There are many benefits of laughter that we enjoy without even realizing it. When we laugh chemicals are released in our brains that make us feel good. This is why we love to laugh so much. Unlike chocolate, that can pile on the pounds, laughter costs nothing and doesn't affect our waistlines.

It has been discovered that laughter can help to heal people on some occasions and it is for this reason that you can find hospitals that now hire comedians and clowns to work in the wards, making patients laugh.

When we laugh stress hormones are suppressed that may usually do us damage by causing our blood vessels to constrict, thus repressing our immune systems.

Laugher does the opposite of stress hormones, such as dopamine which is associated with fight or flight syndrome. Laugher increases our immunity and our ability to fight off infections and disease that could damage us.

As well as providing us with cardiac exercise and relaxing our muscles, laughter can distract us from pain and discomfort.

This may be partly because as we laugh we empty our lungs of air and then take new, fresh air into our system. This is rather like the exercise of meditative deep breathing, only this time it is provided by a good belly laugh instead of concentrated effort.

It is not only physical results derived from laughter from which we may benefit, but emotional ones too.

Laughter helps to increase our confidence and to let go on unnecessary inhibitions which may hold us back socially. It also helps us to see situations in a positive light as we release tension and negativity.

When we increase our positive thoughts and release those which are negative we become able to benefit more from what life has to offer us. This is because we see through positive eyes and are able to pick up on opportunities which we would have either ignored, or not even noticed whilst in a more negative state of being.

It is for these reasons that laughter therapy is now available to enable people to increase their happiness and to laugh with others.

Laughter is a universal language that breaks down barriers between different cultures. Everyone understands that smiling and laughing are positive. So, even if you cannot speak another's language, if you can make them laugh you will be using body language that will help you to bond.

Another great element to laughter is that it seems to be infectious. We don't always need to know what it is that another person is laughing about for their laughter to spread to our own faces and bring us shared joy.

Laughter can also help to relieve stress so it is not surprising that humor can be found in some of the most stressful jobs and at the most difficult of times. People often makes jokes that seem to be unnecessary when after a disaster or sad event, but this is just a human beings way of coping with the impossible when they don't know of any other way.

So, if you are feeling sad or you just need a lift, make sure that you have laughter in your life and you will be well on the way to recovery.

Sources; http://www.holisticonline.com

Learn more about this author, Heidi Marie Fleetfoot.
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