“The best and most beautiful things cannot be seen or touched – they must be felt with the heart.” ~~~Helen Keller
Last week I was in Puslinch, Ontario laughing with a wonderful group of seniors. At the end of our session we exchanged hugs with open arms.
I am always enchanted and inspired with the “Young at Hearts”. They are so open to receiving and giving love.
Laughing promotes a healthy heart. With hearty laughter there is a dilation of blood vessels all over the body. We’ve all seen or experienced this as a flushed appearance and a feeling of warmth. Pulse rate and blood pressure rise as the circulatory system is stimulated before settling down below the original levels.
In a nutshell, laughter helps massage the circulatory system of the body.
According to Dr William Fry, 10 minutes of hearty laughter is equal to 30 minutes on a rowing machine. This is in respect of cardiopulmonary endurance. Laughter Yoga is ideally suited for busy individuals who have very little time to exercise. 20 minutes of robust Laughter Yoga can give you similar results as those who are going to the gym for one hour.
Scientific studies have proved that a few days of laughter exercises and deep breathing lowers blood pressure thus reducing the risk of a heart attack. Having too much cholesterol in the blood can lead to the hardening and narrowing of the arteries in the major vascular systems. A daily dose of laughter opens the arteries and allows the blood to flow freely to all parts of the body thus preventing a cardiac failure.
Dr. Lee Berk, of Loma Linda University, CA, says laughter raises our heart rate in the beginning stages but then reduces afterwards, so to improve blood circulation, increase exercise but without fatigue and sore muscles
Beautiful things happen at community laughter clubs. Friendships are made, problems are solved, attitudes are softened, and sometimes people share the most amazing things.
So many times I have participants tell me they love me during the session and afterwards.
What greater reward is there but LOVE!
It’s our birthright to live a happy, abundant healthy life that’s filled with everything our creator made for us to enjoy and to give, to be and to become.
Love is the way, truth is the path.
With Playful Heart,
Kathryn