Do you agree that “Laughter really is the best medicine?”

Whole-heartedly! On a personal level, I’ve felt the healing benefits of laughter and happiness.  I feel like a different person when I’m happy, laughing and in the flow of life.  I feel more energized, healthier, capable, and open to life.  I truly believe this has a physiological basis.  I have experienced how laughter cuts through stress, so it does not surprise me at all that what’s happening on a chemical level in the body is that the body’s stress hormones (cortisol and epinephrine) are secreted less, which boosts the immune response.  We are definitely less likely to get sick.  This is as important for ourselves as it is for our clients and as Chinese medicine practioners, we want to effectively be able to explain this to clients and bring laughter and happiness into conversations about one’s health.  For clients that may not be happy, we can offer gateway in with qigong practices like the inner smile and laughing meditations.  We can also encourage people to notice how they feel on a physical, emotional, psychological level when they’ve been laughing.