SANTA BARBARA — What goes into maintaining a healthy heart? Is it just the physical heart muscle and circulation that matters, or is there an active emotional component? Can the simple act of conveying your best wishes and intentions make a real difference in the health of the recipient’s heart — and even your own?
What does the science say?
These questions are being addressed, some for the first time, by Conscious Inspirations, Inc., the American company which makes Cards&Cloth™ — a new, patent-pending product that features “The Gift of Blessings” — emotionally-powerful tokens of affection and blessings that come in the form of an actual blessing cloth wrapped inside specially-created message cards.
What effect does this kind of “gift of blessings from the heart” have on the receiver, and on the giver?
Dr. Joshua Leichtberg, MD, Internist, states that the act of conveying positive, heartfelt messages to a friend or loved one is good for all concerned. “Giving your genuine best wishes to someone else has a twofold effect,” says Dr. Leichtberg. “The receiver benefits to the extent the salutary message brings comfort and lowers anxiety levels. The fascinating part, though, is the extent to which the giver also benefits. Giving, it seems, is as good as getting… possibly better.”
According to Dr. Wendy Basil, PhD, Psychologist, “Everyone benefits where blessings are concerned — both the receiver and the person sending good thoughts. This is backed by real science. Blessings and good intentions are part of what I call Heart-to-Heart communications.”
No one believes in this more than the folks at Conscious Inspirations, who created Cards&Cloth™ for this very purpose. Every Cards&Cloth™ unit features the integration of a genuine blessing cloth into a heartfelt message card designed for maximum emotional impact.
How important are these emotions to the physical health of receiver and giver?
Research has shown that emotional stability, faith and contentment can actually reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. One groundbreaking 10-year research study reported in the European Heart Journal found that certain emotional factors such as happiness and satisfaction appear to play a direct role in preventing heart disease. Participants were able to reduce their incidence of cardiovascular disorders by as much as 22% just by having a positive attitude.
And a number of studies have confirmed the physical health benefits associated with giving to others, including signals of good health such as lower blood pressure, improvements in chronic illness and a significantly lower risk of mortality (Ironson, 2007; Piferi & Lawler, 2006; S L Brown, et al., 2003; McClellan, Stanwyck, & Anson, 1993).
The idea behind Cards&Cloth™ is to give consumers a powerful, heartfelt, all-in-one solution for effectively conveying their best wishes, love and blessings to anyone, on any occasion. The combo product offers comfort, hope and inspiration along with a tangible gift (the Blessing Cloth) that detaches from its message card and may be kept forever as a keepsake — a permanent memento of the giver’s best intentions.
Shelly Dubow, a company spokesperson, puts it this way: “What better gift is there than one that so clearly comes straight from the heart? And people love carrying the Blessing Cloth everywhere… for comfort and good luck.”
But how can giving a heartfelt, inspirational gift like this affect your own heart, as well as the recipient’s?
In a 2006 study, researchers at the National Institutes of Health found that the act of giving stimulates the reward center in the brain of the giver, releasing endorphins in the brain and creating what is known as the “helper’s high.” These effects lead directly to lower blood pressure, reduced stress levels and improved cardiovascular health.
In another study published in the International Journal of Psychophysiology, people who gave support to others were found to have lower blood pressure and fewer cardiovascular problems than those who did not.
Neurologist Dr. Norman Narchi, MD, says that receiving — and especially giving — elicits the relaxation response and helps harmonize the nervous system.
Santa Barbara resident Forrest Leichtberg, founder of the Santa Barbara Consciousness Network, who was given a Cards&Cloth gift, feels it is a unique innovative contribution to human well-being and a fun and thoughtful way to brighten the lives of those we care about.
And as Psychiatrist Dr. Karl Menninger, MD, famously said: “Love cures people, both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it.”
Cards-&-Cloth’s extensive line of blessing-cloth/message-card combinations is currently rocketing in popularity as a single-purchase solution to some difficult questions:
- What shall I get him/her?
- How can I best express the feelings in my heart?
- How can I do all this within a reasonable budget?
The key is realizing that it’s always the thought that counts. Research has shown that it’s the emotions conveyed that have the most impact on the receiver as well as the giver.
Cards&Cloth’s patent-pending blessing-cloth-gift-inside-a-message-card retails for less than $10 and is as thoughtful and impactful a gift as you are likely to find at any price — because it is actually priceless — the “Gift of Blessings,” from the heart — with measurable benefits for all concerned.
The company website is located at www.cardsandcloth.com.