Laugh Wholeheartedly

A Seminar is organized every Sunday in Paris, where scientists talk about laughter and regale the audience with jokes. At the culmination, lights in the hall are dimmed, and the ringing laughter of the audience echoes through the hall. Laughter is the best way to draw out the good feelings from the heart, which not only pleases oneself but also spreads cheer among friends and fellow beings. Laughter is a natural and essential mechanism of the body, which relieves the stress of day to day life.

When distressed, or irritated by someone's behavior, and if some for reason laughter comes forth, all the anger and worry vaporizes and lightheartedness sets in. Evidence of this can be found in one's personal life and situations. Smile and laughter generate the current of bliss and calmness and rejuvenate the mind.

These positive effects are due to the psychological process underlying laughter. Distress, anger and irritability are common a reaction of a fatigued mind, whereas laughter alleviates the stress, lightens the fatigue of the mind. A French psychiatrist conducted extensive research on laughter. After more than 180 experiments, he concluded that laughter gives agility and nimbleness to the muscles of the brain, and lightens tensions and worries. Laughter is a physiological exercise, which reduces the strain on the muscles of the entire body, not just than brain.

It is a widespread belief that laughter improves blood circulation. To test this notion, doctors in America studied two groups of kids, who were not allowed to interact with each other. one group was entertained and regaled by a jester daily after lunch. No such arrangements were made for the other group. After a month of this exercise, the kids were examined, and it was found that the group that laughed everyday was healthier in comparison to the other. The group's academic performance also improved.

However, these benefits are obtained, only when we laugh whole-heartedly. We laugh just for formality on many occasions, either to avoid offending our friends, or to fit into the group. This kind of plastic smile is useless, as it looks fake anyway.

Smiling is a milder mode of laughter. Laughing out loud might not be possible all the time, but a smile can be sustained without much trouble. When you see your smiling face in the mirror, your heart swells with joy. Happy people can effortlessly ward off jealousy, anger and aggressiveness. Smile is the best way to mollify aggression. Sometimes friends get annoyed, and then smile can be used in this distressed situation to smoothen ruffled feathers with great ease. All the malaise in the heart is washed away by the deluge of laughter.

Psychologists believe that the brain gets a healthy and restorative signal through smile, and affects the nervous system. Another way of saying it would be that when the mind is pure and full of empathy and happiness, this mental wellbeing undoubtedly contributes to the physical health and increases life expectancy. To emphasize this fact, Elizabeth Safford writes "To live to a hundred, surround you with youthful and smiling friends."