Laugh it away. Cry it off.

Laughter is said to be truly the best medicine.In fact, in more ways than one , we all know that  laughing keeps you healthy, wealthy and wise. 

But it turns out though, that crying is a great medicine too. It might not give you pretty smile wrinkles as you age, but a regular dose of tears instills a deep sense of relaxation and detoxes the body and mind of negativity.

Laughing shapes your face positively over time. All those wrinkles that you might be afraid of? They actually turn out to be quite beautiful with a laugh a day. But that's just the surface. 

Dig below and we find that laughing triggers a chain of chemical reactions in the body. Laughter triggers the release of enzymes and hormones that keep the various organs in our body functioning normally. Laughter stimulates the brain and certain glands, keeping your mind sharp and emotions in balance. It improves our attentiveness, pulse and heart rate.

Laughing prevents diseases by strengthening the immune system, and fights infections. It stimulates the production of T-Cells, a natural antibiotic produced in the body.

Laughter has an anti-stress effect on the system. Laughter reduces the levels of certain hormones, namely cortisol, growth hormone, epinephrine and dopac, which are associated with stress response thus relieving  stress, depression, anxiety, grief, anger and irritation.

Laughing also decreases pain by releasing a hormone, endorphins.  So the next time you have an injury or a headache, try watching a funny movie, reading something funny or just sharing jokes with friends over a meal.

Laughing is proven to be very beneficial for the people suffering from hypertension. It helps lower the blood pressure to normal. Laughing causes deeper breathing and increase in blood flow, due to which oxygen and essential nutrients are supplied to all body parts. 

Laughter is a good workout for respiratory, abdominal, leg, back and facial muscles. It tones intestinal functioning, massages abdominal organs and strengthens abdominal muscles. This activity is advantageous for digestion as well as absorption. Laughter also helps burn calories and is beneficial for weight loss. 

Laughing enhances our ability to connect with others. It also causes a number of behavioral changes. It makes us energized and increases our interest in daily activities. t lessens the distance between two individuals and brings them together. It increases healthy communication with others. .

When you start laughing, your chemistry changes, your physiology changes, your chances to experience happiness are much greater. Hasya Yoga (Laughter Yoga) is a form of yoga based on cultivating your childlike playfulness; all of us have a child inside us wanting to laugh and play. Laughter Yoga relieves stress, boosts immunity, fights depression, and eventually makes people into more positive thinkers.

The big question is: How do you laugh when nothing's funny? Just open your mouth into a wide smile and force the breath out. You may feel silly at first, but when you're in a community of laughing yogis, the make-believe version often transforms into the real thing!

A typical Laughter Yoga session involves some warm-up clapping and chanting ("ho, ho, ha, ha, ha"), 15 to 20 minutes of laughter exercises interspersed with deep breathing, and then 15 to 20 minutes of laughter meditation.

So why cry about things when you can laugh things away? Apparently human beings are the only living organisms that have the ability to shed tears. While we don't have to be cry-babies for every little hard situation we encounter in life, tears should be allowed to flow and let go. Never hold them back.

Crying is detoxifying. It removes toxins from the body, toxins that have accumulated due to negative emotions, stress and sorrow.

Crying also releases endorphins !  This might be surprising but crying actually allows the body to let go of stress that has accumulated in the body and a regular dose of healthy tears every now and then can actually both prevent and fight depression.

Crying keeps the eyes clean an prevents bacterial growth in the eyes. This is due to a chemical component in tears known as Lysozyme. This chemical inhibits the growth of bacteria on the surface of the eyes. 

Crying helps you to relax. Once a person stops crying, the body shifts from a high arousal state to state of relaxation. Heart rate and breathing slows down, sweating decreases and person feels more relaxed. The state of relaxation lasts for a longer duration than the moments spent in crying.

So laugh it off, or  cry it off. Whether you're shedding tears today alone or laughing heartily with friends over a stupid joke, make sure you do at least one of the two to keep yourself light and happy. The wrinkles will be more beautiful, and the heart will be lighter.