A good laugh, like a good cry, has long been thought to be the right medicine at certain moments. Now scientists are exploring how regular laughing can do more than just put a smile on your face.
Studies show that laughter can: lower inflammation levels in people with rheumatoid arthritis; improve levels of good (HDL) cholesterol and reduce inflammation in diabetics with high blood pressure and high cholesterol; decrease stress and pain; and expand blood vessels and increase healthy blood flow.
Learning to laugh with a group is often easier, but you can benefit from laughing by yourself for 15 minutes a day. Here’s the laughter exercise :
- Give 3 big, noisy sighs as you inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
- Stretch gently. Bring your shoulders to your ears; then lower gently. Rotate feet and elbows; turn your head from side to side—gently.
- Take a few deep abdominal breaths and release slowly.
- Holding your hands under your belly, make a laughing “ho-ho-ho.” Make sure the sound comes from your core (you’ll feel it in your hands when you’re doing it right). Repeat 3 groups of 3, several times.
- Change the sound to “ha-ha-ha” and repeat as above.
- Change the sound to “hee-hee-hee” and repeat as above.
- Put all 3 sounds together—”ho-ho-ho, ha-ha-ha, hee-hee-hee”—and repeat for 3 rounds, continuing until you develop a rhythm.
- After the final round, break into your own natural laughter. Continue for a few minutes. If it becomes difficult, stop and go back to step #3 and start the laughing cycle again.
Valery Amador, Daily Venus Diva -- Daily Venus Diva.
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