Listen up – you will live longer if you laugh more. Laughter is good exercise. Laughter reduces stress. Laughter releases the diaphragm to breathe more deeply. Laughter increases the production of endorphins (the feel-good hormones) and strengthens the immune system. Laughter just makes you feel a whole lot better. And when you feel better, you live longer. And when you feel better, you look better. So laughter is good for your natural health and for your natural beauty!
Feeling like life is getting you down and you have no reason to laugh? Well, go ahead and do it anyway. Fake it until you really feel it. Just open up your mouth and go Ha Ha Ha! Keep on going. By doing this, you will fool your brain into thinking you’re happy. Your brain doesn’t differentiate between real laughter and fake laughter, but it does react to both in the same way. It sends out happy hormones all through your body to reduce stress, stop worrying, lighten up, let go and live!
Need a little bit more help? How about some Ha Ha Ha Hatha Yoga! There’s a new way to do yoga (and we’ve covered lots of the ways before in Y is for Yoga Styles). Here’s one you might not have known about before. Like regular Hatha Yoga, you’ll stretch and breath to open up and become more flexible, but unlike quiet Hatha Yoga, you’ll also exercise your laughter muscle. Laughter Yoga was introduced to the world by Dr. Madan Kataria from Mumbai, India, who started the first Laughter Yoga Club in 1995. Now laughter yoga is practiced around the world in more than 2000 laughter clubs in more than 60 countries.
Laughter Yoga is now being used for seniors and cancer patients, for mentally and physically challenged people, in schools and jails, and in companies striving to increase productivity and improve employee relations.
Laughter Yoga is great for your natural beauty, because as you pump more oxygen throughout your body your skin will take on a healthy, rosy glow!
Looking to lose some weight – try laughing out loud! Laughing exercises your abdominal muscles and one hour of solid laughter can burn off 500 calories!
Go ahead and have a laugh – ha ha ha ha ha!
