Read an Excerpt
Harness The Power of your Laugh!
Laughing Heartily Today and Everyday!
By Lynda Andrews
Balboa Press
Copyright © 2011 Lynda Andrews
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4525-3500-5
Chapter One
Hearty, hugging laughter
• Imagine you have an enormous bicycle pump, and the end of it is attached to your belly button. The more you pump, up and down, the more laughter you pump into yourself. You can make as many expressive noises and laughter sounds as you wish!
• Open your arms wide, take a deep breath in and give yourself a good hug and laugh!
• Open your arms wide, take a deep breath in, give yourself a good hug and give yourself kisses all over your arms in a display of excessive self loving!
• Open your arms wide, open up your chest, look up to the ceiling, and laugh as loudly as you can! This is the Hearty Laugh.
Breathing & Stretching
• Open your arms wide, take a deep breath in, give yourself a good hug, whilst saying, " I am happy and healthy and today is a great day!"
I invite you to hug as many people as you can today!
Baby, giggling laughter
• Stand in front of the mirror, and imagine your reflection is you as a baby, blow yourself a raspberry and laugh!
• Make your lips loose, and wobble your lips with a finger, make a burbly-wurbly noise and laugh with delight!
• Give your reflection baby self lots and lots of kisses, and giggle with delight!
• Playfully clap and say "Very good! Very good!" Put your thumbs up – and say "Yey!"
Breathing and Stretching
• Imagine you have a huge pot of bubble mixture. Dip in your bubble wand and take a deep breath in and blow out as many bubbles as you can, sweeping the wand from one side to another. Swap hands, and blow bubbles the other way.
I invite you to be playful and smile at everyone you meet today!
Happy, connecting laughter
• Stand in front of the mirror, put your hands up onto the mirror, so that your fingers and palms are touching and laugh!
• Now, greet yourself with two hands up and laugh!
• Put your left hand on your heart, and put your right pointer finger on the reflection of your nose – and laugh! This is the Getting To Nose You Laugh.
• Everyone has a packet of happy pills on their person somewhere. I keep my in my left sock, or, my left trouser pocket, depending on what I am wearing. These pills are non-prescriptive and non- addictive. They never run out and you can share them with anyone! Get out your packet of happy pills, from wherever you keep them. Take one, and swallow it down. Feel the effects and giggle and wriggle and laugh! This is the Happy Pill Laugh.
Breathing and Stretching
• Take a deep breath in as you raise your arms high above your head. Hold it, hold it, hold it and laugh as you exhale and bend forward – repeat as many times as you like today!
I invite you to ring up or visit a senior member of your family or community today and share a happy pill together!
Ants in your pants, wriggling laughter
• Imagine this little girl is your playmate and laugh!
• You have ants in your pants, jump up and down and laugh! If you are sitting down, imagine you have ants down your back and laugh!
• Pretend to be a monkey. You could be a monkey with lots of energy or a laid back one who is grooming itself. Become the monkey you choose and laugh!
• Put your hands up, and pretend they are the paws of a big lion, open your eyes wide, stick out your tongue as far as you can and laugh like a lion! This is the Lion Laugh.
Breathing & Stretching
• Pretend you are blowing up a balloon. Blow and blow and blow until you have a huge balloon in your widespread arms ... tie a knot in it. Then, blow up another one, and another one until you have as many balloons as you like. If you wish, you can then jump on each one, or get a very large imaginary pin and burst each one, laughing merrily as you do! I invite you to play a game with a friend or family member and have fun today!
Being yourself laughter
• Point at yourself and laugh at yourself! This is the Laugh At Yourself Laugh.
• Stand in front of a mirror. Look very seriously at yourself. Do not laugh! Hold it, hold it, hold it.
• Now, burst out laughing! This is the Bursting Laugh.
• Keep your shoulders relaxed. Open your mouth wide and say "Aaaah!" Raise your shoulders to your ears, release your shoulders and say "a-Ha!" Raise your shoulders and say "Ah!" Release your shoulders and say "a-Ha!" Start slowly, and gradually get faster and faster – a great tension release!
• Rub your hands together very quickly, till your palms are tingling and warm. You have made Laughter Cream! You can use this anywhere on your body that feels tense, or is in pain. Rub it on and laugh as you do. Laughing away any tension or pain.
Breathing & Stretching
• Look very seriously at yourself again. Do not laugh! Take a deep breath in, and raise your shoulders to your ears and smile a huge smile, and open your eyes wide. Hold it, hold it, hold it and release your shoulders and breath out with a loud "Haaaa!"
I invite you to be kind to yourself today! Why not, give yourself a treat. Have a massage. Or, spend time doing your favorite activity.
