Today is a dark and dismal looking end of January day. A day in which winter still lingers and Spring is not yet in sight. There’s no buzz from natural warmth or bright sunshine to encourage an instinctive smile. I got to thinking about what makes for a natural high when there’s no help from the sun. Whilst I was pondering on this my phone rang and I picked it up to find my good friend Julie at the other end. I love hearing Julie’s news she’s always had some experience or other which translates into a comedy situation. As we chuckled our way through the phone call I became conscious of feeling so much more energetic than before I started laughing.
When we laugh we release all the happy positive healthy chemicals within the brain that make us feel good. When we feel good we not only feel healthier, we actually become healthier because our immune systems are working much more efficiently.
By simply sharing a few minutes of laughter with a friend not only had I boosted my energy levels, I had given myself more immunity to any seasonal bugs and viruses which are hovering around at this time of year.
Eastern Ayurvedic philosophy advocates that mind and body are interconnected. This principle states that what affects the mind also affects the body and that mental stress causes physical illness. We live in stressful times. Stress creates negative emotion and negative emotion, when bottled up and pushed down will eventually make us ill, breaking out as an ailment in the body.
One of the ways in which we can fight the affects of stress is with laughter, in practicing seeing the alternative side of a situation. Laughter is a powerful emotion which has all the ingredients for a positive union between mind and body. The language of laughter is universal, knows no boundaries and does not discriminate.
So, every day, whenever it’s appropriate, laugh as loud as you can for as long as you and as often as you can and kick-start those happy chemicals into working at their true vocation.
This made me laugh ……. I hope it has the same effect on you …..
Laughter is infectious … go on, spread it around
Jacqueline
