I’ve been doing some very interesting research lately on the mind-body-spirit connection. Perhaps reflective of our tri-une God—God the father, the son and the Holy Spirit—it seems we ourselves are very highly integrated tri-une beings.
There is substantial clinical support for the idea that what happens in our mind and the emotions it creates has a huge impact on the health and well-being of both our physical bodies and our spiritual life and, conversely, what happens in our bodies or our spirits dramatically affects each of the other two parts.
One of the most fascinating things I stumbled on in my reading was the concept of “laugh therapy.” As bizarre as it sounds, doctors and other health care professionals around the world are increasingly “prescribing” laughter to treat a variety of chronic health issues.
Laughter has been shown to provide many measurable benefits to our bodies, including reducing dangerous stress hormone levels; strengthening the immune system, lowering blood pressure, improving blood flow and digestion, relaxing muscles and reducing pain. Some professionals even consider laughter to be a viable natural anti-depressant.
Don’t worry if you’re one of those people who have a little trouble finding something to laugh about these days. The good news is that it appears our bodies are unable to discern between spontaneous joyous laughter and forced “fake” belly laughs. Both provide the same benefits. This is definitely one of those situations where “fake it ’til you make it” works! I discovered there are even laugh clubs springing up worldwide to help encourage people to meet and dedicate time to laughing together.
No matter what we’re going through, laughter may, indeed, be good for what ails us. So . . . why not skip the news tonight, pop in your funniest DVD and give yourself permission to laugh out loud for an hour or so.
If you think about it, come back and leave a comment about your experience. We’re curious to hear!
“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”—Proverbs 17:22 (KJV)
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