Jumping for joy laughter
• Imagine you are a bottle of fizzy drink. A friendly giant is jiggling and shaking you. The more you are jiggled and shaken, the more you laugh, the more you fizz, the more you laugh. You become more and more fizzy, till you know your bottle lid is going to burst, and suddenly, POP!! You fizz out all over the place and laugh even more!
• Imagine that you have a bottle of energy elixir on your person. It is always with you. It is non- addictive and non-prescriptive. It never runs out, and you can share it with anyone who needs a little energy. Your energy elixir might be in your pocket, or in your sock.... Find it, now open it up and take a swig, feel it warming you right down to your toes, and as the warmth comes back up your body, you jiggle and jump with the joy you feel. The laughter bubbles right back to your mouth, and you can't help yourself, you burst out giggling and laughing and feel wonderfully full of energy!
• Jump up and down and clap as you say, "Very good! Very good!" Then, put your thumbs up and say, "Yey!!" This can be done as enthusiastically and as loudly as you like, or as quietly and subtly as you like. You choose and laugh!
• Your imaginary cell phone is ringing. Answer it, and you have some very good news and laugh! This is the Cell Phone Laugh.
Breathing & Stretching
• Take a deep breath in, raise your arms above your head. Hold it, hold it, hold it and as you breathe out laugh and move your hips from side to side like a rag doll. This loosens up your hips and lower back. If you are sitting, move your hips and buttocks as much as is comfortable for you, as you breathe out and laugh. Or, if that is uncomfortable, imagine doing this breathing and stretching exercise.
I invite you to put a positive spin on today. Say, "Very good! Very good! Then, put your thumbs up and say, "Yey!" as many times as you can fit in to your activities.
Cat licking laughter
• Imagine yourself as a very loved cat. You have just drunk a bowl of cream, and you are licking your lips and smiling widely. Miaow! Purrrrrr! Say with a huge smile, "Yes! Life is good!"
• Imagine you have been served a huge ice cream in your favorite flavor, it has all the trimmings you desire, and it is delicious! Lick and eat your ice cream as slowly or as fast you like. Savor the taste, giggle and laugh as you feel the icy cold creamy mixture slip down your throat. Laugh with delight! You can have as many imaginary ice creams as you want!
• Imagine you are stroking a favorite furry animal. Feel its soft, silky fur, give it lots of attention and love, laughing gently as you stroke.
• Imagine a giant dog is giving you slobbery kisses, licking you with devoted love and laugh as you wriggle away from its tongue.
Breathing and Stretching
• If you can, get onto your hands and knees. Put your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. This is the beginning position. Take a deep breath in and as you do, allow your head to fall downwards, looking at the floor. Pull your belly button up to your spine and curve your back. Hold it, hold it, hold it. Then, as you breathe out, push your belly button to the floor, allowing your spine to follow, bringing your head up to look at the ceiling. Then relax into the beginning position. This is the Cat Stretch. If, for any reason you cannot get down onto your hands and knees, you can do this sitting on a chair. As you take a deep breath in, curve your spine, back and neck, so you are looking down. Hold it, hold it, hold it. As you breathe out, arch your back and push your chest and belly button out as far as you can, so you are looking up. Then relax to a comfortable position.
I invite you to be kind to an animal today! Why not, make a donation to an animal shelter. Take your dog for an extra walk. Or, spend time and enjoy the unconditional love an animal has for you.
Brain relaxing laughter
• You have a piece of mental floss about your person. I always keep mine behind my left ear. Mental floss is like dental floss, and can be used whenever you have a foggy brain. Simply, get out your floss, and thread it into one ear, pull it out the other side, and move it from side to side, wobbling your head and laugh as you give your brain a good clean out. When you are finished, clean the goobies from the mental floss, roll it up, and put it back for another time. I wouldn't recommend sharing your mental floss with anyone! This is the Mental Floss Laugh.
• Stand or sit in a comfortable position, and with one hand, slowly move your hand up the side of your face, over your head and reach for the opposite ear, wiggle it and laugh! Do the same with your other hand and wiggle the other ear and laugh!
• Lie on your back and imagine you are a centipede. Put all your arms and legs up in the air, wave them about and laugh!
• Still lying on your back, hold your knees to your chest, gently rock and laugh!
Breathing and stretching
• This is the cooling breath. Make your tongue like a straw, into a "U" shape. Take a deep breath in through your curled tongue. Close your mouth. Breathe out through your nose.
I invite you to take time and spend a few minutes in quiet contemplation and relax your brain today!
Unzipped winking laughter
• Imagine you have a zipper on your lips. The zipper is shut and your mouth is relaxed, neither sad, nor smiling. Undo the zipper from the corner of your mouth to the other corner, and as you do – unzip a smile. See how big a smile you can unzip. You can also zip up the smile. Have fun and experiment.
