Thursday, July 10, 2008

Laugh...It's Good For You !!

The idea that humor and laughter benefit health is not new; it has long been a part of folk wisdom. Shakespeare wrote in The Taming of the Shrew, "And frame your mind to mirth and merriment, which bars a thousand harms and lengthens life." And from Proverbs 17:22, "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine; but a broken spirit drieth the bones."

Laughing is good exercise, providing a workout for the diaphragm and increasing the body's ability to use oxygen.Laughter brings in positive emotions that can enhance – not replace --conventional treatments. Hence it is another tool available to help fight disease.

Experts believe that, when used as an addition to conventional care, laughter can reduce pain and aid the healing process. For one thing, laughter offers a powerful distraction from pain. Perhaps, the biggest benefit of laughter is that it is free and has no known negative side effects.

We all know that we feel better when we enjoy a good laugh, so why is it so hard to believe that laughter can affect our health for the better? All through time the wise men, the Shamans, the ancient teachers and elders, medicine men, witch doctors, most scholars and the like have all been aware of the fact that laughter is good.

So what's the lesson here...what does all this mean to us, the average Internet user and person next door? Simple !! The lesson for all of us is really very simple....enjoy yourself ! Laugh! Be happy and make others happy!

If we put aside all the medical talk, all the logical reasoning, all the mystical teachings and fall back on our common sense, we would understand !! Laughter makes us feel good, so it must be good for us. But we already knew that, right? Making others feel good makes us feel good, doesn't it? Makes us all warm and cozy on the inside, right? That means the medicine is working, the healing has started and the body and mind are responding to the positive energy.

Well, so much for the lesson of the day. In the end it's not hard to understand. Want to feel better? SMILE. Want to be really healthy? LAUGH OUT LOUD!

Speaking of smiling and feeling better...let's get some fresh coffee and share a good feeling, OK?

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

You make me smile everyday, Bubba! And sometimes laugh out loud, too. Love to start the day with you -

Love and laughter to you -

HermitJim said...

Hey Sis...I appreciate that! I'm always glad when ya drop by and I'm glad you enjoy reading what I write.

Starting the day with friends is always nice, isn't it? Sort of helps to put the rest of the day in perspwective. Certainly makes it a little more pleasant.

Love ya, Sis

Cat Melton said...

Hey Jim,
I'm with Sis, I enjoy reading you, (and blondie, and js), every day. Had to work this am from 5 to 11, or I'd have been here sooner. It's like a 'fix' for me to see what ya'll are up to. By the way, what are the 'roomies' up to these days?
'Bout time for some pics.

Take care, friend, and yes, I'm smiling!!!

Cat

HermitJim said...

Hey Cat...I always enjoy having folks drop by and comment. I also enjoy reading all the other blogs I follow...as you see on the left of my blog post. Today nearly all of them were updated so that was a special treat for me.

Soon I'll put some more pics of the roomies on...you won't believe how much they have grown.

See ya soon

blondie said...

Been too long since I had a good laugh. Guess there are too many things on my mind right now that are preventing a little fun :)

And I Second the Motion ... New Kitty Pics please, lol

Done with coffee for today. So we'll have to get together again tomorrow.
CYA later Jim :))

HermitJim said...

Hey Blondie...thanks for dropping by. Always a pleasure to see you here. Hope to see you more active and giggling again soon! I do miss those giggles!

See you maybe at TE or in the CIF forum...

Manu said...

Hi Jim,

you are definitly helping out with your writing on the daily dose of smiles and laughter.
And i totaly agree on the power of laughter, good feelings and positive energy.
One of the great things about laughter is that it is contagious. A couple of years ago i went to a ayurvedic massage course, part of our daily routine would be meditation...so one time we did a laughing meditation. We had to lay on the ground in a certain pattern with our heads resting on the belly of the person before us, than we were supposed to laugh...Of course it didn't work, we all felt just awkward(we didn't know eachother well) and not really a reason to laugh. All of the sudden more and more people started laughing until all of us did. Our teacher had taken charge and started with the laughing and it spred like wildfire. As hard as it was to start it was harder to stop. Just thinking of it still makes me smile, i can only recommended it. It is sooo funny.
Oops... that turned into a long post.

Keep on smiling everyone.:o)

HermitJim said...

Hey manu...that is a game we used to play at parties! Good for a laugh all the time.

Just saw your pic over at the CIF forum...and I have to say what a beautiful smile you have! Couldn't help to smile with you just looking at it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Manu said...

well now you made me blush, but i am smiling and i thank you for the compliment. I am always happy when i make people smile.

Will Buckley said...

I read some where or heard it somewhere that if you wake up and smile into the mirror for at least a minute it will improve your day.

Need to head over to CIF and check out MANU's smile.

Later,

Will

HermitJim said...

Hey Will...thanks for stopping by. I wrote day before yesterday about smiling at yourself in the mirror. What timing, huh?

hey, don't be a stranger...OK? Always a pleasure to have you come by and comment!

Thanks again