The Laughter Effect

How to Build Joy, Resilience, and Positivity in Your Life

Supercharge your "happy hormones" with this motivational self help book featuring mind-body techniques for boosting joy and gratitude through laughter.

Laughter really is the best medicine!


In The Laughter Effect, Ros Ben-Moshe provides a roadmap to tap into the lighter side of life with laughter therapy. Ben-Moshe shares tips and tools to achieve an intentional state of being she calls the Laughter Effect–a way to elevate mindfulness, gratitude, and self-compassion, including:

  • Laughter yoga, which is comprised of coordinated movements, breathing and stretching, positive reinforcements, and expressions of mirth
  • Starting a humor journal, where you collect things that make you laugh for future reference
  • Smiling and laughing mindfulness practices, including a gratitude mindful body scan
  • Positive reframing to help you find joy in difficult times

When used regularly, it enhances resilience to stress, enabling you to respond to adversity and bounce forward with humor, levity, and grace. 

Drawing on research from around the world, practice and wisdom from humor and laughter therapy, and positive psychology and neuroscience, Ben-Moshe shows you how to use the energy of laughter and joy to counter stress hormones and stimulate a daily dose of positive wellbeing with “happy hormones.”

The techniques, strategies and practices you’ll learn can transform your physical, mental, social and emotional landscape. Viewing life through a laughter lens will awaken a positive change in yourself, how you respond to the world and, in turn, how the world responds to you.
Introduction
1. The History of Laughter
2. We Laugh to Thrive
3. The Best Medicine
4. Motion Creates Emotion
5. Our Sixth Sense—Humor
6. Playing with the Laughter Effect
7. Smile and the Whole World Smiles with You
8. Gleeful Gratitude
9. Self-Compassion with a Smile
10. Joyful Journaling and Positive Reframing
11. The Last Laugh
Conclusion: The Laughter Effect in Practice
Glossary
Resources
Acknowledgments
Notes
Ros Ben-Moshe is an internationally recognised laughter wellness and positivity expert. She is adjunct lecturer at La Trobe University, where she has taught positive psychology and health promotion. A Global Laughter Ambassador, Ros is a regular commentator and writer in Australian media. Her highly praised first book is Laughing at Cancer – How to Heal with Love, Laughter and Mindfulness. She has spent over twenty years empowering people to embrace intentional smiling and laughter practices to generate positive life transformation and boost joy.

About

Supercharge your "happy hormones" with this motivational self help book featuring mind-body techniques for boosting joy and gratitude through laughter.

Laughter really is the best medicine!


In The Laughter Effect, Ros Ben-Moshe provides a roadmap to tap into the lighter side of life with laughter therapy. Ben-Moshe shares tips and tools to achieve an intentional state of being she calls the Laughter Effect–a way to elevate mindfulness, gratitude, and self-compassion, including:

  • Laughter yoga, which is comprised of coordinated movements, breathing and stretching, positive reinforcements, and expressions of mirth
  • Starting a humor journal, where you collect things that make you laugh for future reference
  • Smiling and laughing mindfulness practices, including a gratitude mindful body scan
  • Positive reframing to help you find joy in difficult times

When used regularly, it enhances resilience to stress, enabling you to respond to adversity and bounce forward with humor, levity, and grace. 

Drawing on research from around the world, practice and wisdom from humor and laughter therapy, and positive psychology and neuroscience, Ben-Moshe shows you how to use the energy of laughter and joy to counter stress hormones and stimulate a daily dose of positive wellbeing with “happy hormones.”

The techniques, strategies and practices you’ll learn can transform your physical, mental, social and emotional landscape. Viewing life through a laughter lens will awaken a positive change in yourself, how you respond to the world and, in turn, how the world responds to you.

Table of Contents

Introduction
1. The History of Laughter
2. We Laugh to Thrive
3. The Best Medicine
4. Motion Creates Emotion
5. Our Sixth Sense—Humor
6. Playing with the Laughter Effect
7. Smile and the Whole World Smiles with You
8. Gleeful Gratitude
9. Self-Compassion with a Smile
10. Joyful Journaling and Positive Reframing
11. The Last Laugh
Conclusion: The Laughter Effect in Practice
Glossary
Resources
Acknowledgments
Notes

Author

Ros Ben-Moshe is an internationally recognised laughter wellness and positivity expert. She is adjunct lecturer at La Trobe University, where she has taught positive psychology and health promotion. A Global Laughter Ambassador, Ros is a regular commentator and writer in Australian media. Her highly praised first book is Laughing at Cancer – How to Heal with Love, Laughter and Mindfulness. She has spent over twenty years empowering people to embrace intentional smiling and laughter practices to generate positive life transformation and boost joy.

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A letter to educators from Ros Ben-Moshe, author of The Laughter Effect

Dear Educators, We’ve all heard the adage “laughter is the best medicine”, The Laughter Effect: How to Build Joy, Resilience and Positivity in Your Life is its prescription.  A body-mind practice that incorporates wisdom from laughter therapy, health promotion, neuroscience, positive psychology and mindfulness, it adds an innovative new dimension to self-care and wellbeing. My

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