Sunday, October 17, 2010

How much have you laughed today?

I spent a wonderful weekend at home with my family and baby niece:


She is the cutest little button and I could not believe how much she laughs! This is something our adult-selves could do better

In book club a couple weeks ago, we talked about this New Yorker article about laughter yoga and the "Laughing Guru." Here are some cool little factoids that we learned: 
  • Laughter reduces levels of stress hormones. This study looked at blood markers for stress in healthy males before and after watching a 60-minute humor video. When compared with controls, subjects who watched the humor video had lower cortisol, epinephrine, and growth hormone levels.
  • Laughter modulates the immune system. This study looked at blood markers related to immune function before and after a 1-hour humor video. They found subjects to have increased natural killer cell activity and immunoglobulin levels (IgG and IgM).

The best part of that book club meeting might have been our 1-minute laughing exercise where we made ourselves laugh for 60 seconds (we actually timed it). Seriously, try it next time you’re bored! The initial forced fake laughter turns to real contagious laughter... and hey, it might even lower your stress levels and boost your immune function!

4 comments:

  1. Guess we evenkl have a whole school of yoga on this ha? I have never tried laughing like that and i think it is because I am put off by watching people forcing their laughter, but I might give it a go next time I am bored.... All those benefits rare a good incentive :)

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  2. Making her laugh is even better than laughing myself!

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  3. Laughter Yoga round 2 on Sunday? Adam presiding, of course!

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  4. Oui Laughter Yoga on Sunday
    why yes...presiding Atom, I remain the bomb. Kaboom !

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