We've all heard of the healing power of laughter. And while it seems like nothing more than a quaint notion imparted by camp counselors and third grade teachers, there's a growing body of evidence to suggest that it actually has a place in medicine. Perhaps even more incredible is a recent discovery by a team of researchers at Loma Linda University in California, who found that the mere anticipation of laughter can lower stress hormones.

In the study, the anticipation of "mirthful laughter" reduced the levels of three stress hormones – dopac, cortisol, and epinephrine – by 38, 39, and 70 percent, respectively. These findings have implications of particular interest for people who exercise, as it is an increase in these same hormones that can cause muscle breakdown.

This study is just one of many that examines the total body connection; an understanding that the mind, the body, and the spirit work in conjunction to regulate our psychophysiology.