Laugh Your Way To A Better You

When is the last time you laughed? I mean really laughed. None of that "oh your so funny, ha ha" adult type laughing. I'm talking about no holding back, snorting, red faced, pee your pants laughter. If your like me, you will ponder this question for a while and then realize, that "wow, I haven't done that in a long time." And then, you will begin to wonder just why this type of laughter is missing from your life.
This is what happened to me last night as I heard my four year old son ask his little sister, "What does the doctor say?" She would then reply in a very silly manner, "Eat your food!" Each time she would say this, Jackson would laugh hysterically. This little dialogue continued back and forth as I was cooking dinner for about 25 minutes. Like most mothers who have so much stuff going on between the hours of 5-8 p.m, I was a bit stressed out. Dinner was in the mix, the kids needed baths, and I wanted to spend at least 10 minutes with my husband before he decided to go to bed. "Jackson that's enough" I said, feeling my nerves unravel as he asked Macy "What does the doctor say?" for the 45th time. He then looked at me and began cracking up as she shouted in her very cute high and often demanding tone, "Eat your food!" This, I thought was enough to make me smile. Jackson couldn't stop laughing. His little body shook as his face turned red as he tried to contain his overall jolliness. Who am I to make him stop laughing?
Adults need laughter. We have all heard the age old saying that laughter, indeed is the best medicine. Research has shown the benefits of laughter ranging from a stronger immune system to reducing symptoms of depression. People are even starting laughter groups. There is this amazing Doctor out of India named Madan Kataria. Through research, Dr. Kataria developed the idea of Laughter Yoga. By incorporating physical movement, playful interaction (chanting ho, ho, ha, ha) and gentle yogic breathing techniques this "laughter yoga" is designed to reduce stress and make you feel eons better about your whole life in general! Isn't there a pill for this, you may ask? Yes, and that is part of our countries problem.
Do you want to laugh? I do, and I don't want it to involve alcohol. I mean, I want to really get a good gut roll, "I cant breathe," kind of laugh going on. Laughter is said to burn calories, this is always good.
The next time Jackson asks a silly question over and over and over, I think I will drop what I'm doing and jump right in to the madness. After all, we only live once, and to think one of the benefits of laughter is prolonged longevity. Come on people, jump on the laughter band wagon and let loose. It isn't that hard and once you get started, you wont be able to stop!