He who laughs, lasts !

Of all the species in the animal kingdom, man is the only one who laughs and it is quite true to say, "He who laughs, lasts".

It has so many health benefits which can easily be credited with prolonging life.

Ha!, cynics might exclaim, without pausing to consider the science behind the theory. However, it is easy to understand that laughter frees the mind and body from the bonds of stress. And therein lies the secret of its effectiveness.

Laughter drives stress away, taking the edge off high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, nervous breakdown, heart disease and peptic ulcers. In fact, since a link between stress and cancer progression has been medically discerned, it may well be that laughter can mitigate the ravages of cancer or even ward it off in the first place.

Over the years, many relaxation theraphies have been tried out. But the one that's proving really effective, and hence gaining in popularity all over the world is laughter therapy. It is more of a supplementary and preventive therapy.

The technique of simulated laughter has to be learned, but when practised in a group under a leader, it is quite easy.

Always, try a new type of laughter like laughing with the lips together or with a humming sound. If you observe, there is some peculiarity in each person's laugh.

Fortunately, we don't have to wait years for data that has already been collected by scientists over the last 30 years.

It has been found that laughter:

strengthens the heart
supports the immune system
gives more power to the lungs (more "dum")
massages internal organs
improves digestion
lowers cholesterol
breaks down mental blocks
stimulates the production of endorphins, the 'feel good' hormones
When you laugh out loud, without inhibition, you tone up 240 of your body's muscles - that's more than one-third of the 640 muscles you have altogether.

Besides, making you healthier, laughter makes you a nice person to know, more welcome into various social circles. It can diffuse a tense situation even in the workplace.

For this, two elements are essential - surprise and timing.

So always remember this in your life - "He who laughs, lasts"