The Power Of Laughter
When’s the last time you had a good laugh? Take a moment to relive the good feelings that come with real laughter.
We pay money to laugh. At the movies and a comedy clubs. We stay up to catch the jokes on late night talk shows. We delight in finding something funny in our lives to laugh at. When we laugh, we get pleasure. What a joy! What a blessing!
Certainly there are times when life presents major challenges when we need to act clearly, but behaving responsibly and efficiently doesn’t preclude humor and light-heartedness. In fact, a flexible, fluid, upbeat approach and attitude is crucial to being effective and creative in our lives.
Laughter, play, spontaneity and improvisation are integral aspects of being human, healthy, happy—and successful. Tribal peoples laugh, sing, chant, drum, dance and act out stories as basic ways to relate socially, to make individual and collective decisions, and to achieve their goals in daily life.
Inspiration and breakthrough are often born from the spirit of playfulness and exuberance. A spontaneous wink, a funny smile, a comic gesture can facilitate change and harmony in the most blocked situation. Through conscious merriment our spirit can emerge and work its magic.
Take a Tip from the Kid In You
Preschool children laugh an average of 400 times a day. The typical adult only laughs 17 times per day. Perhaps it’s time to return to the power of living life through the wonderment of childlike adventure, innocence, lightheartedness, humor and irreverence.
Ancient Roots
Throughout history, spiritual traditions in China, Japan and India have revered the sacred strength of laughter. Lao-Tzu is always pictured smiling. Samurai are always laughing. “Laughter Yoga” was a practice of the ancient rishis of India over 5,000 years ago. Dr. Madan Kataria of Mumbai India started a “Laugher Yoga Club” a few years ago, and now there are thousands of laughter yoga clubs across the world. The club members get together just to enjoy a deep chuckle—and reap the many benefits of mirth.
Hawaiian Secret of Laughter
The ancient Hawaiians assert there are two chemical reactions within the human body that can accomplish Reconnection with Source Oneness. The first is the "sacred tear” beneath our sadness and hopelessness. Beneath that tear lies the second chemical reaction, said to be more powerful than all the healing agents known to humankind. It comes "out of the blue" with the power of a jackhammer, shattering the seriousness of the entire human estate. A power instantly freeing and balancing to all the body's chemistry. This is the power of laughter. When it comes in this manner, it comes through the "na'au" (gut level) and will pierce the hopelessness of any situation or attitude. It is not a power to be taken lightly, for the ancient Hawaiians say it holds the chemistry of immortality and will instantly heal any terminal disease. It’s said to be the "laughter of God" which shatters the ridiculousness of hopelessness.
Laughter Is the Best Medicine
A laugh a day keeps the doctor away! Having a good laugh has long been known to be very therapeutic. As we let laughter wash over and through us, its energy cleanses, purges, and rights imbalances and disharmonies in our mind and body. Hundreds of medical studies have shown the remarkable benefits of laughter.
DEEP LAUGHTER:
Frees Breathing
A good belly laugh opens up your lungs, stretches your diaphragm, eases chest tension, and has an overall healing effect on your well-being. Laughter aids ventilation and clears mucus, improving respiratory functions for those suffering from conditions like emphysema and asthma.
Aids Circulation
Laughter improves blood vessel function, reducing blood pressure and heart rate, enhancing blood oxygen levels and boosting overall circulation.
Boosts Immune Defenses
Laughter increases the immune system’s T-cells, which kill invading bacteria that are harmful to the body. Laughing increases the number of antibodies in saliva, which combat upper respiratory infections. Laughter increases immunity to infections by instantly flooding the system with immune cells and cancer fighting proteins.
Reduces Stress
Cortisol is a chemical produced in your body when you feel stressed, upset or frustrated. Elevated levels of cortisol in your bloodstream have the effect of suppressing your immune system function. Laughter lowers the cortisol levels in the body, thereby protecting your immune system from the negative effects of stress.
A good laugh increases endorphins, which make a person feel happy and have a brighter outlook on life. Laughter also causes secretion of an enzyme that protects the stomach from forming ulcers.
Cures Cancer
Since cancer thrives in an oxygen-depleted body, laughter is helpful in combating cancer. Norman Cousins, in his book “Anatomy Of An Illness,” explains how he laughed himself back from the death sentence of a terminal illness just by watching funny movies, laughing hard, and taking vitamin C. There are hundreds of cases of laughter healing patients described as “terminally ill” with cancer and other ailments.
Relieves Pain
Laughter releases endorphins, providing natural pain relief.
Reduces Weight
Laughter reduces food cravings. Laughing 10 minutes a day burns 40 calories.
Is Enjoyable Exercise
Laughing can be considered an exercise since it conditions the abdominal muscles and relaxes muscles throughout the body. Twenty seconds of laughing gives the heart the same workout as 3 minutes of hard rowing.
Makes You Look and Feel Younger
Laughter reduces the rate of cellular decay, which slows aging. Also, the effects of laughter include better mental function, improved mental alertness, memory and social responsiveness.
