Beyond just feeling good, laughter releases dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins, and also works on our heart, our lungs, our muscles, our thoughts, our behaviors. In short: laughter actually is good medicine.

And here's a funny thing: whether we laugh in response to something, or we create a situation that gets laughter going, the body will still release the same endorphins.

Try this quick, goofy yoga exercise to discover a foolproof way to induce laughter. It is based on the Hawaiian word "Aloha," a nice vowel-y word that opens the mouth and throat just by saying it.

Elaine Smookler has been a mindful practitioner for over 20 years and is on the faculty at The Centre for Mindfulness Studies in Toronto. She is a Registered Psychotherapist and teaches mindfulness to corporate clients through eMindful. She's also a comedic writer and performer and is the singing host of Mindful Martinis, a cabaret/mindfulness class mash up.

The transcription of this guided meditation will be online and in our app at Mindful.org next week.

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Show Notes

Find more from Elaine Smookler here.

Go Deeper

We tend to see play, joy, and levity as nice-to-haves, something we experience when things are going well. In reality they are all an essential part of building resilience and well-being, even when things aren't going well. To explore more ways to intentionally incorporate the lighter side, even in darker seasons, check out these resources from Mindful.org:

• The Power of Play

• Play, SoulPancake, and Building Your Anti-Depressant Brain

• Join the Nanalympics! 6 Ways to Get Playful with Mindful Movement

• The Science of Wonder

• Find Your Way to Embodied Joy

For more practice noticing the good (even when things don't go according to plan), try: A 12-Minute Meditation to Rewire Your Brain for Optimism

And more from Mindful here:

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