--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Emily Reyn <emilymae.reyn@...> wrote: > > Haven't checked out what laughing yoga yet, but this yoga > mom and babe made me smile. It's been around for awhile - > you may have seen it already. > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_fLJ_Md8Qo
A classic, Emily. Many thanks. I live in a household that is -- fortunately -- inhabited by a young person who has the same tendency to bust your shit when you're focusing on something that she considers relatively unimportant, from her point of view. And then taking steps to rectify the situation. Like living with a Zen Master. :-) > All the laughing I've done on this forum has definitely > improved my brain chemistry. Good to hear. > >________________________________ > > From: turquoiseb <no_re...@yahoogroups.com> > >To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com > >Sent: Sunday, December 11, 2011 5:55 AM > >Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Fascinating Facts About Smiles - "mindful > >smiling" > > > > > > > >--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "curtisdeltablues" <curtisdeltablues@> > >wrote: > >> > >> This is very interesting to me also Barry. I've been > >> doing some research on laughing yoga with similar positive > >> results. Our neurology can be trigger from either direction, > >> inner or outer with similar physical effects. Check out some > >> of the youtubes on laughing yoga they are a real hoot. It is > >> something I never would have considered in the past but for > >> some reason seems to hit me right now. I am considering > >> adding it to one of my educational seminars on humor and > >> learning for teachers as a state change ice breaker. > >> > >> There is some statistic that kids laugh over a hundred times > >> a day and adults may not even hit 10. I make myself laugh > >> from looking at things funny many times day but it is > >> interesting how content free the experience can also be.  > >> It has some profound implications for our often humorless > >> classrooms. > > > >Great stuff, Curtis. What situation -- especially > >education -- could *not* be improved by the judicious > >use of humor? I just *love* your phrase "state change > >ice breaker." That's great. That's what truly funny > >people DO for us. > > > >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyjjD-D70ic > > > >> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@> wrote: > >> > > >> > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@> wrote: > >> > > > >> > > From one of the TED talks, a series of amazing scientific > >> > > facts about the human smile. Did you know that your smile > >> > > can predict how long you live, or the length and happiness > >> > > of your marriage? Did you know that one smile produces > >> > > the same level of brain pleasure center "feel good" > >> > > activity as 2000 bars of chocolate? And smiling doesn't > >> > > make you fat. :-) > >> > > > >> > > What these facts suggest to me is that adding a few smiles > >> > > to your day will probably do more to expand the level of > >> > > happiness in the world -- both yours and others -- than > >> > > any amount of buttbouncing. > >> > > > >> > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9cGdRNMdQQ > >> > > >> > Just to follow up, I was completely serious in my last > >> > sentence. I was quite taken by the research cited by Ron > >> > Gutman that seemed to indicate that the physical act of > >> > smiling has a profound effect on the areas of the brain > >> > that generate our sense of happiness or well-being. > >> > > >> > If this is true, it kinda flips a commonly-assumed > >> > assumption on its ass. What if smiling is not the "effect" > >> > of a feeling of happiness and well-being, but one of the > >> > "causes" of it? In other words, could something as simple > >> > as "smiling more, intentionally" actually *bring about* > >> > changes in one's blood chemistry that one associates > >> > with happiness and well-being? > >> > > >> > Well, I can attest that it does (in my subjective opinion, > >> > the worth of which plus a buck fifty will get you a bad > >> > cup of Starbucks coffee) . Since watching this TED > >> > clip, I've been practicing "mindful smiling." That is, > >> > every time during the day I realize that I am not smiling, > >> > I smile. Call it "coming back to the smile mantra" if > >> > you like. :-) > >> > > >> > What I've been noticing is that -- for me -- this seems > >> > to subtly shift my state of attention, into a slightly > >> > more happy mindstate. And, as the speaker in the clip > >> > said, it's "evolutionarily contagious." I just got back > >> > from a walk around my town, during which I turned smiling > >> > into a spiritual practice, and smiled non-stop. > >> > > >> > I feel great. And, interestingly enough, even in Holland, > >> > even on a cold, dreary December day, my smiles were con- > >> > tagious. Many people smiled back. > >> > > >> > Based on some of the research that Ron Gutman presented > >> > in his talk, that simple act of "smiling back" gave > >> > their brains a boost of feel-good endorphins stronger > >> > than 2000 bars of chocolate would have done. And all > >> > it took to trigger it was some stranger smiling at them. > >> > Good deal. Win-win in my book. > >> > > >> > So...those of you still reading at this point :-), and > >> > still living on the ground in Fairfield, what do you > >> > think of this whole smiling thing? What's the story at > >> > the domes? Do those exiting from the domes smile a lot, > >> > or not? I really don't know, so I'm really asking. > >> > > >> > > > > > > > > > > >
