Here is an interesting and inspiring article I found recently on the benefits of laughter by author Jennifer Macleay that I would like to share with you today… I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

For those who want to go straight to laughter therapy to begin healing immediately click here!

~~~~~~~~~~~

I have been doing some study on the benefits of laughter . The reason for this is that my husband and I have the responsibility of managing a guesthouse. One of the functions of this guesthouse is to provide accommodation for workers who are assisting in third world countries.

These workers may be sick or burnt out or just in need of a break. I set about to collect a book of jokes to place on the coffee table to be a source of cheer. I decided to go further and include some of the  physical benefits of laughing . What I found was quite enlightening and I found that my own spirits were lifted from doing this study.

One may question does God have a sense of humor?
The stock answer is: of course, He made you and me didn’t He

In recent years there has been many studies and much written on the benefits of laughter so I won’t go into detail in this article, except to serve as a reminder.

Laughing is thought to help you to fight illnesses and tumours.

Laughing reduces pain

Laughing acts as a muscle relaxant for example if someone is fearful of injections, a laugh just before will do wonders.
Laughing reduces allergic responses.
Laughing lifts your mood or your spirit.
Laughing reduces the effect of stress by lowering stress hormone levels.
One study showed that laughing helped keep diabetes under control.
Lowers blood pressure.
Improves brain and mental functions.
Gives a feeling of inner joy.

This is just a brief view of a few benefits of laughing. Although these are from relatively recent studies, the ancient words of Proverbs, which is writings of practical advice for daily living, confirms that: A cheerful heart is good medicine. The second half of this verse confirms what recent studies have found in angry, unhappy people, that their health deteriorates. Proverbs says: a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)

Learn how to transform pain into joy

My work as a clinical nurse has bought me in contact with a lot of older people. What stands out to me is that just about every old person 85 years plus, who does not have dementia, has a wonderful sense of humor. One dear old lady, had a long list of severe physical problems on her medical records, but to see her it was hard to believe, she just kept on keeping on with life, laughing and telling jokes as she went.

Although times may be tough and hard, Proverbs also says: the cheerful heart has a continual feast.

For a number of years we lived in a remote part of Papua New Guinea. We had to radio out to a town on the other side of the range with an order for the supplies that we needed. These supplies were bought and put on a boat that took several days to get to where we could pick them up. From our place to the pickup point was a two-day hike over rough mountainous trails and across dangerous rivers.

Quite often on arrival to meet the boat we would find that rough seas had turned the boat back. Or we may have ordered crucial parts for the chainsaw. Then after this long process to get them, we found that the wrong parts had been sent. This of course was causing much delay and frustration. We ate a lot of local foods when they were available, but we took the opportunity when a supply trip was coming up to order in some special things like canned foods and eggs. You can imagine our despair to find 18 dozen eggs, all broken and smelly after the two-day hike back from the boat because someone did not treat them with care.

So how does one deal with these extra frustrations in an already trying situation. For starters we had a deep conviction that despite all these events, God was still sovereign.

We would sit around the meal table, there were four of us, and we would take these frustrating events and turn them into humor.

We would use our imagination to concoct the most way out stories of how these events went wrong. We would laugh and laugh at each ones story. Then we might see who could think up the most uses for 18 dozen rotten eggs. Or what could we make out of all these useless chainsaw parts that we had collected through frustrating mistakes. We found that despite our often-desperate situations that the cheerful heart has a continual feast.

As wonderful as laughing is it is not always appropriate to laugh, and discernment is needed to be wise with ones humor. As the Bible states in Ecclesiastes: There is a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.

By Jennifer Macleay Article Directory http://www.articledashboard.com

More Free Articles Original Articles

Physical Symptoms of Depression

In fact, the same chemical messengers control pain and mood. According to an article published by the Harvard Medical School, people with chronic pain have three times the average risk of developing psychiatric symptoms–usually mood or … over the well-being of people, the trashing of our environment, an undermining media that encourages dissatisfaction with our own bodies, toxins in foods and products, war, water shortages, chronic illness resulting from poverty….

Benefits of Yoga

This transformational life view brings about an ability to act with greater balance and inner security in the world, especially when encountering stress, pain, or illness. This category includes the popular mindfulness meditation which is used … By applying the meditation techniques specifically for pain control, practitioners are able to have a positive effect on such severe kinds of pain. I hope these methods help those of you with chronic pain 

Under our Skin

Today, many of those untreated will suffer chronic debilitating illness. Some unknowingly will pass the disease on to their unborn children. Many will lose their livelihoods, and still others, their lives. … Difficult to test accurately, tens of thousands of people go undiagnosed—or misdiagnosed with such conditions as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, autism, MS and ALS. The Centers for Disease Control admits that more than 200000 people may acquire Lyme dise… 

Technorati Tags: benefits of laughing, can laughing improve your health, health benefits of laughter, hearing the voice of god in suffering, laughter benefits, physical benefits of laughter, researching laughter the b

You’ve probably heard the old saying “laughter is the best medicine.” Today medical professionals and researchers are finding out this is more than an expression, it is good common sense.

Let the laugh doctor show you the health secrets of laughter

Studies conducted by doctors at Loma Linda University in California showed a variety of benefits to humor and laughter. Laughter has been shown to lower blood pressure, raise immunity, relax the muscles and release the feel-good chemicals called endorphins.

It’s no wonder there are laughing meditation practices that utilize the power of laughter.

Learn how to laugh for good health.