Saves 30% on Medical Expenses
In western Japan the government provided elderly people with a complete medical care program combining physical training and laughter therapy. "It’s the nation’s first attempt to launch a medicare business with laughter," commented university official Mitsutoshi Nishikawa. 92 participants reported their annual medical costs fell some 30 percent after they joined the program.
Helps Diabetics
A Japanese scientist is unlocking the secrets of the funny bone by cheering up people’s genes. Geneticist Kazuo Murakami teamed up with an unlikely research partner: stand-up comedians—who turn their one-liners into efficient, low-cost medical treatment. Murakami’s approach is to use laughter to trigger energy inside a person’s DNA, potentially helping cure disease.
Murakami had diabetics laugh at a comedy show performed by top stand-up comedians after listening to a monotonous college lecture. The two-day experiment showed that the diabetics’ blood glucose levels (a key gauge for development of diabetes) became lower after they laughed— as compared with their levels listening to the boring lecture. He identified 23 genes that are activated with laughter. 18 of these genes control immune response and cell signal transmission.
“A laughing therapy has no side-effects, meaning it’s an epoch-making treatment for clinical medicine," Murakami said. "One day it won’t be a joke to see patients receive a prescription for a comedy video at a pharmacy for medical treatment."
Maintains a Healthy Heart
University of Maryland Medical School discovered that laughter helps keep your heart healthy. The scientists found that laughter-provoking movies cause the tissue that forms the inner lining of blood vessels to expand, resulting in an increase of blood flow.
For their experiment, the team recruited 20 healthy volunteers to watch two segments of movies at the extreme ends of the emotional spectrum: the comedy "King Pin" and the war drama "Saving Private Ryan." They found that when the study subjects watched a movie that caused laughter, beneficial blood vessel relaxation increased in 19 of the 20 volunteers. In contrast, blood flow was reduced in 14 of the 20 volunteers following the movie clips that caused mental stress. Overall, blood flow increased by 22 percent during laughter—and decreased by 35 percent after watching a clip that caused mental stress.
Lead researcher Dr. Michael Miller suggests people should combine regular exercise with 15 minutes of laughter a day for good cardiovascular health. "It’s conceivable that laughing may be important to maintain healthy blood vessels and reduce the risk of heart disease," said Miller.
Laughter Inspires Clowning
Doctors, nurses and attendants now use "clowning" in hospitals to enhance the healing process with patients. They’ve discovered that when people are laughing and having fun, they experience less physical and psychological pain—and recover faster.
So … laugh more, heal quicker, live longer, and enjoy life as a kid again!
The Benefits Of Vitamins
It is a known fact that vitamins are essential to good health. The benefits of vitamins are numerous, and in a perfect world we would obtain all needed vitamins directly from the food we eat on a daily basis. However, because this is not reality for many individuals, there are some convincing reasons to consider taking vitamin supplements.
Vitamins can help us overcome our lifestyle problems. On the whole, we are not very responsible when it comes to healthy habits. Many people play with their lives by smoking an endless number of cigarettes, drinking alcohol to excess and live in suffocated air-conditioned homes without ever considering the harm that they unknowingly invite into their lives. By taking vitamin C every day, some of these negative effects may be counteracted.
The Benefits of Vitamins For Women
Women in particular have special needs when it comes to the benefits of vitamins. These needs are related to both osteoporosis and pregnancy issues. Although men can also have osteoporosis, it tends to attack women more and cause them greater suffering. By supplementing with calcium on a daily basis, much of the risk for osteoporosis can be offset. For women who are pregnant or considering having children, folic acid is an essential supplement. This B vitamin can prevent birth defects such as Spina Bifida in newborn babies.
The Benefits of Vitamins For Men
Men have issues as well that can be fought through proper vitamin intake. Cardiovascular problems are thought to be reduced by taking vitamin E supplements. They are believed to play an important role in keeping the blood pressure and cholesterol levels low in most males aged forty and over. Keeping the arteries clean is an important factor in preventing heart attacks and vitamin E has been shown in research studies to accomplish this task.
The Benefits of Vitamins For Dieters
Dieters have special supplementation needs of their own. Many young girls diet on a regular basis and consume far to few calories to accommodate their vitamin needs. While the wisdom of going on particular weight loss diets is a topic for another discussion, anyone on such a diet should look to vitamin supplements to avoid malnutrition and other maladies. Inadequate nutrition and vitamin supplementation can cause a person to be vulnerable to various ailments and a weakened immune system
Another great reason to consider vitamin supplementation is the potential cancer prevention some vitamins are believed to provide. Research has suggested that vitamin E and vitamin A prevents skin cancer. Many studies in recent years have found that other types of cancers can be similarly prevented by taking certain vitamins.
The Top 3 Keys To Fully Understanding An Affiliate Program
Who is an Affiliate Marketer?
