Laugh Now, Laugh Later, Laugh As Much As Possible!!!

Good Morning Good Lifers!!! TGIF...so stoked for the coming weekend.  It's gonna great, fantastic, and bombastic!  So today's blog is about Laughter/ Laughing!  I personally feel that Laughing is one of the very best things a person can do for themselves.  A good Laugh has almost infinite power, and I have experienced, first hand, the amazing power of Laughing.  Through all my peaks and valleys, ebbs and flows in my life, I have always had a sense of humor.  Laughter has served many purposes in my life; whether I am just thinking and sharing some crazy, nonsensical scenarios and stories to entertain others, or using comedy to mask my many insecurities, Laughter has truly been one of the biggest parts of my life, and I attribute much of my success and outlook on life to my sense of humor and ability to Laugh Laugh Laugh!!!  With all that being said, there is even some science that has proven that Laughter can create many positive physiological  changes in the body.  The following are some scientifically proven, changes in the body when a person Laughs....

In the last few decades, researchers have studied laughter's effects on the body and turned up some potentially interesting information on how it affects us:

• Blood flow. Researchers at the University of Maryland studied the effects on blood vessels when people were shown either comedies or dramas. After the screening, the blood vessels of the group who watched the comedy behaved normally -- expanding and contracting easily. But the blood vessels in people who watched the drama tended to tense up, restricting blood flow.
  
• Immune response. Increased stress is associated with decreased immune system response, says Provine. Some studies have shown that the ability to use humor may raise the level of infection-fighting antibodies in the body and boost the levels of immune cells, as well.
  
• Blood sugar levels. One study of 19 people with diabetes looked at the effects of laughter on blood sugar levels. After eating, the group attended a tedious lecture. On the next day, the group ate the same meal and then watched a comedy. After the comedy, the group had lower blood sugar levels than they did after the lecture.
  
• Relaxation and sleep. The focus on the benefits of laughter really began with Norman Cousin's memoir, Anatomy of an Illness. Cousins, who was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a painful spine condition, found that a diet of comedies, like Marx Brothers films and episodes of Candid Camera, helped him feel better. He said that ten minutes of laughter allowed him two hours of pain-free sleep.

 *Information provided by the following article on WebMd: 

 http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/give-your-body-boost-with-laughter

I think E.E. Cummings summed it up very nicely:

While Laughter may not be the "Best Medicine," it most definitely has health benefits; and besides all that, Laughing is FUUUUNNN!!!!!! So Laugh Laugh Laugh your booty off!!!

Much Love!