Body Worlds

http://www.bodyworlds.com

As an early birthday gift, Ry took me to the "Body Worlds 3, the story of the Heart" exhibit on Monday. We spent almost four hours there learning about the incredible human body. Time and time again as we were reading about different aspects of the body, there seemed to be a recurrent underlying theme, we as Human beings are meant to be, and designed to be happy. Dopamine in the brain is a "feel good" neurotransmitter, and when all things are in balance in the brain, dopamine allows us to feel joy, happiness, and pleasure. We have dopamine in our brains for this purpose, but it is also a very powerful neurotransmitter that can also give rise to addictions when different stimuli access dopamine and builds pathways to the "feel good" centers of our brains that bypass the normal healthy pathways. Once those pathways are "set" it is difficult, but certainly not impossible to rebuild old, or different, more normal pathways. Stress is another thing that affects our bodies in tremendous ways. When we feel stress, a hormone Cortisol is released into our bodies that if allowed to build up, leads to inflammation and illness, and can eventually lead to death. That is another reason to look for and maintain happiness and joy. The heart has electrical currents that can be affected by stress, sadness, anger, and depression also. When we take care of ourselves by eating right and exercising, our body produces natural antidepressants. When we think positive thoughts and seek for joy, our stress levels decrease, and in turn, cortisol levels decrease. We are designed to be happy and joyous. "....men are that they might have joy" 2 Nephi 2:25. As I walked through the exhibit, my testimony of Creation was strengthened. I have no understanding of how some may not believe in a God and a creation. The body is magnificent and amazing and beautiful, with all the systems working together in such a perfect design, how can anyone think that we came together by chance or evolved from other things? God is amazing, he is an architect, a chemist, an engineer, an electrician, a plumber, a mechanic, and an Artist, above all, he is our Father, he created each of us individually, and he knows each of us, his love for us is incomprehensible. Science and Religion go hand in hand. Heavenly Father wants us to be happy and healthy. He created us that way. As a resolution this year, I am making a goal to try to be a joyous person, and to take better care of my physical body. I know that I can be what Heavenly Father intended me to be. I am his child and I want to do my best to be what he wants me to be. When we came back home, Peanut was so disappointed that we didn't take him with us. He read the brochure three times, and asked to see the pictures on the website and was heartbroken that we had gone without him. So, yesterday, I took him out of school (something that I generally think is not appropriate) and we went on a date together to Body Worlds. He was so excited and enjoyed every minute. At the exhibit, they had little journal type notebooks and little golf pencils to take notes, he took one, and wanted to write down everything that he read about every display. He told me "I just want to be able to remember this forever." We had a discussion about how it was maybe better to write his feelings about the exhibit, instead of writing everything word for word, and he accepted that. He took many notes. When we came home, he got his notebook out, and told Beanie all about what he learned. Beanie was just excited that he got a "new red pencil." It was amazing to see the wonder in Peanut's eyes as we looked at different things, and he asked very in depth questions. His mind was stimulated yesterday, and he learned so much. On our way home, he told me that it was his "best day ever". I volunteer in his classroom once a week, and today as I was getting ready to leave his class, his teacher and I talked for a moment about the exhibit, and she said to me, "I know it really isn't recommended for kids so young, but I guess Peanut was OK with it?" WHAT?!? Really...... I know my child, and I know what he is interested in and what he can handle. We have many many many nursing/medical books in our home, as well as books about the body for children, and they are some of our most favorite reads. Heck, my kids know more about the body than I did when I took high school anatomy and physiology!! I am pretty sure that he was just fine with everything that he saw there. He really liked seeing the mama camel ad her baby that was on display, he even laughed that there was still food on the stomach of the camel. I want to instill in my children an appreciation of the body, and I hope to help them live their lives so that they can keep their bodies pure and healthy and treat them like the Temples that they are. It was such an amazing experience, and I am glad to have had the opportunity to see what a masterpiece God has created.