SUMMER 2010

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, summer represents the element of fire which creates warmth and light. The organs are the heart and small intestines, the direction is south, the flavor is bitter, the orifices are the ears, the sense organ is the tongue, the fluid secretion is perspiration, the emotions are joy and happiness, and the sound is laughing.

We all know how great we feel after a good laugh. There is scientific evidence that our natural killer cells (the ones that defend us) go way up when we laugh or are joyful. Aol Health reported the following in April 2010:

"A new study presented this week at the Experimental Biology Conference in Anaheim, California finds that laughter has the same effects on the body as exercise, such as controlling blood pressure and hormonal changes responsible for appetite."

Knowing the proven health benefits of laughter and how good it feels, let us laugh more often this summer. Let us create moments throughout the day and remember to laugh. If you need help, boorkmark some joke sites or call a friend who has a sense of humor. If we can laugh at ourselves and the world, life's challenges are so much easier to navigate.

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