It’s always been said that Laughter is the Best Medicine. But it’s not actually a real medicine, because a medicine is something that’s prescribed to you by a health professional, or your mum. I’ll never forget the times when my mum would come toward me with a foreign bad tasting liquid on a tablespoon and direct me to “Take my medicine”.
The Laughter Quotient was created so that it can be administered by a health professional in the same way that a conventional medicine is. The doctor, nurse, or therapist, will be able to say “I want you to laugh in this manner, three times a day, for the next two weeks, and then come back to see me”.
A health professional already has the training and understanding to consider the symptoms, and then diagnose the illness. All that now needs to be done is to administer the medicine. Up until now, they have never had a method to do this with laughter but now that wait is over.
To truly understand what to doway with the Laughter Quotient they need to know the benefits of laughter.
Here are the BIG 5 benefits of laughter.
- Boosts the Immune System. When you laugh, the diaphragm becomes a powerful pump for your lymphatic circulation, much like your heart serves as the central pump that propels blood through your blood vessels. This assists the lymphatic vessels in carrying this fluid through your body and helps your lymph nodes to clean and filter this fluid, removing waste products, dead cells, and even unwanted microorganisms. Maintaining clean body fluids is important because these are necessary for you to be at your best. Increased lymphatic flow equals an elevated, improved immune system.
- Increases Oxygen. Laughter provides more oxygen to the brain and body cells. It does this by increasing the exhalation process. When we laugh the diaphragm forces the air from our lungs so that when it drops more air is inspired into the lungs ready for distribution.
- Regulates Blood Pressure. Laughter balances blood pressure. The relaxation of the muscles in conjunction with the increased heart rate allows the blood to flow more freely throughout our body. At the same time if our blood pressure is low it can be increased over time due to the aerobic exercise that it provides.
- Reduces Pain. Endorphins are our body’s natural painkillers. They are released into our spinal cord and then distributed throughout our nervous system when we laugh. Regular laughter is often used to assist with chronic pain management.
- Helps Depression and Anxiety. You can’t be depressed or anxious and laugh. Depression lives in the past and anxiety in the future. When we laugh we are in the present.
If you have any further questions regarding the benefits of the Laughter Quotient then please feel free to email me at merv@mervneal.com at any time.
Merv Neal is a Laughter Yoga Master Trainer, CEO of Laughter Yoga Australia and New Zealand, and Director of Holistic Services Group. He has successfully owned and operated his own businesses for more than 43 years. He has created a Laughter Yoga Business Training Program, as well as the Business Mentors and Coaches Program, to help others to take laughter to commercial organizations, and/or to create a laughter business of their own. More information can be found at http://www.laughteryogaaustralia.org or https://www.mervneal.com. He can be contacted on 0408552269 or merv@mervneal.com