Laughter Is Hazardous To Your Illness by Phyllis A. Garvey

Intuitively we know that laughter is good for us. Out body feels relieved, warm, whole, free, and light hearted when we laugh. Laughter and happiness really do offer medicinal therapeutic response.

Medical Research: It is possible for all 400 muscles of the body to move during laughter- thus labeled internal aerobics. A joy full belly- laugh can exercise thoroughly our main torso. If you were able to belly-laugh for 1 hour you would laugh off as many as 500 calories.

When ever we laugh we release a wave of chemicals through the body including the the endorphin hormone which is also released during healthy exercise. Endorphins (‘of morphine’) are the body’s natural pain relaxant. They stimulate feelings of well being, joy and high. Enough laughter will produce enough endorphins to guarantee “high impact” internal aerobic work out.

This is particularly evident when two people involved in a project such as before / after a reflexology session, shared laughter. A unity is formed. People feel welcome and free to open up and think out loud. Release.

Research at the University of Maryland has shown for the first time that laughter is linked to healthy function of blood vessels. In an organized group, laughter caused the inner lining of the vessels to dilate or expand. When this group was shown a movie that produced mental stress the blood vessel produced a potentially in healthy positive response which reduced blood flow. That confirmed the link between mental stress and the narrowing of blood vessels. The magnitude of change when this group watched a humorous movie that generated laughter was a blood flow increase. Similar to the benefits of an aerobic exercise, without the muscle tension, ache & pain. A good reason to add 15 minutes of laughter to your day / exercise program.

The study was not able to determine the source of laughter benefits. Does it come from the movement of the diaphragm muscles as we chuckle and guffaw? Does it come from a chemical release of endorphins? The study was funded by the National Institute(s) of Health and presented this year (2007) (2007) at the Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology.

The concept that laughter improves health makes sense and now ‘medical sense’.

Anger, depression, pessimism, impairs our immune response, increase wound and surgery recovery time and can contribute to higher death rates. Laughter invokes feelings of happiness and joy. Under conditions of merriment it is much easier to think creatively around a problem. Laughter opens that door. It also cuts through the endless loop of systems characterized by chronic illness. We may be stuck in one mode; fight or flight, anxiety, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, depression to name a few.

Inspired and provoked laughter is potent therapy for chronic and fixed states. “ Laughter and distressing emotion can not occupy the same psychological space” says Stephen Sultanaff, clinical psychologist.

‘The best time to laugh is anytime you can!’
Phyllis A. Garvey

Copyright Phyllis A Garvey. Phyllis A. Garvey is a full time certified Reflexologist. She continued her education in complementary health care and now practices 5 methods of Reflexology. http://themeadow.byregion.net