BEAUTY TIP #13 – Unleashing Bliss through Limbic Looping

“Limbic Looping”

We all need to feel pleasure. Consciously or sub-consciously we will do whatever it takes to feel it.  If you think you are beyond pleasure seeking; read on.

There is a portion of our brain that is called the “limbic system”, and it is the seat of our memory and our gorgeous emotions. It is the part of our brain that releases our pleasure chemicals. In the book Social Intelligence, the author Daniel Goleman has done intensive research on the human brain and how it responds and functions in human relationships.  This book is loaded with so much valuable information it will make your head swim; but I want to focus on one aspect-the “looping”.

 

We have all experienced the phenomenal delight when we smile at a baby or toddler. Here is what happens: We smile at the baby, the baby watches our faces and breaks forth in a huge, toothless smile. By the time a baby is four months old, it begins to laugh and giggle for no other reason except that they are watching our own big smile. This is called “looping.”  The electromagnetic waves from our smile touches the baby’s heart, it sends that signal to the baby’s brain and the baby smiles. When we see baby smile and giggle, it makes us laugh with unexpected bliss. The limbic system unleashes pleasure chemicals that flow through our body and the bliss has begun.

Here is the simple and free way to give and receive bliss all day long:

1. Smile. I’m not talking about a little lopsided grin; I’m talking about a huge smile that reaches from ear to ear. Pretend you are trying to make a baby laugh.
2. Stop and ask people questions. Everyone loves to talk about themselves. While Jack and I are vacationing in Palm Springs we have made intentional effort to stop and talk to people. We have unleashed stories about families, golfing, playing tennis and children working at the Boeing plant; the economy and how tough it is for people to make ends meet.
3. Don’t feel like it-do it anyway. When we make ourselves stop and smile at people, they will usually smile back and we have begun to loop. Pleasure and bliss begins to flow through our brains and bodies. 
4. Make it a habit. This is definitely one habit you want to nurture. Think how simple this is, stop, smile, ask questions, receive the smile-LOOP–BLISS.
5. It is medicine that actually heals your heart. The bible tells us “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength” (Proverbs 17:22 NLT).

 

It’s tough out there these days. Gas prices are high, values of homes are down, and many relationships are hanging on by a thread. Sadly some people prefer a blackberry to a face-to-face encounter or reconciliation.  We must never forget the power of a smile.  It makes the whole world a place where bliss can be unleashed and looped.