Shapeshift Your Mood with Laughter!

In Laughter Yoga we say "emotion follows motion"--what we do with our body affects our mood. The simple act of laughing can literally change your body chemistry, shifting your outlook from negative to positive.

3 simple ways to use the power of laughter:

Take a laughter break

• This simple Laughter Yoga exercise is an instant vacation from stress! Breathing in through your nose, raise your arms over your hear and hold your breath for 3-5 beats. Laugh, exhaling through your mouth, while bringing your arms down to your sides. If you are in a place where you can't laugh out loud, try silent laughter, or an out breath while smiling.

Laugh more easily with others

• We are more likely to laugh when we have a laughter support system! Ask a friend or co-worker (or several) to be a "lighten up" buddy. When you need to let go of stress or shift your mood, call your buddy and ask them to laugh with you for a minute. If you can't find a willing partner, you can find other laughter fans at Laughter Clubs around the world. Look at http://www.laughteryoga.org/ for the one nearest you.

You can choose laughter

• When minor stresses come up, you can make the decision to laugh instead of acting out of disappointment or anger. For instance, when someone cuts me off in traffic, my body tenses, my blood boils, and I feel the urge to curse at them loudly! But even if I do curse at them, it really ends up hurting me. I am left angry and wound up, with unhealthy stress hormones coursing through my body. I've decided to try laughing instead of cursing. It releases healthy chemicals in my body so I end up feeling good, and it inspires some of the drivers around me to laugh too!

If you want more laughter tips to transform your life or workplace, contact Annie about laughter programs for businesses, organizations or individuals at 510-655-1433.

Annie's next blog: Learning to laugh away travel stress