Laughter is pretty good stuff

o7He who laughs, lasts.

f7 -- Anonymous

The laughter of gulls pulls me from my morning reverie. It sounds

almost mocking. As I continue to walk along the shore with my

thoughts, the gulls’ laughter haunts me. We humans don’t laugh

enough. Maybe the gulls know something we don’t. Are they trying to

tell me something important on this gray summer day?

One morning recently, my friend Catharine and I were walking along

the Heisler Park walk. We spotted dolphins offshore and paused to

watch them. There is something so soothing to the soul in watching

these wondrous creatures. We watched their graceful movements in

silence. Suddenly, we heard a burst of laughter from the beach below.

Peering over the edge, we saw a man and some four or five women

standing in a circle in the sand. Arms outstretched, legs wide apart,

they were laughing loudly and moving about in a loose-limbed manner.

Wondering what they could be doing, we watched for a brief time as

they stretched and bent and laughed out loud for no apparent reason.

Walking on, we both had broad smiles on our faces. We spoke of

laughter and how healthy it is, how often it comes to us even in

times of great sorrow. We even laughed a little ourselves as we

walked. Laughter is just pretty good stuff. It is said that children,

by the time they reach nursery school age, laugh about 300-400 times

a day. Adults laugh only 15-17 times daily. We have all seen how

contagious laughter can be. It causes a domino effect of joy. So why

don’t we laugh more often?

Laughter provides benefits that are both physiological and

psychological. A good hearty laugh has been shown to help reduce

stress and lower blood pressure. Also, a recent study conducted by

researchers at University of Maryland School of Medicine found that

laughter may even help protect against heart attacks. They discovered

in their study of 300 subjects that “people with heart disease

responded less humorously to everyday life situations.” They were 40%

less likely to laugh and displayed more anger than those without

heart disease.

Laughter elevates mood, boosts the immune system and increases

oxygen in the blood, which encourages healing. Improved brain

functioning has been related to laughter. Both sides of the brain are

stimulated by laughter, which then enhances learning. Muscle tension

and psychological stress are eased, keeping the brain alert and able

to retain more information.

Writer Norman Cousins, who believed in holistic healing, said that

laughter is like “inner jogging” and thus beneficial for your body.

Your diaphragm, abdominal, respiratory, facial, leg, and back muscles

all get a workout when you laugh. It is estimated that laughter may

burn as many calories as several minutes of an exercise bike or

rowing machine, while aiding digestion and absorption of foods. It

can even help to clear mucus from your lungs.

So why aren’t we laughing more? Since laughter is so contagious,

maybe if just you and I start laughing more, everyone else soon will,

too. I think this could be something worth starting, for like

Sebastian R.N. Chamfort, I believe “the most wasted of all days is

that in which we have not laughed.” I’m going to start counting --

and not just on the days I’m with my grandson, when I laugh almost

all the time. I’m sure that in no time at all I can increase my daily

quota not just sometimes but on every day.

Or we could join the Laughter Club. That is what the circle of

folks on the beach is all about. They meet at 7 a.m. on Tuesday,

Thursday, and Sunday at Heisler Park Gazebo for yogic breathing,

laughter and easy stretches.

Whatever you do, though, laugh more and pass the laughter on. It

is better than any other medicine.

* Cherril Doty is a creative life coach and artist, exploring the

mysteries of life as they come. You can reach her by e-mail at

[email protected] or by calling (949) 251-3883.