Suddenly Thursday

Endorphins – we hear about how great they are, but just what are they?

I looked it up. Turns out they are opiates produced in the brain which act as natural painkillers. Nice! Even nicer is the fact that you can produce them on demand by participating in physical exercise or even just thinking happy thoughts. Have you ever heard of a “runner’s high?”Endorphins. How about women who go happily through labor and delivery without painkillers? Endorphins. And, have you ever heard a yogi talk about reaching a state of bliss during meditation? Endorphins again.

This morning, I could have used a heaping bowl full of endorphins before I even crawled out of bed. Having stayed up until 2AM to launch this lovely little blog, I was less than bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. No matter – Kindergarten waits for no one, so sleeping in wasn’t an option. After I trundled my daughter off to school, I made my way to the local recreation center for my new found joy – the “Guts and Butts” class with local trainer, Barbara Thompson.

The photo above was taken right after class. You can tell by the smiling faces that there are plenty of endorphins to go around. More than just the physical exercise (which is great), this class puts my mood over the top because of the people in it. Although I’m a newbie, these women made me feel like “one of the gang” from day one. Their sense of fun and the supportive vibe that permeates the class bring a smile to my face before we’ve even begun our warm-ups. I mean, look at these women! They’ve only known me a couple of weeks and here they are – posing for my camera! Such good sports. Such good hearts.

So, we’ve got two good mood tips for today:

1. Get moving – exercise to release those endorphins.
2. Hang out around nice people – it’s tough to be in anything but a great mood when you surround yourself with kind, upbeat, and supportive people.

What brings out your endorphins?