Rx: Laughter

“A cheerful heart is a good medicine but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22)

It feels so good if you have laughed out today!

Humor is such a good medicine. Laughter comes in many forms from a subtle smile to a good belly laugh. It benefits the whole cardiovascular system through dilation of blood vessels and increase of blood flow throughout the body. You feel refreshed after a good guffaw.

You don’t have to have a reason to laugh. A simple smile stimulates the immune system. A  study indicates that a good laugh may actually make us less sensitive to pain. Both the relaxation and laughter creates high pain thresholds. We will notice a loss of muscle control when we begin to laugh. That’s why laughing causes people to bend over and the diaphragm sets a chain of reaction in the body. As the diaphragm convulses it shakes up the stomach and other vital organs giving an “internal massage”.

When my kids were younger we used to spend the family time playing classic games in the computer. Remember those times when the classiest computer game was merely Pacman which was suitable for any age and for both genders? All the members of my family had so much fun and laughter playing the maze game in the arcade. Now we relive the glory days of arcade gaming in the comfort of our home by using the Pacman Arcade machine.

Some things get better with time. With the new model we share happy and playful moments with family and friends in our own home. Truly laughter is such a good medicine.