Laughter is the Best Medicine

I believe we can all use a bit more laughter in our lives today.  Do you agree?

(Thanks to Darren Jacklin for sharing the three thoughts below with me today.)

1. The average pre-schooler laughs or smiles 400 times a day. That number drops to only 15 times a day by the time people reach age 35.
2. People smile only 35 percent as much as they think they do.
3. Laughter releases endorphins, a chemical 10 times more powerful than the pain-relieving drug morphine, into the body with the same exhilarating effect as doing strenuous exercise.

What Is Laughter?

­First of all, laughter is not the same as humor. Laughter is the physiological respo­nse to humor. Laughter consists of two parts -- a set of gestures and the production of a sound. When we laugh, the brain pressures us to conduct both those activities simultaneously. When we laugh heartily, changes occur in many parts of the body, even the arm, leg and trunk muscles.

Laughter and Health

­We've ­long known that the ability to laugh is helpful to those coping with major illness and the stress of life's problems. But researchers are now saying laughter can do a lot more -- it can basically bring balance to all the components of the immune system, which helps us fight off diseases. (See How the Immune System Works.)
As we mentioned earlier, laughter reduces levels of certain stress hormones. In doing this, laughter provides a safety valve that shuts off the flow of stress hormones and the fight-or-flight compounds that swing into action in our bodies when we experience stress, anger or hostility. These stress hormones suppress the immune system, increase the number of blood platelets (which can cause obstructions in arteries) and raise blood pressure. When we're laughing, natural killer cells that destroy tumors and viruses increase, as do Gamma-interferon (a disease-fighting protein), T-cells, which are a major part of the immune response, and B-cells, which make disease-destroying antibodies.
Laughter may lead to hiccuping and coughing, which clears the respiratory tract by dislodging mucous plugs. Laughter also increases the concentration of salivary immunoglobulin A, which defends against infectious organisms entering through the respiratory tract.
What may surprise you even more is the fact that researchers estimate that laughing 100 times is equal to 10 minutes on the rowing machine or 15 minutes on an exercise bike. Laughing can be a total body workout! Blood pressure is lowered, and there is an increase in vascular blood flow and in oxygenation of the blood, which further assists healing. Laughter also gives your diaphragm and abdominal, respiratory, facial, leg and back muscles a workout. That's why you often feel exhausted after a long bout of laughter -- you've just had an aerobic workout!
The psychological benefits of humor are quite amazing, according to doctors and nurses who are members of the American Association for Therapeutic Humor. People often store negative emotions, such as anger, sadness and fear, rather than expressing them. Laughter provides a way for these emotions to be harmlessly released. Laughter is cathartic. That's why some people who are upset or stressed out go to a funny movie or a comedy club, so they can laugh the negative emotions away (these negative emotions, when held inside, can cause biochemical changes that can affect our bodies).
Increasingly, mental health professionals are suggesting "laughter therapy," which teaches people how to laugh -- openly -- at things that aren't usually funny and to cope in difficult situations by using humor. Following the lead of real-life funny-doc Patch Adams (portrayed by Robin Williams in a movie by the same name), doctors and psychiatrists are becoming more aware of the therapeutic benefits of laughter and humor.

Many people have chose to join a group of people in Laughter Clubs.

What is a Laughter Club?

A Laughter Club is a group of people who gather together to do Laughter Yoga exercises for approximately one hour. Depending on the venue, the Laughter Yoga session might also include laughter meditation, as well as guided imagery. It provides a rich social network of caring and sharing relationships. Although clubs are generally facilitated by a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader or Teacher, that is not mandatory. Social laughter clubs can also be started by people trained informally by certified leaders or teachers.

Laughter Clubs are non-political, non-religious, and are run under the auspices of Laughter Yoga International. The ultimate objective is to bring good health, joy and world peace through laughter. In India, clubs meet every morning in public parks. Many club members proudly say that they have not missed a single day in years, because it makes them happy, healthy and energized – it has, in fact, changed their lives as it can yours!

