Laughter

I just wanted to wish everyone a happy World Laughter Day. What a wonderful idea ... we could all use more laughter! Mark your calendars for the first Sunday of every May so we can celebrate my new favorite holiday together!

In honor of World Laughter Day, I give you this:


If that wasn't enough to make you laugh, here are some serious benefits of laughter:

Muscle Relaxation - Belly laugh results in muscle relaxation. While you laugh, the muscles that do not participate in the belly laugh, relaxes. After you finish laughing those muscles involved in the laughter start to relax. So, the action takes place in two stages.

Reduction of Stress Hormones - Laughter reduces at least four of neuroendocrine hormones associated with stress response. These are epinephrine, cortisol, dopac, and growth hormone.

Immune System Enhancement - Clinical studies have shown that humor strengthens the immune system.

Pain Reduction - Humor allows a person to "forget" about pains such as aches, arthritis, etc.

Cardiac Exercise - A belly laugh is equivalent to "an internal jogging." Laughter can provide good cardiac conditioning especially for those who are unable to perform physical exercises.

Blood Pressure - Women seem to benefit more than men in preventing hypertension.

Respiration - Frequent belly laughter empties your lungs of more air than it takes in resulting in a cleansing effect - similar to deep breathing. Especially beneficial for patient's who are suffering from emphysema and other respiratory ailments.

(Benefits of laughter from http://www.holisticonline.com/Humor_Therapy/humor_therapy_benefits.htm)

How about that, huh? ;-)