Pain, whether mental, emotional or physical, often causes us to focus on something that doesn't feel very good and this can put a dark cloud over our experience of the world. We can end up feeling like a victim, both helpless and hopeless as we find ourselves moving in a downward spiral of depression, gloom and more pain.

Our body is made up mostly of energy which normally flows in a way that nurtures and nourishes our being but it can get blocked and along with it our perception so that we see the world as an unfriendly place. It can be difficult to see things in a positive and healthy way. Just as dark sunglasses can block out the bright rays of the sun, it is almost as if we are wearing dark shades which make the world appear gloomy and dark. And we take this as our reality.

"It's just the way it is"

When we experience a situation as negative, our body can attract more negative energy towards it which causes a disturbance in the body's energy field. We can lose sight of what is joyful in life and lose track of what it means to be grateful because pain gets in the way. If we have a severe headache, for example, all of our attention is drawn to it and we can end up feeling pretty miserable.

Dawson Church, founder of the Soul Medicine Institute, reveals the amazing scientific finding that we can control our genes through our awareness. What he is saying is that our thoughts, emotions and behaviour actually have the power to SHAPE our biology. It might begin to become obvious, that such an awareness can really change how we think about and ultimately experience our world. Our health and well-being can be affected positively or negatively according to how we think and feel! We could choose to focus on something other than the headache. Children in hospitals, for example, can often be distracted away from their pain by being happily engaged with the antics of a hospital clown. When you turn your attention to something that is fun, like watching a funny film or 'losing yourself' in some creative pursuit you can change the energy flow in your body and move it towards a more positive outcome. You may even forget that you are in pain for a while.

Scientific research is now showing that many genes are being turned on or off, like a switch, by our beliefs, feelings and attitudes. In other words, and as incredible as it may seem, we are able to use our thoughts and feelings to affect our health and well-being in a positive and uplifting way. Many studies show that what we THINK about our health is one of the most accurate predictors of our longevity. Whatever meanings we assign to the events in our lives are about as important to our health and functioning as the facts themselves.

Laughter, light-heartedness and meditation even in the face of difficulties, as in Clown Focus Therapy, or Laughter Therapy involves looking at serious situations and problems with a sense of humour, seeing the humour in life's problems and pains. Even just something as simple as a smile can bring about changes in your body that happen instantly and automatically to make you feel better almost immediately. If you are of the opinion that you have to be in positive spirits in order to laugh, think again. It is perfectly possible to do it the other way round. We can laugh first, even if it doesn't feel 'real' (the body doesn't know the difference between real and 'pretend' laughter). The body will respond by producing natural 'happy chemicals' that can uplift you and help you to cope much better and sometimes can even dissolve the pain completely. There are many stories of people being healed through laughter. It is amazing to think that we actually have a choice to move out of being victimisd by pain into being the master of laughter which we can use to our own advantage for great health and joyful living.