The Goodness of Laughter

When I laugh, I feel good. But, is that all there is to laughter? Does it only make me feel better, or does laugher do much more? Can it really heal? How good is laughter?

It is common to hear the phrase, "laughter is the best medicine." Or, "laughter is the great healer."

Laughter can provide exercise benefits. According to a WebMD video, "laughing heartily 100 times a day gives the same cardio results as working out for 20 minutes."

Dr Lee Berk has studied laughter and health for decades. According to the LLU School of Medicine, Berk and colleagues found that laughter improves the immune system, including finding that "Natural killer cells (the cells that attack virus and tumor cells) increase in number and activity."

Laughter can increase blood flow, according to a University of Maryland School of Medicine study. "The results of the brachial artery blood flow measurements, which are precise and objective, appear to make the connection between laughter and cardiovascular health even stronger, according to Dr. Miller."

That is just a few short examples of the benefits of laughter. There are many more examples. There are numerous books written on the subject. Maybe the most famous book to link hope with healing is Anatomy of an Illness by Norman Cousins. Another book was written by Allen Klein, The Healing Power of Humor.

Now you may be convinced that laugher is good for you. How do you laugh even more than you already do?

Try watching a comedy, cartoons, a comedian, or America's Funniest Home Videos. You could pick up the newspaper comic section.

Did you know that there is a non-profit organization, Laughter Heals Foundation, dedicated to healing laughter? Their web site has jokes and funny stories.

Do you laugh at your own jokes? If I cannot laugh at my own jokes, who else will? (Yes. You are right. I am laughing right now.) Once I start laughing, I notice it is contagious. When I see others laughing and smiling, I feel even better.

When I was in high school, a very wise person told me not to take life so seriously. He was right. I laugh more. Maybe his advice will work for you too.

Try this, say "ha, ha, ha." That may be silly enough to make you laugh. Did you say it out loud? Can other people hear you? Try it on the subway. If no one laughs, at least you will get your own seat.

You can try looking in the mirror. Or, am I the only one that gets a good laugh out of that?

If you are still not laughing, you can try Laughing Yoga. There are classes, DVDs, and even YouTube videos.

Whatever helps you to laugh... do that. Go on. Go ahead and laugh! Laugh often. Enjoy the benefits of good laughter. Laugh yourself healthy.

For more information, please see the following web links:
Laughter Heals Foundation, see http://laughterheals.org
WebMD video on laughter, see http://www.webmd.com/video/laughter-heals
Loma Linda University School of Medicine news, March 11, 1999 http://www.llu.edu/news/today/mar99/sm.htm
"University of Maryland School of Medicine study shows laughter helps blood vessels function better" http://www.umm.edu/news/releases/laughter2.htm