy in life? Why do you choose to close your hearts to the sacred universal love that, like the oil forever present throughout the olive, permeates all aspects of existence? To answer this question, I offer you a quote from the contemporary Buddhist teacher, Pema Chodron, who so accurately states in her very eloquent way, “The only reason we don't open our hearts and minds to other people is that they trigger confusion in us that we don't feel brave enough or sane enough to deal with. To the degree that we can look clearly and compassionately at ourselves, will we feel confident and fearless about looking into someone else's eyes.”

The key to experiencing genuinely nurturing relationships and to receiving authentic love in your life occurs only when you are able firstly to embody and love unconditionally ALL those aspects within yourself that comprise your true being. Only by accepting compassionately without judgment all that you are–your light, your joy, your truth AS WELL as your pain, your vulnerability and your fears will you be able to extend unconditional love to all areas of your life and to all those in your life.

One of the fundamental tenets being advanced in the field of quantum physics is that the universe appears to operate on the “law of resonance and attraction.” Additionally, theories from cognitive studies and neuroscience suggest that your thoughts are just fluctuating energies of consciousness. Since the universe is fundamentally comprised of energies vibrating at various frequencies, the frequency of energy that your thoughts resonate on and the belief systems you project will attract that exact same energy into your life. Simply put, whatever you believe about your Self is exactly what you experience. Your thoughts, thus, literally do create your reality! The universe is nothing more than an objective and impartial mirror that reflects back on to you EXACTLY what it is you believe about the world and about yourself. If for example, you are vibrating on a frequency of fear or self-loathing, the universe will simply mirror back to you situations, people and relationships that not only match, but also reinforce these patterns and belief systems. If, however, you choose to resonate on the frequency and energy of unconditional love and abundance, beginning first with yourself, the universe reflects back on to you these qualities that, in turn, manifest in all aspects of your life– especially in your relationships!

This principle, known as the “law of resonance and attraction,” can easily be seen by a simple experiment. Placing two identical pianos in the same room, when you strike a key on one piano the exact same chord will begin automatically to vibrate in the other piano. This phenomenon of “resonance and attraction” occurs for you, as well, understanding that ultimately you, everyone else and the universe are governed by the same rules of physics. Just as the second piano mirrors back the same note from the first piano, similarly the universe and others reflect back to you whatever energy and frequency you emit. You attract what you resonate!

Your body also contains various energy centers, known in the Indian tradition as chakras. These chakras, although not physically visible, are the portals through which divine energy enters and manifests in the body. You can also think of these chakras as vibrating energy centers that, like the piano, emit frequencies. The chakra said to be located near the heart is known in Sanskrit, the ancient sacred language of India, as anaahata and loosely translates as “the place where nothing clashes or comes into conflict.” Only when you abide as an integrated whole honoring, accepting and truly loving all that you are, do you release all the clashing and conflict that you hold onto in your heart. Just as the pianos react to different frequencies, you also respond to every  vibration of energy produced by your thoughts, emotions, and beliefs you hold about yourself. When you are able to embrace all that you find in discord within you and hold in harmony all aspects of yourself that you carry in your heart, only then can you truly begin to taste the divine nectar of the fruit of love! As the medieval poet Rumi masterfully writes, “Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”

I invite you to commemorate this Valentine’s Day by acknowledging and embracing all that you hold onto in your life that prevents your body, mind, heart and soul from truly opening to the power of love that is all around and permeates the very fabric of existence. Observe and become a compassionate witness to all those aspects in life that you notice acting as barriers for you to be in harmony with universe and your spirit. You may ask yourself, “What is it that I hold onto physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually that prevents me from experiencing this divine love and joyous relationship with my divine being?” Again without holding judgment toward these barriers you carry within you, dedicate your Valentine’s Day to embracing and cherishing ALL THAT YOU ARE! For the more you can experience compassion and love to yourself, the more will you be able to revel in the love that awaits you! I think this quote from Leonardo Buscaglia sums it up quite nicely, "Love yourself. Accept yourself. 
Forgive yourself and be good to yourself. 
Because without YOU, the rest of US are without a source of many good things!"

Even though Valentine’s Day occurs once a year, why just let this day of the year be the one when you celebrate love. LET EVERY DAY, EVERY HOUR, EVERY MOMENT of your life become an ecstatic and conscious celebration of LOVE, not only to others but also to that sacred and most important relationship of all–the one with your Self. As you honor the sacred and beautiful divine being that you are, may your love and light shine forth fully and brightly and know that the world would be a much dimmer place without you here! 

Dr. Jay Kumar

www.drjaykumar.com
Facebook - Dr. Jay Kumar
Twitter - docjaykumar

Happy 2012! So how many of you who made a New Year’s resolution are still keeping up with it? Believe it or not, studies show that 90% of you will break or abandon your New Year’s resolutions by the second part of January! Do you wonder why that is? Well, I have a couple of ideas. One reason deals with language and the word “resolution” itself. The other key entails your brain and the emotional place from which you make your resolutions. In fact your language, brain, and emotions all are factors in determining if you’ll succeed or succumb to your New Year’s resolutions. Curious to learn how you can stick to your New Year’s goals?

