Your Health and the Importance of Gratitude

Did you know that expressing appreciation might help your immune system function better?

Dr. Joe Dispenza conducted a thankfulness research at one of his workshops, in which 120 people were measured for cortisol and IgA levels at the beginning and end of the event.

Cortisol is created when the body is under stress, which might be real stress (such being chased by a grizzly bear) or imagined stress (thinking or worrying about something that hasn't happened yet). When the body is stressed, it has very few energetic resources available to repair, grow, heal, or defend itself. This, of course, drastically decreases our immune system, making us much more prone to illness. When cortisol levels rise, a molecule called IgA decreases, and IgA is one of life's most powerful building blocks.

They requested the 120 participants to shift into an enhanced emotional state such as love, joy, or appreciation for nine to ten minutes three times a day during Dr. Joe's class. He discovered that the participants' cortisol and IgA levels had significantly changed by the end of the four-day program. Their cortisol levels plummeted, while their IgA levels skyrocketed!

This indicates that merely by changing our state of mind, we have the potential to cause chemical changes in our bodies - the same types of changes that true chemical medications make! And the key is to really get into it. This Thanksgiving Day, don't merely say, "I'm grateful for the food on my plate," but genuinely feel those feelings of gratitude. The more you feel, the more internal changes you're going to go through.

Dr. Joe Dispenza discusses thankfulness in greater detail in the video below. Please enjoy a few moments of viewing pleasure by clicking on the graphic below. (Please note that you must "skip" the obnoxious ad at the start of the video.)