Response to "Literal Laughter Medicine"

I found Paige's lead blog post interesting and quite refreshing. I've of course heard the expression "laughter is the best medicine," and I've always been told that laughing is good for you in many ways, but I never knew any practical applications of this theory in regards to psychotherapy. I recently took up yoga, and this has been a great outlet and stress reliever for me. When I can't make it to the PAC or there aren't any group fitness yoga classes that fit into my schedule, I pull up a YouTube video from the channel Yoga With Adriene and practice on my own time in my own room. Stress relievers can come in many forms and can vary in effective for each person, but Paige's example of smiling or laughing for no reason as a way to relieve tension reminds me a lot of a recurring theme in Adriene's videos: she encourages her viewers to smile while they practice. Between reminders to check your posture, stop clenching your shoulders, or be mindful of your breath, Adriene suggests that her viewers softly smile in each pose. I do it every time I remember to, and it honestly makes me feel better and a little less tense! Maybe it's the placebo effect, but a simple smile puts me at ease and increases my confidence, even just while doing yoga in my tiny dorm room. Adriene also makes a few terrible puns in each episode, and can sometimes say things that are just awkward... Occasionally, I'm so taken aback by her bizarre commentary that I laugh in spite of myself, and this, too, relieves tension and makes me feel more comfortable in what can be some personally challenging poses. I don't know if she's being quirky on purpose to lighten the mood, but whatever it is, it definitely contributes to the relaxed and rejuvenated feeling I get after participating. Just from this personal experience, I think that there's definitely some truth to this theory of laughter as a medicine, and I would love to explore the topic more.

View an episode of Yoga With Adriene here.