Joy-ology 101: Why Laughing May be the Best Medicine
(by Leslie Holdcroft - The Seattle Times)

Yes, say the believers. Laugh, they claim, and you may live longer. Laugh and you may boost your immune system. And what if the whole world learned to lighten up? Ohio physician, Steve Wilson, the country's leading "joyologist," believes that laughter is the triumph in his big bag of healing tools. "Laughter prevents hardening of the attitudes, a vital step toward the goal of peace."
In the U.S., more than 500 laughter clubs exist. Many laugh-club members find themselves transformed into children again, and why not? The average preschooler laughs up to 400 times a day. The average adult? A sad seven to 15. Laughing became a formal discipline in India, where family physician Dr. Madan Kataria invited five patients into a city park to experiment with the healing qualities of laughter. The effect on the patients' spirits and health was striking, and in 1995, Kataria founded laughter as a form of yoga. In Seattle, the Phinney Neighborhood Center offers a 30-minute session of silly laughs ranging from snorts to guffaws to the secret weapon silent laugh and the ice-cube-down-the-shirt-laugh. Participants are like any other group of Americans: a little stiff from the work day, a little tired. But their laughs are wild and crazy! "It's not that we don't have the same problems, but through laughter, we also feel more joy," says club leader Teresa Verde.
Clearly, laughter is fun. But what of the medical benefits? Kevin Wilhelmsen of Harborview Medical Center cites several medical studies that show laughter orchestrates changes in neural chemistry and gives the body a cardiovascular and respiratory workout, releasing muscle tension and stimulating the thymus gland. Medically, this means laughter may improve sleep and digestion and offer an antidote to anxiety and fear.
Wilson maintains "Laughing is the easiest form of meditation. The reason why we have war is because there is so much war inside of us as individuals. Laughter helps diffuse those hard emotions, bringing people together. It is joyous and infectious and contagious. If we learn to laugh unconditionally, our happiness becomes unconditional." A first step toward world peace?

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Children Learn About Eyes at the Museum of Science
(from "The Eye Catcher," Fall, 2002)

The Museum of Science in Boston has always been a place of discovery for children of all ages. But now the Museum features a section devoted to our vision. What does the inside of the eye look like? How does it work? How do glasses work? These and many other intriguing questions about the eyes are answered by the Museum's hands-on exhibits. Most of the exhibits relating to the wonders of the eye are in The Human Body Connection located on the second floor of the Green Wing. Here children can examine a sheep eye that has been dissected; test their own depth perception; see a magnified view of their own eye and watch how their pupils get smaller with an increase in light intensity; and take apart a plastic model of the eye. They can even watch eye surgery on tv. And there are always numerous friendly and knowledgeable staff to answer questions.
For additional information, call 617-723-2500 or log on to www.mos.org.

 

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Sovereign Bank

SIGHT LOSS Services is again working with the Disability Law Firm in Boston to assist Sovereign Bank in making its services accessible to the visually impaired throughout their 7 state service area. Highlights of the agreement with Sovereign include talking ATM's, print material in alternative formats, guideline checks, and web access - all at no charge to the customer. More information to come.

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