We have all heard the saying that Laughter is the Best Medicine. These days, science is going the distance to show that this is far from being just another folk remedy. There have been many studies on the beneficial effects and great value of a good laugh. Medical research and evidence show that laughter can actually help you help reduce stress, fight disease, and improve your overall well-being.
Stress has been called the silent killer. Many physicians report that over half of their patients are being treated for stress-related illness. Stress has been shown to be a major contributing factor to many serious medical conditions including cancer, diabetes, obesity and heart disease.
Common physical symptoms of stress include headaches, muscle tension, back pain, insomnia and high blood pressure. Emotional stress symptoms often manifest themselves as anxiety, frustration and anger. Left untreated, stress can lead to physical illness, and in many cases, death.
Laughter has been shown to help reduce and even eliminate stress – and that’s a good thing! Medical research has shown laughter works by reducing the level of cortisol and other stress hormones, allowing your immune systems to work more effectively. In addition, laughter increases the number of antibody-producing cells that make it easier for your immune system to do its job.
A recent study from the University Of Maryland School Of Medicine showed that laughing increases the blood flow to your heart by expanding stress-constricted vessels to improve circulation, stimulate the nervous system and make your heart stronger.
Some doctors are now recommending fifteen seconds of deep belly laughter twice a day. This is a powerful prescription. Is laughter the best medicine? We think so.
Dr. Norman Cousins served as Adjunct Professor of Medical Humanities for the School of Medicine at the University of California. He believed human emotions were the key to our success in fighting illness. Through his research, he developed a health recovery program incorporating megadoses of Vitamin C along with a positive attitude, love, faith, hope, and laughter.
When he was diagnosed with a painful illness, Dr. Cousins trained himself to laugh by watching Marx Brothers films. “I made the joyous discovery that ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep. When the pain-killing effect of the laughter wore off, we would switch on the motion picture projector again and not infrequently, it would lead to another pain-free interval.”
More and more health professionals are teaching people how to use laugher therapy to cope in difficult or painful situations by using humor. This works by increasing oxygen levels in the body and releasing endorphins (feel-good hormones). Laughter therapy will give you a sense of well-being, a feeling of cheerfulness and more energy throughout the day.
Laughing can be a total body workout! Current research indicates that laughing 100 times is equal to ten minutes on the rowing machine or fifteen minutes on an exercise bike. Laughter will give your major muscle groups, including abdominal, chest, facial, leg and back muscles, a real workout. That’s why you often feel exhausted after a long round of laughter – you’ve just had an aerobic workout!
Dr. Madan Kataria, a physician from Bombay, India, has developed a Laughter Therapy technique based on yoga where everyone participates in group laughter exercises for ten to fifteen minutes every day. He found that group laughter promotes instant relaxation and release from negative emotions and corresponding physical symptoms.
Laughter is healthy. Laughter is organic, naturally sweet, non-fattening, no pesticides, no preservatives, no artificial ingredients and 100 percent wholesome. It cures depression, reduces stress and often induces a pleasant, restful sleep. It’s invigorating, rejuvenating and has no unpleasant side effects. Laughter often is nothing less than a miracle in that is totally free, easily shared and brings such great joy to many.
Katie Namrevo was a “stress eater” who tried all kinds of diets and pills with no permanent success. One day after watching a TV program on laughter therapy, she decided to try laughing instead. She found that by laughing heartily as often as ten times a day, she no longer craved food. She lost weight and gained more energy. After losing thirty five pounds, she decided to share the good news and has written a very successful book called Laugh It Off! Weight Loss for the Fun of It.
Did you know that children laugh about 400 times a day? No wonder they have so much energy and sound so happy! Unfortunately, by the time we grow up, the average adult laughs less than ten times a day. Perhaps this is one reason why obesity, stress and illness have an increasing impact on the adults in our society.
By learning to laugh more easily and more often again, you can develop a profound and positive effect on your health and well-being. Not only will laughter help you improve your health and increase your longevity, laughing every day will help you enjoy a higher quality of life!
You can’t find anything to laugh about? Fortunately, you can fake it until you make it. Faking laughter will cause your body to respond as though the laughter is real. The physiological changes that occur with real laughter will take effect even when you just pretend to laugh. Try it – you’ll be glad you did!
One way to bring more laughter into your life is to share humor and funny stories with your friends. You can do this in person, over the telephone, through the internet and snail mail. Many people have started having laughter meetings, patterned along the principles of the mastermind groups. These are all marvelous ways to bring more happiness and joy into your world.
Laughter is practically perfect. There are no batteries to wear out, no movable parts and absolutely no monthly payments. Laughter has low energy consumption, while returning a high-energy yield. Laughter is non-taxable, non-polluting and, of course, fully returnable.
The doctor prescribes hearty laughter for a long and healthy life!
Have you had your laughter today?
To get your free laughter sample today, go to: http://laughterworld.com/
About the Author:
John Carpenter Dealey is dedicated to helping people solve problems, recognize (and take full advantage of) marvelous opportunities available to them and helping people reach their dreams and goals with “ease and grace.” Visit his website at: http://dr-mastermind.com/home.php
John enthusiastically started his first business at age nine, joined his first MasterMind group in 1972, and became a “self-made millionaire” by the age of 27. If you would like to learn how to apply these powerful principles in your own life, sign up for a free subscription to MasterMind Tips ezine at: www.dr-mastermind.com/
