MISSION HAPPINESS

I served the Bank for thirty-five years. It provided me bread and butter and gave me a respectable place in the society. As I was nearing my retirement, a thought of giving back came to my mind. I wanted to make others happy.

Laughter yoga generates a lot of feel good hormones, positive vibes, and cheer. It is a unique concept where any one can laugh for no reason, without the use of jokes, comedy, or humour. I learned the art and science of laughter yoga along with my wife and we soon practised it in small and large groups. We conducted laughter sessions for Nestle, Abercrombie & Kent, Airports Authority of India, schools and colleges, international students, and, of course, our own Bank. It gave us great satisfaction and fulfilment.

Positive psychology is the modern science of happiness. I was always fascinated by it and studied it in great depth after retirement. It taught me to engage deeply in work, play and parenting and to devote my life to a meaningful purpose. We thought of giving even more to the people around us for which we travelled to the Himalayas to learn yoga and meditation.

The Buddha always inspired me, and I wanted to go deeper and deeper into his teachings. It was like a vast ocean and a small drop from the Dhammapada was sufficient to quench my spiritual thirst:

“Abstain from all unwholesome deeds,

Perform wholesome ones,

Purify your mind.

This is the teaching of the Enlightened Ones.”

We conduct sessions on happiness and well-being in the neighbourhood and wherever we are invited. These sessions include inputs from positive psychology, laughter yoga, yoga, meditation, and spirituality. We feel happy and content serving our fellow beings. At the same time, these exercises keep us fit too. Our gratitude to the Bank that provides us safety and security even at this age.

 

-       Jagat Singh Bisht 

How to be Healthy, Happy and Wise

A Pathway to Authentic Happiness, Well-being and a Meaningful Life 

Happiness, say the positive psychologists, is the experience of joy, contentment, or positive well-being, combined with a sense that life is good, meaningful, and worthwhile.

Twenty-three hundred years ago, Aristotle concluded that, more than anything else, men and women seek happiness. It is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence. Different men seek after happiness in different ways and by different means, and so make for themselves different modes of life.

What is the pathway to authentic happiness, well-being and a meaningful life? How can we equip ourselves with sustainable scientific tools to cultivate a happy and fulfilling life with a greater sense of well-being? This article attempts to answer these questions.

Taking care of body, mind and spirit is of utmost importance. It’s like a tripod. All limbs must be equally strong for balance and harmony. We need to transform the entire experience of life by taking care of all the relevant dimensions – physiological, psychological and spiritual.

After years of deep study and practical sessions with people from all walks of life, a holistic approach has emerged that blends carefully the best of positive psychology, meditation, yoga, laughter yoga, and spirituality.

Positive psychology is the science of happiness. It provides authentic understanding of happiness and well-being and dispels myths and wrong notions about happiness. It is a treasure trove of evidence-based happiness-increasing strategies from which one may choose activities suitable for oneself.

Meditation is an invaluable tool for calming, concentration and purification of the mind. It clears clouds and lets you seek wisdom. According to Matthieu Ricard, happiest monk on this planet, “Meditation is a practice that makes it possible to cultivate and develop certain basic positive human qualities in the same way as other forms of training make it possible to play a musical instrument or acquire any other skill.”

Yoga can do wonders for your health by stimulating endocrinal systems and taking care of neuro-muscular systems. It is suitable for modern day lifestyle diseases and brings about body-mind union. If you don’t have enough time, even then surya namaskara can be easily integrated into your daily life as it requires only five to fifteen minutes’ practice daily to obtain beneficial results remarkably quickly.

Laughter yoga combines laughter exercises with yogic breathing. It is instrumental in oxygenation of the body, strengthening immune system, and stress relief as feel good hormones known as endorphins are generated during the process. Just ten minutes of gentle laughter in the morning can change the complexion of your day.

Spirituality provides right view and right understanding of life. It gives spiritual insight into right speech, right action and right livelihood. Inner wisdom steers us in the right direction. If you desire everlasting health and happiness, cultivate wisdom.

All the five components - positive psychology, meditation, yoga, laughter yoga and spirituality - put together, enable complete transformation of the entire experience of life.

The benefits include health, happiness and peace for individuals; stress relief, team building, higher productivity, leadership and positivity at workplaces; health, bonding and integration in communities; and creativity, better concentration, emotional intelligence, spiritual growth, strong immune system and all-round personality development of youngsters.

In conclusion, may we say that the practice of yoga, meditation and laughter yoga along with fundamental understanding of positive psychology and spirituality can lead you to lasting happiness and peace.

