2.3 (C) Smiling and Laughter
The Power and Benefits of Smiling and Laughter:There came a moment in time that I realized I was taking myself WAY to seriously. As a laughter yoga leader, one of the things that attracted me to becoming a laughter yoga leader was just this: how much smiling and laughter affects us emotionally. When we smile, or laugh, we are releasing endorphins thru our body that positively react with our overall well being. Just know that the body doesn’t know the difference between a fake smile and a real one. So, just by curling the sides of our mouth, we can make a huge difference in our well being. Imagine that!
Benefits of Smiling and Laughter:
-Stress Reliever / Mood Enhancer- can place you in a positive emotional state to reduce tension, anxiety, and depression.
-Immune System Booster- can increase the production of infection-fighting cells to increase productivity of the immune system.
-Cardiac Health- can reduce the heart rate and lower blood pressure when in a more positive state.
-Increases lung capacity- laughter increases breathing and respiration, increasing blood oxygen levels.
-Positive Mental Health- increases a person’s outlook on life, increasing self esteem, and resilience.
-Natural Pain Reducer- can increase pain tolerance and threshold with the release of endorphins.
-Helps Reduce Affects of Chronic Illnesses- as stated above, can increase productivity of the immune system, as well as increase pain tolerance with the release of endorphins.
-Its FREE!!
Laughter REALLY IS the best medicine, and is backed up by scientific proof. Smiling and especially laughter, can release endorphins, dopamine and even serotonin into the body. The best part about this, is that even a fake laugh or smile can have the same benefits.
The brain is set up to recognize the muscles at the sides of your mouth, and when activated into a smile, will send signals to the brain that the person is smiling or laughing. This then feeds the brain to start to work on sending signals to various parts of the body to initiate the release of “good” feelings.
Take a moment to close your eyes, and put a nice big smile on your face. Notice how the body reacts a bit into a positive light. Try to write down the sensations you feel when you smile, into your journal. Notice the almost instant positivity that forms from this quick exercise.
Take a moment to read a blog “The Smiling Experiment”. It describes how I was trying to test the validity of smiling, and the results were astounding! I found myself not only smiling more, but I was able to gain a better understanding of my own well being. As I’ve stated before, we can’t control what life brings us, BUT we CAN control how we react to it all. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to wake up and smile. This starts your day on a positive note, and can help you through the day, and even through challenging times. The more you smile, the easier it becomes to break habits of negativity.
Smiling can also be responsible for reducing pain in our body. When we are in a positive state, your pain receptors are dulled. Think of the last time you were engaged in laughter. Did you feel any pain?
The beauty of smiling, is that it is contagious, and when you smile at someone, they are very likely to smile back at you. Try this and see, and you never know, you may just make someone’s day!
Make a point to smile every hour or so, and notice the changes in yourself, and your over all wellbeing…
Benefits of Smiling and Laughter:
-Stress Reliever / Mood Enhancer- can place you in a positive emotional state to reduce tension, anxiety, and depression.
-Immune System Booster- can increase the production of infection-fighting cells to increase productivity of the immune system.
-Cardiac Health- can reduce the heart rate and lower blood pressure when in a more positive state.
-Increases lung capacity- laughter increases breathing and respiration, increasing blood oxygen levels.
-Positive Mental Health- increases a person’s outlook on life, increasing self esteem, and resilience.
-Natural Pain Reducer- can increase pain tolerance and threshold with the release of endorphins.
-Helps Reduce Affects of Chronic Illnesses- as stated above, can increase productivity of the immune system, as well as increase pain tolerance with the release of endorphins.
-Its FREE!!
Laughter REALLY IS the best medicine, and is backed up by scientific proof. Smiling and especially laughter, can release endorphins, dopamine and even serotonin into the body. The best part about this, is that even a fake laugh or smile can have the same benefits.
The brain is set up to recognize the muscles at the sides of your mouth, and when activated into a smile, will send signals to the brain that the person is smiling or laughing. This then feeds the brain to start to work on sending signals to various parts of the body to initiate the release of “good” feelings.
Take a moment to close your eyes, and put a nice big smile on your face. Notice how the body reacts a bit into a positive light. Try to write down the sensations you feel when you smile, into your journal. Notice the almost instant positivity that forms from this quick exercise.
Take a moment to read a blog “The Smiling Experiment”. It describes how I was trying to test the validity of smiling, and the results were astounding! I found myself not only smiling more, but I was able to gain a better understanding of my own well being. As I’ve stated before, we can’t control what life brings us, BUT we CAN control how we react to it all. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to wake up and smile. This starts your day on a positive note, and can help you through the day, and even through challenging times. The more you smile, the easier it becomes to break habits of negativity.
Smiling can also be responsible for reducing pain in our body. When we are in a positive state, your pain receptors are dulled. Think of the last time you were engaged in laughter. Did you feel any pain?
The beauty of smiling, is that it is contagious, and when you smile at someone, they are very likely to smile back at you. Try this and see, and you never know, you may just make someone’s day!
Make a point to smile every hour or so, and notice the changes in yourself, and your over all wellbeing…