Laugh breathing
In this exercise, I fake laughter. The exercise activates my breathing muscles similarly to when I spontaneously laugh.
The way I exercise ‘fake laughing.’
- Breathing: inhale nose, exhale mouth.
- Position: I sit comfortably with a straight back, relax my tongue and jaw, and close my eyes.
- Reset my breathing.
- Inhale through my nose in 3 parts while smiling.
- Exhale through my mouth while audibly laughing out loud.
- Hold my breath until the point of ‘air hunger start.’
- Repeat for a few rounds.
Remarks
It’s beneficial to fake smiles and, likewise, laughter. I know I’m doing it right when I get a red face, hot cheeks, and glowing ears.
I mentioned the many virtues associated with laughing, but there are more.
When I laugh, I activate my diaphragm muscle to an extreme, and my lungs often deflate deeply in a pulsating manner. So, besides the relaxing pleasure of laughter, I strengthened my diaphragm muscle, and my lungs become more elastic. Holding my breath, following an exhale burst of intense laughter, ‘freezes the crimping’ and adds flexibility.
Some call this practice ‘laughter Yoga.’ Some people meet up in groups and practice it together. Laughter is even more contagious than smiling; social mirroring often occurs when a group laughs together.
The way I laugh is unique and is part of my breathing identity.