A Dash Of Fun And A Heap Full Of Laughter

 “If you are too busy to laugh, you are too busy”- Ancient Proverb

The History of Laughter

Nearly three thousand years ago, there lived in China a saint named Hotai. He would go from village to village stand near a square or a corner and laugh full-heartedly and freely. Not stopping to talk with anyone, he would go on laughing. People would gather and seeing that Hotai was laughing, they would begin to laugh loudly. Hotai would go to far off villages and wherever he went, the Health of the people began to improve and therefore people of many villages regarded Hotai as a Divine being and went to invite him to their places. In those days, medical science had not developed and as the health of people began to improve, they began to regard Hotai as a Divinity and named him Laughing Buddha.

 

It’s not always easy to just “laugh it off” when you’re going through a difficult time.  

But, it can make a world of difference if you can smile and laugh aloud. Even if just a little. Next time you’re feeling down– or even when you’re not feeling down– laugh aloud! It is infectious.

Laughter therapy has even been introduced as a new corporate stress buster!!

The many benefits of laughter

• Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones in our bodies.
• Laughter provides both a physical and emotional release.
• Laughter can be a good workout for your abs, diaphragm, and shoulders.
• Laughter leaves you feeling more relaxed.
• Laughter brings the focus away from negative emotions.
• Laughter can give us a more positive outlook on a situation.
• Laughter connects us with others.

Laughter not only provides a full-scale workout for your muscles, it unleashes a rush of stress-busting endorphins. What's more, your body can't distinguish between real and fake laughter - any giggle will do.

Yes, It is ok to feel sad, it is normal to feel depressed and low and wallow in self-pity at times. But if the feeling won’t go away after a while, look for ways to change the situation!

My personal choice is a bar of chocolate, funny, happy people for company and loads of laughter.

Am as good as or sometimes even better than new!!!!

Did you know:
The therapeutic effects of laughter have been clinically studied since the 70s, but Dr Madan Kataria - who developed laughter yoga in Mumbai - is credited with bringing laughter therapy into the mainstream. Kataria set up the first laughter club in 1995. There are now more than 5,000 laughter clubs worldwide.

What can we do to chase the blues away:

• Turn on a funny movie or TV show or watch a funny clip of YouTube.
• Spend a night (or two) and watch a stand-up comedy show in action
• Comedy Central!!!
• Take a look at the comics in the newspaper. It’s funnier than the news.
• Peruse the internet for funny websites.
• Hang out with positively funny friends.
• Read a funny book.

Life is too short to live with a frown, so bring a smile to your face and spread the cheer!