Laugh it out!

Laughter helps us feel better. It suspends worries and problems. Laughter is a gift we can give to others. People begin to feel good about themselves. It can also help them see their problems with a different perspective. We all have experienced tension being reduced in our bodies when we laugh. When our bodies are tense and our minds are closed, laughter is the medicine that relaxes us and offers a dose of positive self-esteem. We feel more self-assured and self-confident when we laugh; we feel better physically and mentally.

One of the greatest benefits of laughter is that we get an aerobic workout, one that doesn’t require a membership to a club or the purchase of special clothes. Laughter enhances respiration and increases the amount of oxygen in the blood. The diaphragm is used when we laugh. When we laugh, the movement of the diaphragm stimulates the stomach, kidneys, and liver, acting like an internal massage.

Research indicates that our bodies contain natural substances, such as endorphins and encephalons that help us free from pain and illness. Stress disrupts and slows the glandular secretions of these chemicals. It also restricts blood vessels. But laughter prompts the brain to block the manufacture of immune suppressors like epinephrine and cortisone and speed up the production of immune enhancers such as beta-endorphins. These endorphins are 200 times more powerful than heroin!

We should remember that LAUGHTER:

Lightens the load;

Avoids negativity;

Unites hearts;

Gathers people together;

Heals heartache;

Tickles the soul;

Energizes the human spirit; and

Restores us to wholeness and holiness.

-from Live Laugh and be Blessed Anne Bryan Smollin