By P Chong                                             Friday, 29 January 2010

Can a laugh a day keep heart attack away? Maybe so, as

testified by new research at the Medical Center of the University of Maryland led by Dr Michael Miller.

It’s pointed out that laughter reduces pain, increases job performance, connects people

emotionally,and improves the flow of oxygen to the heart & brain.

Even a little laughter is a good thing.

Mark Twain said it best:

“The human race has only one really effective weapon, and

that is laughter. The moment it arises, all your irritations & resentments

slip away, & your sunny spirit takes their place.”

Humour & laughter stir up the three Es (i.e. enthusiasm, excitement & emotion) in your body mechanism bringing on a brighter life perspective. Laughter sets you up on a higher plane from where you can view the world in a more relaxed, positive, joyful & creative manner.

Take Mike, for instance, about to retire after years of working competitively as a top-notch travelling sales executive on the international circuit, is finally looking forward to taking up golf seriously. He has always been keen on golf & played occasionally whenever opportunity arose. Although his game has improved considerably, he was always getting angry with every mistake. This was attributed to the crowd he played with who took the game too seriously. They were playing competitively more for the score than for the fun of it. So he stopped his association with them & elected to play with some friends, who like him played more for recreational fun.

Now golfing was as enjoyable as he hoped it would be & even scored better to lower his handicap. The benefits of fun become so obvious. Being able to laugh at your own mistakes take some doing but worth the doing.

Whenever you can create the opportunities for laughter. Laughing out loud may seem silly if done solely on your own, so seek out friends to watch a funny movie together. There are many places & occasions for such opportunities, You might want to:

Join a comedy club or a “laughter yoga” group

Seek out funny people for company

Try to spread cheers around with telling funny jokes or stories

Play around with pets or children

Create fun activities.

Forget about personal inhibitions. Just let yourself go. Sense of humour is not required. Just laugh out loud (LOL)! Release all the stress & strain. Let go of your worry & pain . . . for when you laugh, the whole world laugh with you! Laughter is both infectious & contagious. You should laugh till your belly aches & stomach churns . . . for laughter is feeling deeply . . . allowing you to live fully!

Laughter has so much power to heal & renew. Here below is a summary of the physical, mental & social benefits:

The Benefits of Laughter
Physical Health Benefits: Boosts immunity Lowers stress hormones Decreases pain Relaxes your muscles Prevents heart disease	Mental Health Benefits: Adds joy and zest to life Eases anxiety and fear Relieves stress Improves mood Enhances resilience	Social Benefits: Strengthens relationships Attracts others to us Enhances teamwork Helps defuse conflict Promotes group bonding

Laughter is strong medicine for mind and body.

Clowns are always a welcoming sight!