An affiliate marketer is somebody who advertises the products and service of any business owner for a commission of the product made from sales. This person registers with the web master's affiliate program and is given an online affiliate link which will be used to refer people to the website. They will put their personal link on their website and use various marketing skills to make sales.
What is an Affiliate Program?
An affiliate program is a one introduced by web business owners for other people to participate in selling their products and services on the internet for money. They do not necessarily have to buy any products or services. They are paid a percentage of the amount for the products or services as commission made from sales of those products or service.
If you are a web business owner, having an affiliate program on your website can be very beneficial. It helps you create marketers for product or services at no cost. It also helps you by boosting sales for your products and services in a short amount of time. A great website to visit is http://www.clickbank.com
Are there many Affiliate scams out there?
The answer to that question is a definite yes. There have been many people who create affiliate programs that do not pay commissions. You generate an affiliate link from the website, but it is just another link to their website without your personal affiliate number. Just imagine wasting all that time making sales for someone else without getting a dime. You must be on high alert before joining any program. One thing you can do is to do a search for that particular program. If there are many results found, chances are that you will be fine and it is legitimate.
Here are some things to consider before joining an affiliate program.
1) Products and Services of the Web marketer. Differentiation between whether it is a one or multiple products web business is crucial. They must also be marketable informational products such as e books and online courses.
2) Is the website an interesting site that customers can really get into and not go elsewhere?
3) Is the sales letter enticing and will it eventually persuade the person to buy it?
4) Did the website creator go over ways they will follow up with customers? This includes an e-mail or newsletter.
5) Does web marketer offer a two-tier affiliate program where people can sign with their affiliate program under you and create affiliate links to other future marketers?
6) How is the sign up process? Will people have to spend a lot of time reading the sales letter before signing up? Does the sign up chart even work? Will anyone be able to find it on the website?
The beautiful thing about becoming an affiliate marketer is that you do not even need your own website. You can use the affiliate link provided to you and advertise in other ways such as posting in forums or even article marketing. This can be a major relief to most people due to the fact that they are not familiar with html coding.
Just remember to keep an eye out for suspicious scam affiliate programs out there. Affiliate marketing is a very promising online opportunity, however, you can easily be misled and robbed of precious time and money.
ACF Car Finance Offer Customers a New Range of Deals on Cars and Car Finance Packages
ACF Car Finance, UK experts in supplying cars and car finance, are offering customers a range of new deals to compliment their current package -- from cashback to cinema passes.
(PRWEB) August 5, 2007 -- ACF Car Finance, UK experts in supplying cars and car finance, are offering customers a range of special deals -- from cashback to cinema passes.
The latest promotion allows customers to take advantage of a two-for-one cinema pass to Vue Cinemas -- valid until the end of April 2008 -- simply for attending their appointment with a member of branch staff. That means everyone has the opportunity to drive away in a newer car and to celebrate with a trip to the cinema.
Customers interested in a part exchange can also take advantage of the fact that ACF Car Finance is now offering a £1,000 minimum part exchange deal -- available online, in-store or over the phone -- as well as £350 cashback (£250 + £100 internet cash back) on car and bike finance deals, loans and car credit. And if customers choose to buy a car from ACF Car Finance within 48 hours of processing a car finance application, theyll receive six months free road tax.
With ACF Car Finance branches (http://www. acfcarfinance.co.uk/branches/) all over the UK, its easy to take advantage of the special offers on car finance (http://www. acfcarfinance.co.uk/special-offers.html).
A spokesperson for ACF Car Finance said: "Were always pleased to offer our customers a range of exciting offers on cars and finance deals. And while our services and expertise are always top notch, our latest offers, including Vue cinema tickets cashback, road tax and part exchange offers give people even more reason to turn to us with all their car purchase and finance needs."
ACF Car Finance specialises in supplying cars and car finance packages while maintaining a diversity of choice for customers. With a simple phone call, branch visit or online ACF car finance application (http://www. acfcarfinance.co.uk/apply-now/) process, customers can find the car theyre looking for and arrange a car finance solution quickly and conveniently.
About ACF Car Finance:
ACF Car Finance (http://www. acfcarfinance.co.uk/), UK expert in car and bike finance, car loans and car credit. ACF Car Finance allows both UK tenants and homeowners to obtain secured loans, applying the loan to the borrowers car rather than their home.
ACF Car Finance boasts a range of branches across the UK, including in West London, Luton, Maidstone, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Mansfield -- with a new branch opening in Livingston, Scotland soon. The company also allows customers to conveniently apply for a car finance plan online or via telephone.
Terms and conditions apply to all offers and promotions. Typical APR 39.9%.
ACF Car Finance is a trading style of The Funding Corporation (2) Limited. Registered Number 4757277. Registered Office: International House, Kingsfield Court, Chester Business Park, Chester CH4 9RF.
PR Contact:
Jane Whittle
The Funding Corporation
International House
Kingsfield Court
Chester Business Park
Chester
CH4 9RF
01244 625 684
http://www. acfcarfinance.co.uk/
Previous: /28 September 2007