Jeepney Press / Marnie Chan

Chemistry Of Happy

By Marnie Chan

"I have been young and now I am old. I have seen that there is nothing better than that man should be happy in whatever he is doing." Nothing better, huh? Got a clue which smart ass said that?

Happiness as the ultimate good. Philosophy 101. You recall? Or, was it Religion 101? See, I always get those two mixed up. Could it be because we always get the same teacher teaching two different subjects? He could have at least changed shirt when he re-entered the classroom. But anyway... I recall happiness as the 'summum bonum'.

Science, modern man's new-found religion, broke down for us in cellular level the nitty-gritty details of what happens in our bodies when inflicted with the condition called "happy." It's in the chemistry. And I betcha a billion dollars [which I don't have] that you didn't learn that in Chem 101 either.

Up front, without having to beat around, the brain res up a hormone and neuro transmitter called dopamine when you are happy. It is your feel good drug. It is not injectable. It is not prescription nor over-the-counter. Your brain secretes it. For free. No scam here. No catch either.

You heard it right when someone said your body is a pharmacy of sorts. The brain secretes dopamine when you feel pleasurable sensations, oxytocin when you are in love, endorphin when you need to block pain or when having sex. [See, I made sure to include sex to keep you glued.]

When you enjoyed eating a delicious Kapampangan dish, dopamine and endorphins can be triggered for release. Sharing that meal with someone you like/love can boost oxytocin. Getting laid after that sumptuous meal will cause the release of oxytocin, endorphins, and dopamines as well as other forms of uncatholic-friendly releases. An overload of happy chemistry, I say.

Here's the caveat though: if your attitude towards sex is such then your brain will produce these natural feel good drugs in your system. But, and here's a ginormous BUT, if your spouse is stressed out every night time you request for a dose of marital oxytocin, your dearly beloved's brain would secrete the hormone called cortisol. Shucks, see the correlation between cortisol and cancer.

Chinese acupuncture has a peculiar way of hacking the secretion of these hormones. [Oh no, the Chinese again, you'd say! I know huh. Could there still be anything in this material universe they have not thought of yet? Is there anything not made in China?]

Back to acupuncture and these hormones... In acupuncture, specific points in the anatomy are needled to elicit the release of these powerful hormones.

Anyone who have even slightly dabbled with acupuncture have crossed paths with hegu, for example. Once needled, this point (on your back hand) causes the release of endorphins which reduces if not completely stops pain. It's just like flcking a light switch.

Stressed out and anxious? Needle shen men (it's at the ulnar side on the crease of your wrist) and the brain will ooze dopamine and serotonin to relax and calm you down.

And the smart ass who we quoted here at the start? No, more of a wise ass than a smart ass. No, he was not Chinese either, otherwise his book Ecclesiastes would have been written in funny looking alphabets.

Marnie Chan #thehealingpowerofacupuncture

MARNIE CHAN

Jepney Press