Session 28: Laughter is the Best Medicine

In session 28, "Laughter is the Best Medicine" meditation guide Dustin Guinee tries something a bit different than the typical meditation session. While meditation is often about sitting in silence to find inner peace, laughter meditation and laughter yoga is quite the opposite, in that the goal of the practice is to bust a gut, cracking up. While at first, it may seem ridiculous and contrived to start laughing for no reason, smiling and laughing as part of your meditation practice can transform an often dull or routine practice into one that will have you giggling like a child and feeling full of joy. Beyond the silliness there is good science that shows laughter increases oxygen intake and endorphins (the feel-good hormone), while lowering the stress hormone cortisol, as well as, lowering your heart rate and blood pressure. It turns out laughter really is the best medicine, and incorporating it as another technique in your meditation tool kit will breathe new life into your practice, reminding you to not take life or yourself too seriously.