[FairfieldLife] Re: Fascinating Facts About Smiles - mindful smiling
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, curtisdeltablues curtisdeltablues@... wrote: Check out some of the youtubes on laughing yoga they are a real hoot. This is my fave: http://youtu.be/31TTcjYw0hQ
[FairfieldLife] Re: Fascinating Facts About Smiles - mindful smiling
-- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Alex Stanley j_alexander_stanley@... wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, curtisdeltablues curtisdeltablues@ wrote: Check out some of the youtubes on laughing yoga they are a real hoot. This is my fave: http://youtu.be/31TTcjYw0hQ Great! That is turning the content free fake laughing for physical effect back into internally generated real comedy. It lead to so many other great laughing videos like the much emailed laughing babies and then a fascinating SKYPE chain laugh video. Predictably I was then drawn into hot chicks laughing and feeling like I was onto something did the search that has changed my life: laughing porn. Skipping past the icky image of me surfing porn, this lead me to what might become the only response I will deliver in the future to any haters. (It is not visual porn but is embedded in a porn page. It uses racy language only but there are graphic images surrounding it, which is too bad really because I would use this as my sig line if it didn't. You have been warned!) I have compressed it into a tiny URL so the link wont get us in trouble. From now on and forever more my responses to incoherent tirades against me will consist of this: (For demonstration purposes only) Hey Ravi: http://tinyurl.com/3vewqaz Curtis I feel as if the last 54 years of my life were just setting the stage for that revelation. You have lead me from the darkness into the light brother. Profound thanks.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Fascinating Facts About Smiles - mindful smiling
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, curtisdeltablues curtisdeltablues@... wrote: Skipping past the icky image of me surfing porn, this lead me to what might become the only response I will deliver in the future to any haters. (It is not visual porn but is embedded in a porn page. Which is why I am going to delete the post and ask you to not post links to that or any other porn website. Although the video was not pornographic, other content on the page definitely was.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Fascinating Facts About Smiles - mindful smiling
Gothcha Any chance you can also delete your response post which clips my post without context? Thanks. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Alex Stanley j_alexander_stanley@... wrote:
[FairfieldLife] Re: Fascinating Facts About Smiles - mindful smiling
Thanks Alex, for the link and the redo! Great video. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys wholesome family entertainment.Research has shown that kids laugh up to 400 times a day while adults have an average of 17 laughs. This video should up those numbers considerably. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Alex Stanley j_alexander_stanley@... wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, curtisdeltablues curtisdeltablues@ wrote: Check out some of the youtubes on laughing yoga they are a real hoot. This is my fave: http://youtu.be/31TTcjYw0hQ
[FairfieldLife] Re: Fascinating Facts About Smiles - mindful smiling
--- 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.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Fascinating Facts About Smiles - mindful smiling
Well, if I want to see myself smile, I just look into the mirror and turn my head upside down. :-(-: --- 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.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Fascinating Facts About Smiles - mindful smiling
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, zarzari_786 no_reply@... wrote: Well, if I want to see myself smile, I just look into the mirror and turn my head upside down. :-(-: I practice random acts of weirdness. [http://cdn.svcs.c2.uclick.com/c2/c97e8d808a5a012ee3c400163e41dd5b] --- 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.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Fascinating Facts About Smiles - mindful smiling
--- 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. I will check out the TED talk - sounds interesting. I read some years ago that the act of physically smiling does change brain chemistry and makes you feel better - maybe this is the researcher who did that work.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Fascinating Facts About Smiles - mindful smiling
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. --- 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.
[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 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.
[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. Even forced laughter is said to have positive effects, according to ayurveda. One of Chopra's exercises from the good ole days was to use different syllables to produce specific beneficial effects. Ha-ha-ha, ho-ho-ho, hee-hee-hee, over and over again for 30 seconds or a minute (?) or so, was thought to help alleviate stomach troubles. Humming a vocalized loudly (as long as you didn't hurt your throat) was thought to help alleviate earaches. Humming a vocalized mmm loudly (as long as you didn't hurt your throat) was thought to help alleviate sinus issues. There's an entire tradition that relates every syllable in sanskrit to some part of the body in some therapeutic way. I don't recall which syllable relates to the knee, but apparently tradition holds that there is one. L.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Fascinating Facts About Smiles - mindful smiling
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, sparaig LEnglish5@... wrote: snip Even forced laughter is said to have positive effects, according to ayurveda. One of Chopra's exercises from the good ole days was to use different syllables to produce specific beneficial effects. Ha-ha-ha, ho-ho-ho, hee-hee-hee, over and over again for 30 seconds or a minute (?) or so, was thought to help alleviate stomach troubles. Humming a vocalized loudly (as long as you didn't hurt your throat) was thought to help alleviate earaches. Humming a vocalized mmm loudly (as long as you didn't hurt your throat) was thought to help alleviate sinus issues. But these would be purely physical effects, not due to any mystical resonance woowoo, no? I mean, it's easy to see how Ha-ha-ha etc. would massage the stomach and trigger a belch to relieve gas, simply because it moves the diaphragm in and out repeatedly. And Mmm and Nnn would set up vibrations throughout the structures of the skull that might break up phlegm or stimulate fluid to drain from the eustachian tubes. There's an entire tradition that relates every syllable in sanskrit to some part of the body in some therapeutic way. I don't recall which syllable relates to the knee, but apparently tradition holds that there is one. A percussive sound that impacts the patellar tendon, perhaps?
