Laugh for no Reason

The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter. -Mark Twain
A deep long laugh is therapy for the heart, mind and soul. Most people would agree that sharing deep long laughter with others is as intimate an experience as crying. In fact, the emotions are not opposites as we sometimes think; they live close beside each other, which is why the best laughter brings us to tears and that the deepest crying can often end in laughter.
“I love to laugh” the Mary Poppin’s song that portrays the uncontrollable laughter that literally lifts her wacky relations off the ground has never failed to make me laugh. One of my dearest friends, who has shared more deep laughter with me than any other person I know, used to break out with that song whenever things got too serious. The truth is that we often forget that we know how to laugh, and just like sharing intense crying is difficult for some people. It is the same with laughter.
The remedy for this might be closer than you realized. A recent feature in the New Yorker magazine about The Laughing Guru is determined to change all that. His practice, which is sometimes called laughter yoga, is all about finding the place that holds our deep long laughter. The giggling guru, an Indian Dr. Madan Kataria, has started a quiet revolution of laughter throughout the world.
The laughing clubs that have no dogma and limited training in provoking irreverence have only one goal – to get people to laugh more often than they do, for longer than they do and that they don’t need to rely on humor to get there. His laughter clubs and his book argues that deliberate human interaction and engaging in simple forms of play is enough to get you laughing. Laughter is one of the most contagious interactions we have and even if you start out faking it, real healing laughter will erupt from the intent.
There are laughter clubs all over the world and one here in Eugene tomorrow that I am going to check out. Although I haven’t yet read the book, Laugh For No Reason, I definitely want to learn how to bring more laughter to my days.

The benifits of laughter

The many benefits of laughter

1. When you make fun of yourself, you disempower those who would make fun of you and disarm possible confrontations.

2. Laughter dissolves tension, stress, anxiety, irritation, anger, grief, and depression. Like crying, laughter lowers inhibitions, allowing the release of pent-up emotions. After a hearty bout of laughter, you will experience a sense of well-being. Simply put, he who laughs, lasts. After all, if you can laugh at it, you can live with it. Remember, a person without a sense of humor is like a car without shock absorbers.

3. Medical researches have found that laughter boosts the immune system. The study of how behavior and the brain affect the immune system is called psychoneuroimmunology. Though still in its infancy, this science is rapidly gaining much attention as mankind strives to understand the mind-body relationship.

4. Laughter reduces pain by releasing endorphins that are more potent than equivalent amounts of morphine.

5. Humor helps integrate both hemispheres of our brain, for the left hemisphere is used to decipher the verbal content of a joke while the right hemisphere interprets whether it is funny or not.

6. Laughter adds spice to life; it is to life what salt is to a hard-boiled egg.

7. Develop your sense of humor and you will find you are more productive, a better communicator, and a superior team player.

8. Everyone loves someone who can make them laugh. The more you share your sense of humor, the more friends you will have.

9. Humor brings the balance we need to get through the turbulence of life comfortably.

10. Laughter is even equivalent to a small amount of exercise. It massages all the organs of the body, according to Dr. James Walsh.

11. A sense of humor can help you accept the inevitable, rise to any challenge, handle the unexpected with ease, and come out of any difficulty smiling.

The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed. Don't wait until you are sick before you begin practicing laughter therapy. Start today by renting comedy classics from your video store, borrowing humorous books from the library, attending comedy clubs or watching comics on TV, and exchanging jokes with family members, friends, and coworkers. If you are visiting someone in the hospital, why not bring funny greeting cards and humorous books instead of flowers?

I'll end on a personal note. Every time I'm out on a cloudy day with a group of friends, I'm the first person to know when it starts to rain. Do you know why? Because I'm bald!