Laughing with Laura: February 2011

Thursday, February 24, 2011

GIRLS GET AWAY TO INCLUDE LAUGHTER YOGA

Good news, ladies! The Prairie du Chien Downtown Revitalization and McGregor-Marquette Chamber of Commerce is hosting the first "Tri-Community Girl's Get-Away" on Saturday, March 26 in historic Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin and the twin communities of McGregor and Marquette just across the Mississsippi River in Iowa. The fun day will culminate with a rolicking session of laughter yoga with—you guessed it—Laughing Laura followed by Crazy Keys Dueling Pianos at the Lady Luck Casino.

The day begins at 10 a.m. at the Curious Cup in Prairie du Chien. Enjoy 4 workshops of your choice, have lunch, shop the 3 historic downtown areas, get the chance to win door prizes, then laugh and sing along at the evening program at the casino. Your $30 registration fee includes all of this and a $5 voucher for lunch. Click here for the full brochure.

This is a great chance to laugh and play with your girlfriends. You deserve a fun weekend, so mark it on your calendar and get registered today.

Friday, February 11, 2011

LAUGHING KALE SALAD

Hello Laughter Friends!

I've made a video just for you that demonstrates how to make a healthy, happy kale salad—while laughing! That's right. Since I always say that you should add more laughter to your life by laughing while doing everyday activities, I have been experimenting with laughing while cooking. And guess what? It is really fun. So enjoy this video and get laughter cooking right away. Feel free to send me your recipes and suggestions. ha ha ha!

Here's a picture of the salad demonstrated in the above video.

Here's another kale salad I made with tomatoes and avocado.

LAUGHTER: THE BEST MEDICINE

Why laugh? Because laughter is good medicine. Studies say that laughter does all of the following things:

• Improves overall sense of well being
• Boosts happiness
• Strengthens and balances the immune system
• Releases endorphins to naturally relieve pain
• Decreases the level of stress hormone
• Lowers blood pressure
• Nurtures creativity
• Reduces risk of heart disease
• Floods the body with a natural "happy hormone"
• Helps manage and overcome depression
• Deepens inner peace
• Breaks social isolation and fosters new friendships
• Develops self-confidence
• Alleviates the discomfort of specific physical challenges
• Cultivates your childlike playfulness for a happier you

Yes, laughter can do all that! Dr. Lee Berk, famous gelatologist (scientist who studies laughter), says that if you bottled up all the healthy effects of laughter into a pill, you'd need FDA approval! It is that powerful, but it is free and has no side effects. And this is why Laughing Laura is committed to increasing world happiness one laugh at a time.