For 15 seconds, I want you to just laugh as hard as you can. Starting…………NOW! 

If you need some encouragement check out the amazing Lifefire Laughter Club to help you get your funny bones in shape. I just attended my first class last night, and it was…..HILARIOUS! I couldn’t stop giggling for hours afterward, and I can’t wait to go again. Scientists are still working hard to prove the health benefits of laughter, how funny is that!? In 15  seconds, you can prove that laughter is truly the best medicine. 

I am lucky. I grew up where both my family and high school required community service. As a teenager, I did not always feel lucky to be doing non teenager activities, but as an adult, I realized how much that luck has shaped who I am today. Community service is such a part of my life now, that I can’t imagine being without it. Studies show that people who are active in their community and strive to help others are truly the happiest people. Volunteering not only helps yourself, but strengthens communities, empowers individuals, bridges barriers, and creates solutions.

Dr. King believed in a nation of freedom and justice for all, and encouraged all citizens to live up to the purpose and potential of America by applying the principles of nonviolence to make this country a better place to live—creating the Beloved Community. The MLK Day of Service was created to extend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and teachings into community action that helps solve social problems.

I encourage all of you to be active in your community this MLK Day of Service. Better yet, find something you love to do the most, and keep doing it once a month forever! Here is a list of community service activities to get you started. I have also attached links to several of my favorite organizations in the Oakland area. 

Community Service Activities for Kids of All Ages

Charlotte Maxwell Complimentary Clinic

African Peoples Education and Defense Fund

Therapy Pets! (even your pooch can be active in the community!)

BadRap Oakland

It’s winter…and even in sunny California, this is a time for taking it easy, sleeping in, storing food, re-reading Harry Potter, etc. I know you want to jump start all your New Year’s resolutions, but jumping sounds like the most difficult task, right!? I suggest you stay in your hibernation mode and just relax, or chill, whichever one works best for you. If you’re itchin’ get moving, try a Yin yoga class. This is a more mellow and meditative version of most yoga classes. Yin Yoga targets the ligaments, bones, and even the joints of the body, while the more active or Yang style of yoga, called Asana, tends to focus more on muscle stretching and strength. Don’t worry, spring will be here soon, and by then, you will itching to get started on the Liver Detox and jumping all over the Mind Body Re-Boot Program! 

Here’s a list of Yin Yoga classes in your area: 

Yin Yoga Teachers and Studios

One of the many reasons I think that Oakland is the best city in the world is largely due to stranger friendliness. I have never lived in such a diverse area where people frequently greet each other on the street as they pass by. Not only is it the friendly greeting that can make your day, but eye contact releases happy hormones in our bodies making us feel good. Eye contact releases a hormone called oxytocin, aka the cuddle drug. Oxytocin evokes feelings of contentment, calmness, security, and it assists in wound healing! One of my favorite studies tested 37 couples, giving them small blister wounds. The researchers had the couples engage in structured social interaction tasks. Guess who healed the fastest? The ones that made the most eye contact and had the most positive communication skills, of course! You don’t have to spend hours gazing into your lover’s eyes to trigger oxytocin, just say hello to the next person you pass on the street. You both will feel better after. 

Martial behavior, oxytocin, vasopressin, and wound healing study: PubMed

Nothing says Health Tip O’Rama like a good old fashioned party! So come join us for our 2 year Anniversary Celebration at Awaken Chiropractic on Friday, October 19th, from 6-9 pm. The celebration will include food from local chef Yoni Levy, and music by Koyote Patrick Polk. This will be the best way to Cheers to Health! 

Feeling stressed, tired or a little run down? Turn up the stereo and sing! Singing releases endorphins and boosts immunity helping you feel better throughout a long, exhausting day. I strongly recommend singing loudly when stuck in traffic. Not only does singing heal, but music has a profound positive effect on your body and brain. Mozart or Metallica, music beats stimulate brainwaves even after the song is over. This brainwave exercise helps activate the relaxation response and decreases adrenal fatigue for people with chronic stress. Check out this video below of music’s beautiful benefits for health and happiness. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyZQf0p73QM

This past weekend, I completed the 27th Annual Sandman Triathlon, and it was so fun!!! Yes! FUN!! The sense of accomplishment after a race like this is indescribable, and very addicting. It is so inspiring to see the diversity of ages and fitness levels at events like these, and even though this may seem like an impossible task for many of you, it truly isn’t. There are fun races happening all over that will provide you with that awesome sense of pride. Here’s a list to find triathlon type events in your area: The American Triathlon Calendar .  I seriously suggest you look into it. You know you can do it! I know you can do it! To get you started, personal trainer Lydia Scott-Adams and I are offering the Mind Body Re-Boot Program to kick start your way to healthy fun! I love triathlon time! 

Even though I’m just loving my outdoor veggie garden at home right now, I’m really loving the new “living wall” installation at the office thanks to Crimson  Horticultural Rarities! Not only are indoor plants good for aesthetics, they are great for your health! Plants improve air quality, help reduce asthma symptoms, boost your energy, and overall make you feel good!

I just returned from a camping trip to the Arroyo Seco river. I spent hours floating peacefully around, drifting wherever the current took me and my inner tube. I spent very little time trying to force myself in any one direction, especially upstream. Taking time to enjoy the peacefulness of nature is definitely a tip for health, but the tip I’d like to offer today is working on turning your stressful life around, and head downstream, no matter where you physically are.

Whenever I feel stressed, stuck behind the world’s worst driver, or frustrated with relationships, I just take a moment to picture myself in the world’s most comfortable inner tube, and I tube downstream. I have found that practicing this on a regular basis has helped me from getting “stuck in the rocks”. I might bump my butt on a few rocks along the way, but for the most part, heading downstream in any situation is the best direction to flow.