Take Me To Post Comment Form Great news - laughter is good for you! I recently discussed this with a friend who is battling cancer. We agreed that laughter and cheerfulness are assets. We are very serious about our lives and our work -- so serious that we have included laughter in it. We agree with Mark Twain who once said, “The human race has only one really effective weapon and that’s laughter.

I was once “written up for too much laughter in an annual performance review. My boss often heard my laughter and that of the department through the wall. I was very embarrassed, but I had to laugh. I am still certain that the shared laughter in that group was an important part of our daily work.

Laughter is one of the memories I have of my father. He was a serious person, stern, and sometimes depressed but he loved a good laugh. He did not tell jokes, but enjoyed the humor that naturally erupted in our family. One time, with all six of us around the dinner table, not one of us could stop laughing. We had tears running down our cheeks and our stomachs ached. Today we know that the dopamine in our brains played a part in that event.

Writer Norman Cousins used laughter to combat ill health in the 1960s. He amazed his family and his doctors when he decided laughter should be included in his healing process. He checked out of a New York City hospital because he was causing too much disruption on the floor laughing at jokes, reading comics and watching funny videos. He moved into a hotel across the street so he could get relief from his pain and the sleep he needed. He beat the odds of that deadly disease and described the strategy in his book, "Anatomy of an Illness."

Today, we know that laughter affects our HEARTS. “Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore have shown that laughter is linked to healthy function of blood vessels. They report that laughter increases blood flow - raising and lowering heart rate and blood pressure.

Laughter also strengthens our IMMUNE SYSTEM. Nannette Richford writes, “Laughter increases T cells and natural killer cells (which attack viruses, foreign cells and cancer cells) and increases blood chemicals that transmit messages in the nervous system which in turn stimulates the immune system.

Laughter helps our BRAINS. Clinical Psychologist Thomas Crook explains that by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers observed that “a good knee-slapper" also produces a chemical reaction that instantly elevates your mood, reduces pain and stress…

Laughter can have an effect on our MENTAL HEALTH. William F. Fry, MD, at Stanford University School of Medicine explains it this way, “You flex, then relax fifteen facial muscles plus dozens of others all over your body. Your pulse and respiration increase briefly, oxygenating your blood. And your brain experiences a decrease in pain production due to the creation of pleasure giving endorphins.


Think of it! We already have a magic pill! Trouble is -- when illness strikes, the last thing we think about is laughing. The next time you get sick or feel down, look for a way to incorporate some belly laughs into your healing process. Then, create a personal laughter maintenance program. Join (or form) a laughter club (www.laughteryoga.org) and set aside time with your friends for a laughter workout. Go with the GIGGLES!