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Fascinating Facts About Smiles - mindful smiling
On Dec 11, 2011, at 10:08 AM, sparaig wrote: There's an entire tradition that relates every syllable in sanskrit to some part of the body in some therapeutic way. I don't recall which syllable relates to the knee, but apparently tradition holds that there is one. Cha-ching.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Fascinating Facts About Smiles - mindful smiling
I agree that the first 3 examples are purely physical or at least could be. There's also always the possibility that some arbitrary syllable takes advantage of some hardwired connection in the brain so that vocalizing that sound will produce activity in the brain in close proximity to the related body part. Of course, both scenarios might apply in some cases, or perhaps there's a neural connection that is established simply because of the physical effects that you mention creating a pavlovian response in the nervous system. Or whatever. Shrugs elaborately. L. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend jstein@... wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, sparaig LEnglish5@ wrote: snip Even forced laughter is said to have positive effects, according to ayurveda. One of Chopra's exercises from the good ole days was to use different syllables to produce specific beneficial effects. Ha-ha-ha, ho-ho-ho, hee-hee-hee, over and over again for 30 seconds or a minute (?) or so, was thought to help alleviate stomach troubles. Humming a vocalized loudly (as long as you didn't hurt your throat) was thought to help alleviate earaches. Humming a vocalized mmm loudly (as long as you didn't hurt your throat) was thought to help alleviate sinus issues. But these would be purely physical effects, not due to any mystical resonance woowoo, no? I mean, it's easy to see how Ha-ha-ha etc. would massage the stomach and trigger a belch to relieve gas, simply because it moves the diaphragm in and out repeatedly. And Mmm and Nnn would set up vibrations throughout the structures of the skull that might break up phlegm or stimulate fluid to drain from the eustachian tubes. There's an entire tradition that relates every syllable in sanskrit to some part of the body in some therapeutic way. I don't recall which syllable relates to the knee, but apparently tradition holds that there is one. A percussive sound that impacts the patellar tendon, perhaps?
[FairfieldLife] Re: Fascinating Facts About Smiles - mindful smiling
There's also a meditation technique mentioned by a famous Buddhist monk that includes smiling during the breathing process. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, sparaig LEnglish5@... wrote: I agree that the first 3 examples are purely physical or at least could be. There's also always the possibility that some arbitrary syllable takes advantage of some hardwired connection in the brain so that vocalizing that sound will produce activity in the brain in close proximity to the related body part. Of course, both scenarios might apply in some cases, or perhaps there's a neural connection that is established simply because of the physical effects that you mention creating a pavlovian response in the nervous system. Or whatever. Shrugs elaborately. L. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend jstein@ wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, sparaig LEnglish5@ wrote: snip Even forced laughter is said to have positive effects, according to ayurveda. One of Chopra's exercises from the good ole days was to use different syllables to produce specific beneficial effects. Ha-ha-ha, ho-ho-ho, hee-hee-hee, over and over again for 30 seconds or a minute (?) or so, was thought to help alleviate stomach troubles. Humming a vocalized loudly (as long as you didn't hurt your throat) was thought to help alleviate earaches. Humming a vocalized mmm loudly (as long as you didn't hurt your throat) was thought to help alleviate sinus issues. But these would be purely physical effects, not due to any mystical resonance woowoo, no? I mean, it's easy to see how Ha-ha-ha etc. would massage the stomach and trigger a belch to relieve gas, simply because it moves the diaphragm in and out repeatedly. And Mmm and Nnn would set up vibrations throughout the structures of the skull that might break up phlegm or stimulate fluid to drain from the eustachian tubes. There's an entire tradition that relates every syllable in sanskrit to some part of the body in some therapeutic way. I don't recall which syllable relates to the knee, but apparently tradition holds that there is one. A percussive sound that impacts the patellar tendon, perhaps?
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Fascinating Facts About Smiles - mindful smiling
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. All the laughing I've done on this forum has definitely improved my brain chemistry. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_fLJ_Md8Qo 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.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Fascinating Facts About Smiles - mindful smiling
--- 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
