I thought this article might help lighten the mood here on Olyblog. I wrote it for a health food magazine in order to connect clowning to their monthly theme. Apperently February is "heart health" month. Perhaps we Olympians could use a little of both - clowing and heart health. Here's to laughter and love...

What can a fool have to teach about heart health? I could simply say that laughter is the best medicine, but it’s much deeper than that. Most of us are aware of the mind/body connection, as acknowledged in the adage “laughter is the best medicine.” And most of us probably experience our bodies more through our emotions than through our thoughts. Just imagine the last time you felt a strong emotion like fear. You may have felt a little wobbly, shaky or weak inside. Perhaps your heart was beating very fast as you felt the blood drain from your face. You had a physical reaction to the strong emotion.

The body responds to your emotions and at the center of both is the heart. The physical and the emotional heart are intimately woven together as one and, like two lovers, have the power of influence over the other. Thus, how we feel about the world plays an important role in determining our physical health. Thoughts are powerful, but feelings are closer to the center of our being. It is within the heart that we are most human.

I have spent my life exploring the question, “What does it mean to be fully human, to be a fully healthy human being in the world? What is the mind or emotion/ body connection? Or, what do spirit and matter have to do with being human?”