Neuropathy is no laughing matter!

I find myself constantly looking for diversions these days - something to take my mind off the nagging pain and discomfort. Very often a good film, book or TV programme will do the trick and for a certain amount of time,(until sitting becomes a pain)the neuropathy doesn't exist.
I'd never heard of laughing Yoga but its effects seem logical to me. If I've laughed at a joke or a good comedy on TV, I immediately feel better. Ok it's short-lived but laughter has to be the best anti-depressant.
This article by Erica Roth, from Livestrong.com (see full link below)has plenty of useful ideas. By the way, have you ever tried Googling neuropathy and jokes? There are practically no links at all - neuropathy is no laughing matter apparently!

How to Get Pain Relief by Laughing

"Laughter is the best medicine" is not a saying that developed out of nowhere. The medicinal qualities of laughter are real, and can help ease the pain and stress in your body and mind, according to the Mayo Clinic. Laughing, whether you are genuinely amused by something or forcing a smile, can help people achieve pain relief. Laughter yoga is one form of spiritual and physical healing that uses slow body movements and child-like silliness to create a lighter mood that may lead to pain relief.

Step 1
Get pain relief from laughing by performing breathing exercises that at first will simulate laughter, and may lead to authentic laughter as well. The Laughter Yoga International organization suggests a series of forceful exhalations from your diaphragm. With each exhalation, say "ha ha ha" or "ho ho ho." Deep breathing fills the lungs with air and can promote better circulation, which can help with pain. People whose pain does not interfere with their energy levels or movement may choose to clap along or swing their hands and feet along with the breathing and chanting.

Step 2
Force yourself to smile and laugh even if you don't feel like it. Physically rearrange your mouth into a smiling position if you are in too much pain to smile naturally. Do a fake laugh. The Mayo Clinic explains that even a fake laugh can help relax your body and lead to some pain relief. At some point, you may find the fake smiling situation absurd enough that you'll be laughing for real.

Step 3
Surround yourself with people who are positive and can bring some laughter to your life. Speak in "gibberish" to each other, another act in laughter yoga that few people can continue for too long without finding it funny. Laughter Yoga International stresses the importance of letting go of your inhibitions and acting with child-like exuberance in order to reap the pain-relieving benefits of laughing.

Step 4
Read a joke book or watch a funny movie when you are ailing. Laughing releases endorphins that are nature's way of dulling the pain.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/79618-pain-relief-laughing/#ixzz1QqS3arfg

...and this one on Laughter Yoga

5 Things You Need to Know About Laughing Yoga

1. Laughing Yoga is No Joke

Laughing Yoga, or Laughter Yoga, was developed in the 1990s by Indian physician Madan Kataria and his wife Madhira Kataria. Dr. Kataria observed the health benefits of laughter and wanted a way to formalize its practice for therapeutic effect. Laughing Yoga uses varied deliberate laughing exercises along with breathing techniques to relieve stress and strengthen the heart and lungs. This is not a traditional form of yoga, but Dr. Kataria drew on yogic breath work as part of the foundation of his program.

2. Laugh Then Breathe Deeply

Laughter is especially good for the heart and lungs, like cardiovascular exercise while you remain in place. It promotes deep breathing and helps clear mucous and particulate matter from the lungs and breathing passages. Each laugh brings in a large supply of fresh oxygen that is taken up by the blood and circulated throughout the body. Laughing pushes the heart rate, which is good exercise for the heart muscle. According to research, laughing lowers high blood pressure, too. These benefits are the results of the diaphragm's repeated, rapid contractions. The diaphragm is the muscle that separates the heart and lungs from the lower abdomen and that is used in breathing.

3. Laughter is the Best Medicine

Cardiovascular benefits are only part of the positive effects of laughter. Laughter can change body chemistry. As people laugh, blood levels of stress hormones, such as cortisol, decrease. This helps the body cope with the effects of stress. Laughter also reduces the symptoms of depression and anxiety. It can trigger a cascade of health benefits, because depression and anxiety are known to weaken the immune system, which then makes a person more vulnerable to disease.

4. Laugh Off Stress

Laughing releases tension and reduces stress. In addition to the physiological effects, laughing requires a tensing and releasing of muscles in the face, neck and trunk. Thus, it works almost like a massage to promote relaxation. As little as 20 minutes a day of laughter increases a person's sense of well-being and calm.

5. Join the Club

You can find Laughing Yoga classes at Laughter Clubs. These are not comedy clubs. There are no actual humorous stimuli present. The laughing exercises are deliberate, physical practices designed to generate the physiological benefits of genuine laughter. The practices are appropriate for people of all ages and different physical and cognitive abilities.


Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/4441-need-laughing-yoga/#ixzz1QqSq75Xg

http://www.livestrong.com/article/79618-pain-relief-laughing/