Check out this Laughter Yoga video from New Orleans:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV7DLq1wN0A&feature=player_embedded

Locally, Gilda's Club in Grand Rapids, Michigan hosted a Laughter Club during LaughFest 2012.

Sue Ansori led classes for the event. During that time somewhere between 500-600 people, ranging in age from 12 months to 90 years, laughed with her. This was a free community event with no restrictions of any sort for any class; consequently, the diversity was amazing.  Her classes were a mix of pre-teen kids, along with groups of developmentally disabled young people, teenagers in substance abuse programs, deaf and blind elderly adults, men whose wives had dragged them in, college students, lots of yoga students and practitioners, plus a multitude of middle-aged females seeking joy. . . which they found! Even the most reticent willingly participated and ended the session heartily laughing.  Here's her link for the Laughter Yoga Michigan site:
http://www.laughteryoga-michigan.com

I am not part of a Laughter Club (yet!) but they certainly look fun AND healthy to me!

So how do you feel about your laughter I.Q.?

LAUGHTER IQ TEST
Points

____5 pts. if you ever laughed till you wet your pants.
____5 pts. if you spit out food laughing. 8 pts. if you spit it across the table.
           10 pts. if you spit it across the room.
____1 pt. if you laugh once/day. 5 pts. if you laugh 5x/day. 10 pts. if you laugh 10x/day.               
        5 pts. if you have friends who laugh. You belong to a gaggle of gigglers.
____5 pts. for being playful at least once/day. "Life can be the toy in your own happy meal."
____10 pts. if you have laughed about a serious issue at least once.
          If you haven't had a serious issue in your life, you get 15 points for your amazing luck.
____10 pts. if you laugh at work whenever possible. Laughing at those work woes will help you relax.
____ 5 pts. if you enjoy laughing about life. It's just a play, you know.
____15 pts if you avoid laughing in ridicule. "No downloading."
____10 pts. if you find the humor in your everyday life at least once/day. Of course, it may find you first.
____10 pts. if you have no rules about laughing. What a shocking loss of control!
____5 pts. if you enjoy a bit of silliness. It's cool to be silly at times.
____5 pts. if you wear a funny hat now and then. Let laughter go to your head.
       _5 pts. if you have personal toys. 8 pts. if you play with them. 10 pts. if you play with others.
____10 pts. if you laugh in public without concern others will think you're crazy.
____5 pts. if you laugh in public so others will think you're crazy.
____5 pts. if you enjoy the absurd. 10 pts. if you enjoy acting absurd.
____5 pts. if you can laugh at will. 10 pts. if you laugh right now.
____10 pts. if you laugh during sex. Sex doesn't need to be serious.
____5 pts. if you enjoy your laugh lines, both facial as well as verbal.
____5 pts. if you like shaking like a bowl full of jelly inside and out.
____5 pts. if everyone's laugh gives you pleasure. Feelin' good!!!

Now total up your points.

136-165 pts. You are a laughing genius.

75-135 pts. You are an honors laugher.

40-75 pts. You are an average laugher.

0-39 pts. You are in danger of contracting laughter lockjaw. Rx- A spoonful of laughter at least 3x daily until the pain goes away. Note: You will need to be on this medicine for the rest of an interesting life. Abruptly stopping the medication will lead to severe withdrawal and your entire body will rigidify.

©1999, Enda Junkins, 3200 N. MacArthur Blvd., Ste. 106, Irving, Tx 75062 (972) 255-5233 (LAFF)

Laughter is an instant vacation. ~Milton Berle

Laughter is the shortest distance between two people. ~Victor Borge

Dogs laugh, but they laugh with their tails. What puts man in a higher state of evolution is that he has got his laugh on the right end. ~Max Eastman
Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face. ~Victor Hugo

Have you laughed out loud today?


 


Resources:
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/human-biology/laughter1.htm
http://www.laughteryoga-michigan.com
http://www.laughtertherapy.com
http://www.quotegarden.com/laughter.html