We’ve all heard that laughter is the best medicine. It is easy to comply with this Rx when we are enjoying a good comedy or reacting to a funny joke, but it can be nearly impossible to follow this recommendation when we’re just not feeling up to it. Or is it?

Laughter Yoga is challenging this notion. Laughter Yoga is a body-mind practice that combines simulated laughter exercises with gentle breathing techniques to teach the body how to laugh without relying on jokes or humor.

You don’t have to be happy, in a good mood or even have a sense of humor to participate and enjoy the many mental, physical and emotional benefits of Laughter Yoga. When you engage in a session you simply fake it ‘till you make it and in time the motion will lead to emotion.

Laughter is visually contagious. When we see other people laughing, it’s natural for us to follow suit, even if we don’t find anything particularly funny.   For some implausible reason, genuine chuckles, snorts and mirthful peals of laughter just well up inside and we find difficult to avoid joining in. …read more of The Health Benefits of Laughter Yoga – It’s No Joke! here

There are two hemispheres in the brain: the left and the right.  Humans engage the left hemisphere more now than ever.

Left-brain activity includes verbal, analytical and intellectual thought. Activities include thinking, solving problems and organizing. An over-active left-brain, however, can often result in insomnia, fatigue, incessant mental activity and even high blood pressure.

Right brain activity is emotional and intuitive.  It is the side of the brain that is in charge of behavior.  Self-hypnosis and meditation stimulate right brain activity.  The more you practice right brain activities, the more at peace you will feel emotionally.

Meditation practice results in the ability to induce states of deep relaxation, which translates into rejuvenation of the body/mind almost like rebooting a computer.

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<< THE 21 DAY MEDITATION CHALLENGE: HOW IT CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

By becoming a quiet observer of the thoughts of the mind, the very act of witnessing from an objective distance can alleviate negative thoughts and emotions. …read more of Why Practice Meditation and Self-Hypnosis? here

Do you know how to stay grounded and centered no matter what is going on in the world around you?

Our churches and schools are not trained to provide us with the type of solution-oriented problem solving abilities that could permanently enhance the quality of our day-to-day lives.

So where can we get the answers to our most essential life question: “How to ensure peace of mind, clarity and focus even when our activity levels are high?”
…read more of Personal Transformation here

We are continuously assaulted, not only by the noise and activity of the world around us, but also by the constant rant of our own minds.

The state of the world reflects the state of our mind, so how each of us chooses to live as individuals ultimately affects what we, as a society become.

When we are conscious enough to notice that our attitude or behavior is destructive, we have the ability to change.

Expanding our scope of consciousness to include a broader perspective than just living for the purpose of instant gratification or external validation will enhance and inspire the way that we live and work.

It also has the power to change the world. …read more of Change Yourself; Change the World here

“A garden is one of the few things in prison that one could control, being a custodian of this patch of earth offered a small taste of freedom.”
Nelson Mandela

These words penned by Mandela in his autobiography made me wonder about the inmates on the infamous Alcatraz Island, which housed some of America’s most notorious criminals until the 1960’s.

The popularity of the TV series by the same name has renewed interest in the prison and for me was a reminder of the garden I visited when I was last in San Francisco.

Prison gardens are not something new, in fact they’ve been around nearly as long as people have been incarcerated. Certainly an important part of time spent “inside” for many, the gardens are a symbol of hope for some and a means of healing for others.

Gardens in correctional centers provide fresh produce for the sustainable running of the facility and outdoor activity that many of the prisoners haven’t experienced before.  Many inmates are known to suffer from depression and high levels of personal insecurity because they have often been told (or they simply believe) that they could not produce anything of any benefit to others. …read more of Doing Time in the Garden: The Gardens of Alcatraz here