Jagat Singh Bisht, Founder: LifeSkills

LifeSkills is a pathway to authentic happiness, well-being and a meaningful life!

lifeskills.happiness@gmail.com

Amazing Health Benefits of Laughter Yoga

World Heart Day

The benefits of Laughter Yoga are amazing. Laughter Yoga is a unique exercise routine that combines laughter exercises with yogic breathing which brings in more oxygen to the body and brain making one feel more energetic and healthy. It is a powerful cardio workout. In fact, 10 minutes of hearty laughter is equal to 30 minutes on a rowing machine. The foremost benefit of laughing is that one remains cheerful throughout the day. This sense of wellbeing comes from the release of feel good hormones called endorphins.

It decreases the negative effects of stress on your body which is the root cause of all illness. Laughter Yoga is a single exercise that deals with physical, mental and emotional stress simultaneously. It also strengthens the immune system, lowers blood pressure, CONTROLS BLOOD SUGAR and keeps your heart healthy. It is a powerful antidote against depression – the number one sickness today.

Laughing promotes a healthy heart. In a good bout of laughter, there is a dilation of blood vessels all over the body. We’ve all seen or experienced this as a flushed appearance and feeling of warmth. Pulse rate and blood pressure rise as the circulatory system is stimulated before settling down, below the original levels. In a nutshell, laughter helps tone the circulatory system of the body.

Laughter and breathing exercises help to increase the breathing capacity of the lungs and increase the net supply of oxygen to the body. Laughter sessions, along with deep breathing, are like chest physiotherapy – especially for those who smoke and suffer from bronchitis and respiratory airway obstruction.

A weak immune system is a major cause for almost all sickness and ill health. Laughter boosts immune system. Oxygen is one of the primary catalysts for all metabolic reactions in the human body. Ongoing scientific studies show that lack of oxygen is the major cause of most diseases. Laughter Yoga flushes the lungs and fully oxygenates the blood and major organs leaving one bursting with energy and vitality and free from disease.

Diabetes is emerging as a major health hazard worldwide. Japanese scientist Murakami’s experiment to ascertain the effect of laughter on the blood sugar levels has affirmed that laughter has a lowering impact on blood sugar. Murakami indentified 23 genes that can be activated with laughter. In addition, it also reduces the stress hormone cortisol responsible for increase in sugar levels and stabilizes the immune system, which if weakened, can affect the production of insulin in the pancreas.

Laughter has a profound positive impact on allergies, with many practitioners reporting complete disappearance of all symptoms of asthma, skin and other allergies. Though not an intervention for countering physical causes of allergies; Laughter Yoga is a definite tool to remedy stress. It helps to reduce the risk factors by boosting the immune system, encouraging deep breathing and flushing the lungs of stale air and generating a feeling of wellness.

Those suffering from life threatening diseases not only go through physical pain; they also face immense psychological trauma. Not just the patient, but family, friends and care givers all need positive reinforcement. Having a positive mental attitude greatly influences the course of the disease. We have had many members suffering from cancer, immune disorders, multiple sclerosis and other chronic diseases who have reported relief from their symptoms, thereby reducing their medications.

Depression is often associated with physical pain, feelings of despair, loss of appetite, immobility, insomnia and other cardiovascular problems. Practicing Laughter Yoga regularly helps to resolve most of these ailments as it is one of the fastest ways of boosting heart rate, reducing blood pressure, providing an excellent cardio workout and alleviating pain. Extended hearty laughter is a body exercise with powerful body-mind healing effects.

The combination of natural pain killers with movements in laughter exercises makes Laughter Yoga a powerful tool for physiotherapy. Many practitioners have reported reversal of frozen shoulder and other movement limitations due to stroke, arthritis, and injury. Endorphins released as a result of laughter help in reducing the intensity of pain in those suffering from arthritis, spondylitis and muscular spasms of the body.

Scientific studies have proved that a few days of laughter exercises and deep breathing lowers blood pressure thus reducing the risk of a heart attack. Having too much cholesterol in the blood can lead to the hardening and narrowing of the arteries in the major vascular systems. A daily dose of laughter opens the arteries and allows the blood to flow freely to all parts of the body thus preventing a cardiac failure.

Stress is the number one killer today, and most illnesses are stress related. Laughter Yoga is an instant stress buster which takes care of physical, mental and emotional stress simultaneously. It has been scientifically proven that laughter reduces the level of stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine and enhances positive emotions.

Laughter exercises are short and easy and can be added to your existing fitness programme. It can be a value addition to Yoga groups, Tai-Chi groups, aerobic centres, meditation centres, health clubs, sports and fun activities. Laughter Yoga is the latest health craze sweeping the world where anyone can laugh without any reason. It is truly a life changing experience for millions. It is scientifically proven and a lot of fun. People can feel the benefits right from the very first session.

Jagat Singh Bisht

Happiness Coach & Laughter Yoga Master Trainer

Founder: LifeSkills