Let’s start with the power of language and thoughts and explore the word “resolution.” When you break down this word, a “resolution” is in reality a “re-solution” When you “re-solve” to do something, you’re generally “re-solving” a problem or a situation. So if your New Year’s resolution sounds something like, “I resolve to eat more properly, I resolve to quit smoking, I resolve to exercise more regularly, etc.” the underlying message is that you’re attempting to “solve a problem” in your life and judge aspects of yourself that you dislike. While I agree that all of these resolutions are worthwhile to make, if you’re making them all from an emotional and mental place of low self-esteem, self-judgment, and self-pity, it only makes it that much harder to continue with your goals and intentions for wanting greater health and happiness.

This idea of making resolutions from a psychological state of negative thinking connects to the other piece regarding your brain and emotions. The latest findings in neuroscience state that your brain is biologically wired to remember more negative thoughts and emotions over positive ones. The neuropsychologist, Dr. Rick Hanson, sums it up nicely by stating, “The mind is like Velcro for negative experiences and Teflon for positive ones.” I’m sure many of you can relate to this idea, but why is that your minds tend to remember the painful, negative experiences but not so much the joyous, happy moments? There’s actually a neurobiological answer that has to do with something called a “negativity bias.” At the University of Washington a study revealed how a negative experience remains wired into your brain more strongly than a positive one. In fact, it takes up to five positive experiences to outweigh a negative thought!

So whenever you perceive aspects of your life as a problem, your consciousness automatically perceives them as negative or unwanted aspects of yourself that you have to rid in order to be perfect, happy, etc. This type of thinking only generates and perpetuates low self-esteem and feelings of unworthiness that in turn compound your attitude of failure and frustration. So it’s no wonder that you might lack commitment and abandon your hopes and dreams that you made with enthusiasm at the New Year. So what’s the answer to stop your unhealthy thoughts of shame or guilt when it comes to making New Year’s resolutions to aspects you perceive as problems in your life?

I invite you to consider the possibility that rather than making a New Year’s “re-solution” you make a New Year’s “re-affirmation” for what you want to manifest in 2012! How does that sound to you? Say to yourself – “I’m making a New Year’s REAFFIRMATION!” When you say this phrase, you begin to “affirm” aspects of your life that are already great and working for you. By making a reaffirmation you focus on all the empowered positive choices you’ve already made, rather than on “re-solving” all the problems you believe exist in your life.

In the fields of cognitive psychology and neurolinguistics, the language and words that you use have a very powerful impact on how you act and how you live. In neuroscience, this concept is known as creating a “neural net.” The thoughts and words that you choose to believe about yourself rewire your brain physiology eventually creating a neural net that reinforces these patterns of consciousness. In essence, your thoughts literally influence your health and wellbeing. As the Buddha eloquently stated, “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make our world.” This quote is relevant to our discussion. When you shift your thoughts and language from “re-solving” a problem to “re-affirming” an intention, you in turn alter your consciousness from viewing your life as a series of pesky problems to one of joyous affirmations.

So here are two great exercises you can do. The first is to reword your New Year’s resolutions into reaffirmations. Taking the examples of resolutions I used earlier, you can rephrase them by saying, “I reaffirm to continue being happy, healthy and to love myself in 2012 by eating more properly, by quitting smoking, and by exercising more regularly.” Can you feel a difference in the language of this new affirmation from the previous resolution? The fundamental shift is that your reaffirmations begin by “re-affirming” the positive and joyous aspects of your life, which in turn make it easier to create the changes you want.

The second tool, which addresses the “negativity bias,” is to make a list of five aspects or qualities in your life that you already do well. If you recall it can take up to five positive thoughts and emotions to outweigh an unhealthy one. I encourage you to have this list near you at all times by keeping it on your cell phone, in your wallet or purse, or on your office desk. This is your “affirmation” list, which will help alleviate any frustration and disappointment you might have as you move forward in your goals for 2012. Repeat these affirmations to yourself on a daily basis, or whenever you feel the need.

These exercises of rewording your resolutions to reaffirmations and of creating your “affirmation list” help you to focus on those aspects of life that empower you, instead of shame or guilt you. In turn, cultivating more emotionally and mentally healthy thoughts creates the foundation for more transformation to occur in your life. In just a short time, you will quickly learn to use these newly created New Year’s reaffirmations and begin the gradual steps to realize your goals. The key word here is gradual. Deep and profound change rarely happens instantly or overnight. So be patient and compassionate to yourself, knowing the great news is that you can enjoy your New Year’s reaffirmations all throughout 2012! Watch the full video clip on Youtube here to learn more!

So if you’ve already broken your New Year’s resolutions, I’m here to tell you that there’s still hope. The answer for you to fulfill your dreams and goals for the year and beyond is to transform your New Year’s “resolutions” to New Year’s “reaffirmations.” Have a wonderful day and an amazing 2012, as you continue Living Your Lightâ with your new reaffirmations!

Dr. Jay Kumar
www.drjaykumar.com
Facebook – Dr. Jay Kumar
Twitter – docjaykumar