A Laugh A Day

I think we all know we feel so much better when we have a good laugh. It sticks with us for a while and we can face and take on so much more, it seems. It does not just seem like it, we can! Not only does laughter lift up the spirit, it also helps with pain relief.

It's always said: an apple a day, keeps the doctor away. That maybe true and I will investigate that sometime, hehe. BUT... it is now scientifically proven that a laugh a day, keeps the doctor away!

Sharing a good chuckle with a loved one or co-worker not only feels good, it is good for you. Studies have shown that laughing boosts your immune system, reduces stress and stimulates blood circulation.

Let’s face it, though: Most adults don’t experience much spontaneous laughter on a daily basis. So a growing number of people are turning to hasya yoga to “fake it until they make it.”

Hasya, or laughter yoga, began in 1995 with an Indian medical doctor named Madan Kataria. The unusual discipline, which uses playful activities and guided breathing exercises to trigger laughter, since has spread to more than 50 countries, with about 200 clubs in the U.S. alone.

For people with chronic pain, laughter’s physiological benefits can serve as a powerful form of pain management, says Sebastien Gendry, director of the American School of Laughter Yoga in Pasadena, Calif.

“When you laugh, you release endorphins. Those are feel-good hormones, as well as natural painkillers,” Gendry says.
Janet Wilson, a registered nurse in Flagstaff, Ariz., who has fibromyalgia, became a certified laughter leader in 2005 after learning about the World Laughter Tour. Wilson now runs laughter clubs in Flagstaff.

“I have had chronic pain for 12 years. I love leading laughter sessions because it elevates my mood and provides pain relief that lasts for about two hours,” she says.

To try a taste of laughter yoga, Gendry suggests pretending to take a “laughter pill,” building from a simulated giggle to a belly-shaking guffaw as soon as it “hits” your tongue.

Or consider joining a laughter club. Because laughter is contagious, enjoying a few rounds of pretend chortling with others may inspire a serious fit of the actual giggles.

To find information about laughter exercises or joining a laughter club, log on to http://www.worldlaughtertour.com/, or http://www.laughteryoga.org/.
~By Genevieve Rajewski, Arthritis Foundation.

Well, there you have it. Laughter is the best brand of pain relief medicine you can get and it doesn't cost you anything. Not even a trip to the pharmacy!

Okay, that is not entirely true. The best pain relief, which is everlasting and lifts your spirits continually, is God. Trusting Him and having faith not only eases pain, lifts your spirit, but also gives inner peace and rest. And you can always find joy in all His blessings. :-)

Revelation 21:4
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”