Find Your Bliss!

We drive ourselves crazy in our quest to find some desperately needed, personal “bliss” . . . An inspirational moment that is beyond the reality and stresses of our daily lives. Whether yoga and meditation is your vibe, or traveling across the globe in search of adventure and personal growth (mine) . . . Physically-demanding gym sessions, ongoing, grueling triathlons or hikes in nature . . . Pampering sessions at the spa, excessive retail therapy, or indulging in worldly, epicurean experiences . . . There are a gazillion options available for us to find our so-called Zen . . . But in looking for it outside of ourselves, are we looking in all the wrong places? Perhaps we need search no further than inside of us?

Before we get started, are you familiar with our body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS)? If not, here’s the scoop . . .

All mammals have an endocannabinoid system (ECS) - a system of receptors that are involved in several bodily systems including the nervous system, cardiovascular system, and the endocrine system. The ECS also helps to keep our bodies in balance with body temperature and serum pH, which is a process known as homeostasis.

Incorporated into this sophisticated, biological process, our bodies have a neurotransmitter that modulates how our neurons respond to input. It is named anandamide - Ananda is Sanskrit for bliss, and so this transmitter has subsequently become known as the “bliss” or “blissful” molecule. Together the ECS and anandamide work to keep homeostatic processes in place, and our emotions healthily in check. To give you an example, after a bit of stress like an argument or a tough day at the office, or a prolonged, strenuous workout, anandamide levels rise in our body to maintain balance and keep our emotional levels stable.

Learning that our ECS offers additional assistance with appetite, motor coordination and inflammation, it is becoming clear of the crucial importance of how it functions within our physiology. It seems that as we learn more about how CBD interacts with our ECS, we are also learning more (really important) information about our bodies, and in the process of understanding how we really work, might naturally find the way to our own bliss . . . Waiting right within us.