A HEALTHY DOSE OF LAUGHTER

[Guest guest]

A HEALTHY DOSE OF LAUGHTER

I read that a child laughs 400 times a day on the average, while an

adult laughs only 15 times each day. Which is puzzling since laughter

feels so good and is so good for us!

You may know the benefits of laughter on the mind and spirit, but are

you aware of how much a good laugh can help you physically? Nor­man

Cousins used to say that laughter is so bene­ficial for your body that

it is like " inner jog­ging. "

Mayo Clinic (Mayo Clinic Health Letter, March 1993) reports that

laughter aids breathing by disrupting your normal respiration pattern

and in­creasing your breathing rate. It can even help clear mucus from

your lungs.

Laughter is also good for your heart. It in­creases circulation and

improves the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to tissues throughout

your body.

A good laugh helps your immune system fight off colds, flu and sinus

problems by increas­ing the concentration of immunoglobulin A in your

sa­liva. And it may help control pain by rais­ing the levels of

certain brain chemicals (endorphins).

Furthermore, it is a natural stress reliever. Have you ever laughed so

hard that you doubled over, fell off your chair, spit out your food or

wet your pants? You cannot maintain muscle tension when you are

laughing!

The good news is that you are allowed more than 15 laughs a day! Go

ahead and double the dose and make it 30 times today. (You may begin

to no­tice immediate improvement in your relationships!) Then double

it again! You are bound to feel better, you will cope with problems

more effectively and people will enjoy being around you.

Laughter: it's just good medicine!

__________

This reading can be found in Steve Goodier's book:

RICHES OF THE HEART

Sixty-Second Readings that Make a Difference

Enjoy~