The Magic Healing Power of Laughter!

About the Author: Kate Olson, CPC, CHt, is a Life Coach, Integrative Master Hypnotherapist, EFT & NLP Master Practitioner & Trainer and Reiki Master located in Seattle, Northern Lights Life Coaching & Embrace Change Hypnosis & NLP. She offers workshops & classes, as well as, individual and group coaching. Her emphasis is on assisting clients in finding Path, Purpose and Peace. Kate focuses on integration of mind, body, spirit wellness. It is her mission to help clients find joy through connection, creative expression and change facilitation. She is passionate about creativity, travel, personal growth and enjoying life. She has another  wellness-related business offering Salt Therapy, Salt Works Saltariums. Salt Therapy offers an all natural treatment solution for respiratory and skin problems.​ All three businesses operate as Dba's under Total Well Resources, LLC.  She is also a radio show host on Contact Talk   Radio, www.ctrnetwork.com/embracechange  hosting "Embrace Change with Kate & Michelle". She is a       speaker, writer and event facilitator.  

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   Laughter is contagious! We love to laugh! I personally love both laughing and hearing the sound of laughter.  It is just uplifting on a deep spiritual level! Laughter is an elixir and a magic potion and sometimes said to be a medicine with amazing healing powers.  With laughter you can make a friend, ease a conflict, solve a problem and certainly communicate joy and emotion quite effectively. There are multiple types and variations of laughter and we laugh to express ourselves in a myriad of ways and situations.     Laughter is defined as the sound of mirth, merriment or joy. Many have thought deeply of laughter and its unique qualities and expressed their own feelings about it.
 
     Here are some profound and thoughtful quotes about Laughter:
 
     “A person who knows how to laugh at himself will never cease to be amused!”  
      --Shirley McClain
 
     “A day without laughter is a day wasted.”  -- Charlie Chaplin
 
     “If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane.” – Jimmy Buffet
 
     “We don’t laugh because we are happy, we are happy because we laugh.”
      – William James
 
     “The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter.”
      – Mark Twain
 
     “Everyone laughs the same in every language because laughter is a universal connection.”
      –Jakob Smirnoff
 
     “Laughter is the best medicine.” – Unknown, it is thought to have been coined from a similar phase
​       about mirth. 

 ​  Does laughter really have effectives on our physical and neurological well-being, as well as, our emotional well-being?  A great deal of research and scientific study into the effects of laughter on the body and the mind has been and is currently being done.  In general, studies have found that laughter can reduce pain and stress, improve blood flow and general cardiovascular function and increase immune system response. While studies are ongoing, laughter is believed to rewire the brain by making new neural pathways, causing the release of hormones that reduce the level of cortisol in the body and leading to better endocrine system functions, which in turn improve the body’s immune response and functioning. Laughter causes the release of serotonin and endorphins, which releases tension and improves mood. This is helpful for depression.
 
      In a study in Norway, it was found that people with a sense of humor generally lived longer than those less inclined toward humor, who tended to laugh less often. In hospital studies, it was found that those who laughed more needed less anesthesia, less time in surgery and had shorter hospital stays. They found that a general atmosphere of humor, leading to more laughter resulted in better overall patient care and outcomes. Laughter has also been found to be helpful for cancer patients in dealing wiht pain and the effects of treatment on the body. 
 
      Studies also found that laughter or an atmosphere where humor and laughter are encouraged can improve learning and retention of learned material. There are many other benefits to laughter. It burns calories and is thought to make people appear more attractive.  Generally speaking, laughter is very socially appealing and tends to attract others to us. It promotes both connection and an atmosphere of conciliation and collaboration. Laughter also promotes bonding and favorable impressions between people.  It can diminish the effects on anger and tension.  As they say, things are just better when you’re laughing!
   
​     We listen to comedians, watch funny movies and sometimes funny reality shows or even YouTube and other social media platforms to get our daily dose of laughter. Laughter has become a "therapy” of sorts and we have “laughter yoga” and “laughter meditation” these days. Dr. Madan Kataria, a family physician in Mumbai, India, wrote an article called “Laughter– the best medicine” in 1995.  After writing his article he ended up starting the first “laughter yoga” practice in a field near his offices. From there, with 5 people in a field, it has grown to a regular practice in more than 50 countries around the world.  Laughter Therapy is the use of laughter or humor to relieve stress and promote a healthier immune system.  This is done in many ways and there are now also Laughter Clubs to promote well-being.
 
    Laughter has been found to be generally helpful in almost every situation. It will speed up the bonding process, lead to longer happier relationships and longer happier lives, it can help you burn calories to lose weight, make you feel more attractive or cause you to be attracted to someone or to certain groups of  people.  Most women list a sense of humor as one of qualities they are attracted to and people of both sexes say that they choose their significant other because they made them laugh. 
 
    Laughing will make you happier and being happy will lead to laughing more and the more you laugh the more the people around you and those you come into contact with will laugh and the happier they will be.  The happier the people around you are, the more you will enjoy being around them and the happier and more comfortable everyone will be.  So, laugh for no reason at all and as often as possible.   Laugh out loud and never miss the opportunity to laugh, because it’s definitely good for your health!
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​Laughter is the Best Medicine: The Health Benefits of Humor and ...
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/laughter-is-the-best-medicine.htm
 
Humor, Laughter, and Those Aha Moments - Harvard Medical School
https://hms.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/HMS_OTB_Spring10_Vol16_No2.pdf

Psychological, immunological and physiological effects of a Laughing 
 ...https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096522991300157X

Humor and Laughter May Influence Health IV. Humor and Immune Function
Mary Payne Bennett1 and Cecile Lengacher2
Author information ► Article notes ► Copyright and License information ►

How to Do Laughter Yoga: 12 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow
https://www.wikihow.com/Do-Laughter-Yoga