There are monks who arise each day and spend a certain amount of time just laughing. While you can go through the motions and ‘make yourself laugh’ it is much more fun to find something funny to laugh at. This is where your sense of humor comes in. The definition of funny to one person may be totally different to another.

One thing that is almost always sure to delight is watching videos and clips of cute animals or even viewing cute animal photos. Baby animals have a knack for warming the heart and eliciting a giggle from even the most solemn of us. Pets can also be a great source of lightheartedness, simply by watching them at play. The massive popularity of the recent Shiba Inu puppy cam proves how appealing baby animals are.

But don’t take my word for it…start laughing as much as you can! The more opportunities you give yourself to laugh the better. Cute Cams and Clips is one example of a site that features all kinds of funny video clips and photos of adorable things like puppies, kittens and more.

Author: Angela Harris

For family-friendly cams, clips and photos of baby animals and more visit Cute Cams and Clips. The archives are filled with great stuff and the site is updated with new cuteness on a regular basis.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angela_Harris

Government Education Press Releases: Laughter Helps Stress

Published medical studies show laughter lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones & boosts our immune systems. A good laugh triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, creating a general sense of well-being. 

Diabetics Benefit from Laughter, Diabetes Care

Diabetes and Laughter According to the results of a new study, mirthful laughter can benefit diabetics. The study adds to a growing interest in mind-body research, known as lifestyle medicine. Laughter has been shown to benefit health

Laughter May Raise Good Cholesterol And Lower Inflammation

The authors conclude that mirthful laughter may thus lower the risk of cardiovascular disease associated with diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome. Further studies need to be done to expand and elucidate these findings. 

Technorati Tags: humor comedy funny video clips, laughing benefits, laughter therapy research, physical benefits of laughter, science and benefits of laughter

The adage, ‘laughter is the best medicine’, proves to be true when it comes to keeping heart attacks at bay.

Recent studies conducted at a university in Baltimore show that people who always have a good laugh are less likely to have heart diseases. Further, people with heart diseases are found 40% less probable to laugh and become humorous compared to people to those without heart problems. If this is true, the very elixir that could solve a serious medical condition pertaining to the heart is found the very primordial act of laughing at really funny jokes.

Learn how to laugh for health here

A good belly laugh considered to be a form of exercise. It can serve as an ‘internal exercise because it provides a good cardiac stimulation and conditioning. This is especially important to those who don’t have the time to exercise or do physical activities. Laughing also prevents hypertension because it lessens the likeliness of stress. It relaxes muscles and lessens the supply of dopamine in he blood, a hormone known to induce the fight or flight response.

Learn how to be happy now for your good health

Knowing all these, how can you practice the habit of laughing to keep heart attack away?

Here are some ways that are not only useful in preventing heart problems but also act as an excellent pain reliever for current problems and helps to relieve the tedium of chronic illnesses, even leading to a cure.

1. Think of happy thoughts.

Keeping a light-hearted disposition is crucial in preventing heart attacks. Try to recall the things that you find funny. This may include a hilarious scene on TV, news or an event. Whenever stress starts keeping in, think about these situations can lower your stress and anxiety levels.

2. Engage in a healthy and entertaining conversation with close friends.

Doing this does not only produce some natural laughter, but also helps maintain good mental health. It gives a light feeling and relieves tension.

3. Watch funny movies and TV shows.

This is probably one of the easiest things to do to laugh. Immersing in the hilarity of others’ propensity for funny antics is the ultimate way to turn off sadness and stress. The heart benefits a lot from the laughter you give out.

4. Read some really funny jokes.

Fortunately, there are lots of good sites on the internet that feature jokes and pranks that people can laugh at. When the feeling of heaviness of heart creeps in, don’t wallow in misery. Taking care of the heart through laughing is very important.

5. Relax!

Don’t pretend to have fun, but let laughter come naturally. It is also not advisable to be so serious about life. If there’s a big hindrance on the road, don’t lash out and go berserk. Relax and respond humorously to everyday life’s situation. Think of positive things that could still induce some laughter amidst a stressful incident. Remember that most of the time, stress is only in the mind.

Find easy ways to relax such as listening to relaxation CDs

Learning to meditate destresses, lowers resistances and increases the ability to laugh which has many positive health effects

Nursing loneliness and anguish is the fastest way to a nasty and life-threatening heart attack. Don’t treat your heart like you have another one in the bank in case what you have fails to beat. Nurture a happy disposition, laugh at really funny jokes, and smile to ensure a healthy heart.

By: Joe Owens Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

A Computer Engineering student who loves to travel. Reading current news in the internet is one of his past times. Taking pictures of the things around him fully satisfies him. He loves to play badminton and his favorite pets are cats. For more information and queries, you may visit Really Funny Jokes

Clean jokes : clean jokes are the most funny

Are you looking for some short, funny and clean jokes that y fef ou can tell at the office? The web site: www.jokesclean.com has some greatones! You can find all of the classics on there; including funny things that kids have said! 

Playing the piano | best clean funny jokes | Animal Jokes

Best Clean Funny Jokes. Alltop, all the top stories. Playing the piano … The funniest jokes on the web – the best clean funny jokes. Most recent entries. Funny movie quotes from County Hospital, a short film by Laurel and Hardy 

Superman Dates | best clean funny jokes | Funny Videos

Courtesy of BlueFishTV and Tangle, a *very* funny video that looks at what it would like, if Superman was dating 

Technorati Tags: clean funny short jokes, health, jokes that will make you laugh, laughing, physical benefits of laughter, positive effects of