• Look at yourself in the mirror and wink. Every time you wink, laugh! The more you wink the more you laugh. This is great to do in small groups. Try it out at work or with your family today!
• When you are driving today, laugh whenever you stop at red traffic lights. If you are not driving today, laugh every time you go to sit down.
• Look at yourself in the mirror and make the funniest face you can, and laugh!
Breathing & Stretching
• Mindful breathing. Count how many times you breathe in a minute. Deliberately slow down your breathing to 4-6 times a minute. How? As you stand, sit or lie with a straight spine, imagine your body is like a balloon, as you inhale feel this balloon inflating. As you exhale, imagine this balloon is deflating. Your tummy will rise and fill with air, as you inflate the balloon. And, your tummy will fall and release the air, as you deflate the balloon. Mindful breathing will slow down your whole metabolism. This in turn, will calm your mind and relax your body.
I invite you to give yourself 5 minutes today to become completely still. Relax and do not move a muscle. Breathe easily and deeply as you rest.
Life is for living laughter
• Do the gesture of emptying your pockets and laugh! This is the No Money Laugh.
• Imagine you have just won a large sum of money. Jump up and down for joy and laugh! This is the Jackpot Laugh.
• Imagine you can go down the street and shower people with lots of money and laugh!
• Open your arms wide and imagine you are holding the world in your hands, and say – "Yes! Life is for living today!" And, "Yes! To World Peace!"
Breathing & Stretching
• Breathing and writing the words – "Health" "Joy" and "World Peace". With each word take a deep breath in, and write the word in the air with your breath as you breathe out. Do each word separately, then join them all into a sentence with the biggest breath you have!
I invite you to make a donation to a charity of your choice today!
Thumbs up, appreciating laughter
• The Gradient Laugh. Share this with yourself in a mirror, or with a friend.... Firstly, do not laugh, simply smile. Allow the smile to gradually become bigger, and turn into a little giggle, then into a bigger giggle, and into a small laugh, then a bigger laugh, till you are laughing very loudly!
• With your right hand, rub your tummy in circles and laugh! Add your left hand and pat the top of your head and laugh! Finally, combine both actions and laugh!
• The Appreciating Laugh. Look at yourself in the mirror and appreciate yourself. Put both thumbs up, say, "Yes!" and laugh!
• Imagine you have just eaten a meal, that you have really enjoyed and your stomach is full and laugh!
Breathing and stretching
• Smiley face breathing. Put up your pointer finger. Take a deep breath in as you draw the circle for the outside of your smiley face. Exhale, four times with your mouth open, as you say "Haa!" The first exhalation is a dot for one eye. The second exhalation is a dot for the other eye. The third exhalation is a dot for the nose. The final exhalation is longer, with a longer "Haaaa!" sound as you draw a huge smile on your smiley face! Swap hands and use your other pointer finger to draw another smiley face. Put up both pointer fingers and draw two smiley faces at the same time in different directions! Don't forget to breathe as you draw!
I invite you to write a note of appreciation to someone you care about today, and give it to them!
Let's go fishing laughter
• Think of an activity you really like doing, imagine yourself doing it and laugh!
• Imagine yourself fishing with a large rod. Take a deep breath in as you cast out your line, and reel in your catch, laughing as the huge fish wriggles on the line. Carefully, take it off the hook. Imagine the fish giving you a fishy kiss and laugh! Release the fish back into the sea and laugh!
• Imagine yourself standing waist deep in the sea. It is a beautiful day and the sun is shining. Every time a wave bobs up to you, rise up on your toes and laugh. The bigger the wave the more you laugh.
• You are still in the sea. And this time, there are little crabs nipping at your toes. Dance around and laugh as your toes are being nibbled.
Breathing and stretching
• As the Sun comes out you breathe in and enjoy the warmth of the rays, and as the sun goes in you breathe out. Stand in a grounded position, with your feet planted firmly to the floor, hip width apart. Or, you can sit with a straight spine. Your hands are loosely hanging by your side. Take a deep breath in and allow your hands to cross over in front of your body, then swing up and swing out, till your arms are outstretched. Look up as you hold your breath and position. Hold it, hold it, hold it. Then, breathe out with a loud, open mouthed, "Haaa!" sound, as you swing your arms in the opposite direction, and back down to hang loosely at the side of your body. This is the Sunshine Breath.
I invite you to take a few minutes today, to go outside and sit in the sun. Relax and breathe easily and deeply as you enjoy the warmth of the Sun.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Harness The Power of your Laugh! by Lynda Andrews Copyright © 2011 by Lynda Andrews. Excerpted by permission of Balboa Press. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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