Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Laughter, The Best Medicine

by prydwen

"A merry heart does good like a medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones"

-- Proverbs 17:22

"Laugh together without reason for a healthy life", is a concept propagated by the followers of laughter therapy. Those who propound the therapy insist that laughing has various physical and psychological effects which are good for your health. As a result, innumerable laughter clubs that have cropped up almost everywhere.

According to researchers, positive stress is given off by the body. This causes the immune system to act more quickly and efficiently. Due to this, cells increase both in their number and energy level. Thus, through laughter, blood pressure is lowered, and the immune system and mental health of a person becomes stronger.

A typical laughter session in this therapy would include pure laughing, without any jokes combined with stretching and various breathing exercises.

The various benefits of laughter therapy are:

Stress Relief: It is one of the most effective forms of anti-stress measures. Laughter is considered one of the best muscle relaxants-it expands blood vessels and sends more blood rising all over the body. That apart, laughter is also known to reduce the level of stress hormones epineprine and cortisol.

Strengthens Immune System: The T-cells, which fight infections, become more active when a person laughs. Laughter is also said to increase immunoglobin A and B. Immunoglobin A works for the respiratory tract and has protective qualities against virus, bacteria and other micro-organisms. Immunoglobin B provides antibodies with the strength to attack dysfunctional cells.

Good Aerobic Activity: When you laugh, you inhale more oxygen and thus you feel refreshed. Researchers have found that one minute of laughter is equal to 10 minutes on the rowing machine. This means that laughter stimulates heart and blood circulation equivalent to any other standard aerobic exercise. Laughter exercise is suited for sedentary people and those who are confined to bed or wheel chair.

Good For Mental Health: People suffering from mind-related diseases like anxiety, depression, nervous breakdowns and sleeplessness have benefited from the laughter therapy.

Good For Heart: Laughter helps control blood pressure by reducing the release of stress related hormones and bringing relaxation. Experiments have proved that there is a drop of 10-20 mm. in blood pressure after participating in a 10 minutes laughter session. Laughter also helps in stopping the further progress of heart disease as it improves blood circulation and oxygen supply to the heart muscles. Due to improvement of blood circulation there are less chances of forming a clot.

Pain Killer: Laughter increases the levels of endorphins in our bodies, which are natural pain-killers. Endorphins released as a result of laughter also help in reducing the intensity of pain in people suffering from arthritis, spondylitis and muscular spasms. It is also said to alleviate migraine and tension headaches.

Helps People Suffering From Bronchitis And Asthma: Laughter is considered a very good exercise as it improves lung capacity and oxygen levels in the blood. However, patients should consult a doctor before taking up laughter therapy.

Stay Young: Laughter helps in toning up the face muscles and improves facial expressions. When you laugh, your face becomes red due to an increase in blood supply, which nourishes the facial skin and makes it glow.

From Worldroom.com

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