Although I have never seen a doctor write a prescription for daily doses of “love,” best selling authors such as Deepak Chopra M.D., Bernie Siegal M.D. and Dean Ornish M.D. all write about the healing properties of love. Dr. Ornish says, “love may be the greatest of all disease-fighters, and it’s about time doctors realized it.” Dr. Ornish, a pioneer of wellness, has extensively researched how diet, exercise, and stress management can help reverse heart disease. His book Love & Survival explains that loneliness can kill you, while love and a sense of community can heal you.
Whether with a pet, a partner or a spouse, sharing love is the most powerful force of nature. There is much concern that the smarter we get and the more technology we use, the lonelier we are and the more disconnected we feel. Dr. Ornish says that “the real epidemic isn’t physical heart disease. It’s spiritual heart disease: loneliness and isolation.” Many experts agree.
It is amazing but true that the easiest thing in the world to do to improve our own health and wellness is to express our love for ourselves and for others. It doesn’t cost anything and it doesn’t have to take much time. The benefits of love are beyond measure.