Everyone wants to feel good, and some even turn to drugs or other artificial methods in order to do so. But did you know that you have your own natural pharmacy built right into your brain? The brain is easily capable of releasing its own feel-good chemicals, such as endorphins, which are much safer option than relying on pharmaceuticals and other drugs. Endorphins not only make you feel happy, but act as natural pain relievers too. In this article we'll take a look at three ways to release endorphins naturally.
Everyone wants to feel good, and some even turn to drugs or other artificial methods in order to do so. But did you know that you have your own natural pharmacy built right into your brain? The brain is easily capable of releasing its own feel-good chemicals, such as endorphins, which are much safer option than relying on pharmaceuticals and other drugs.
Endorphins not only make you feel happy, but act as natural pain relievers too. These opioid chemicals are produced by the pituitary gland in response to a variety of factors, including stress, danger, vigorous activity and pleasurable situations such as eating and orgasm. Endorphin release can also be deliberately stimulated, including by using the following methods:
1. Exercise
The first natural endorphin release method is vigorous exercise. You've probably heard of the famous 'runner's high', which is an ecstatic state that is often experienced by those who participate in long-distance running. Exercise of this type causes the brain to release endorphins (and possibly other natural chemicals also), which provide that natural high.
You don't have to be a runner to experience this however, and most other forms of exercise can achieve the same result. The key is that the exercise should be of moderate to high intensity and prolonged - so short workouts are less likely to produce the effect, although most people find that exercise of any kind makes them feel better to some degree.
2. Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient technique that involves inserting fine needles at strategic points under the skin, which correspond to the body's energy meridian points. Acupuncture has often been used as a natural anaesthetic, and there is evidence to indicate that its pain-relieving effects may be down to endorphin release.
While most people won't be about to visit an acupuncturist every time they simply want to feel a bit happier, if you're experiencing pain, and are looking for non-drug-related pain relief methods, acupuncture is certainly worth considering, as it helps you to make use of your body's own natural inbuilt painkillers.
3. Brainwave Entrainment
A third, less well-known natural endorphin release method is brainwave entrainment. This involves exposure to repetitive stimuli such as waves of sound or light. For example, you may listen to a brainwave entrainment recording that contains sounds of specific frequencies. Thanks to a natural phenomenon known as the 'frequency following response', the brain will tend to match its own brainwave output to the frequencies of the sounds it's hearing.
Since brainwaves of different frequencies are linked with different mental states, this makes brainwave entrainment a useful tool for accessing different states of consciousness at will.
This also helps you to release endorphins, because it has been found that they're also released naturally when you enter a state of deep relaxation. For example, people who are immersed in a flotation tank will often experience produce endorphins when they become profoundly relaxed as a result of sensory deprivation. While this isn't a practical option for most people, brainwave entrainment provides a viable alternative because it too can help you achieve a similarly relaxed state in which the brainwave patterns linked with endorphin release are triggered.
Brain wave entrainment is probably the most accessible of these three endorphin stimulation methods for most people, and is well worth trying if you're not already familiar with it.
If you decide to use brainwave meditation for releasing endorphins at will, you might like the 'Endorphin Release' recording from The Unexplainable Store. This site has a great reputation for producing top-quality products, all of which are fully guaranteed. There are some free downloads available too, and you can find out more information at http://www.brain-sync.com
Loren Mann is an experienced 'explorer of consciousness' who enjoys writing about self-development topics and sharing helpful, high quality resources, and may receive compensation as a result of making these recommendations.
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