by BEVERLY VOTE
It has been said that laughter is good for the soul but laughter is also beneficial for our physical well-being. Breast cancer is not a laughing matter, yet we can use laughter to help us heal.
Stress and fear restrict not just our oxygen but also our joy for life, which in turn restricts all of the systems of our body to work at their optimum including our digestive, respiratory, lymphatic and circulatory systems. This restriction on our oxygen flow also restricts our lymphatic system to carry nutrients throughout our body. It also stifles the lymphatic system to help flush out life threatening pollutants from our body.
Norman Cousins, author of Anatomy of an Illness, was one of the pioneers of the mindbody concepts. He wrote about what he thought it took for him to heal after being diagnosed with a life-threatening disease. His belief as a result of his experience is that filling your life with daily laughter is not only beneficial, but is a vital component to healing.
For many of us after breast cancer surgery, our lymphatic vessels have become compromised and need to have extra attention throughout our life. Exercise, fresh clean water, deep breathing, proper nutrition, and laughter are key factors to improve the function of our lymphatic system.
Studies continue to show the healing benefits of daily laughter include:
- Immediate relief of stress, fear, pain and depression
- A change to the unhealthy environment of one’s body by generating new endorphines and healthy chemicals into each of our life supporting systems
- A return of perspective and balance and a renewed sense of hope
- Support for our lymphatic health by stimulating fresh oxygen to our body which helps flush out cancer producing elements from our body and to do the job it was created to do.
A diagnosis of breast cancer can jolt us (and our loved ones) out of the joys of life, including the littlest pleasures of living. Adding laughter can be as easy as engaging in Laughter Yoga, joke books, funny movies, and connecting with people who make you laugh. Laughter can help each of us to restore our body and soul and our lymphatic system.