Yoga Humor

Zombie Yoga!!!
In the last few articles during this series on movement and exercise, I’ve discussed yoga and its relationship to living a Low Density Lifestyle.

I gave you 10 outstanding yoga videos, and then in the next article I explained the history of yoga.

Today, I will continue talking about yoga, but I will switch gears and have some fun by offering up some yoga humor.

Now you may remember that a few months ago, during the series on humor, I discussed how humor and laughter were things that helped you to feel lighter of mind, body and spirit, and thus were great tools for helping to get into Low Density Lifestyle mode.

So in that vein, I thought it’d be a good mix to combine yoga with some humor. Now, although Laughter Yoga is a form of yoga, that’s not what I’m discussing here.

So let’s start it off. First, if you watch the above video, you’ll see Zombie Yoga, with a very large Zombie Yoga class. If you’re a zombie, or considering becoming a zombie, you may want to watch how they do yoga, so that you can do the moves on your own.

Next, courtesy of The Onion, here are the top reasons Americans are doing yoga – and could it be true that Americans are doing yoga so that they can tap into the ancient wisdom of Californians?:

Next up, are some yoga jokes:

Question: How many Iyengar yogis does it take to replace a light bulb?
Answer: Only one – but he will need a sticky mat, a backless chair,
five blankets, a bolster, six ropes, two belts, six assorted benches,
three weights, and a certificate.

Question: What did the sign in the window of the yoga master searching for a new disciple say?
Answer:  Inquire within!

Question:  Why did the yogi refuse anesthesia when
having his wisdom teeth removed?  Answer:  He
wanted to transcend-dental-medication.

When teaching Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose) by putting a ball
between a student’s knees so they will not splay the legs apart,
this was said to a male yoga student:  “Wow!  You could fit two
balls between your legs!”

Yoga is excellent for un-kinking the muscles and the spine.
It is great if you’re really kinky.

The Yogini says to the hot dog vendor:
“Make me one with everything.”

I always wanted to be somebody, but now I see that I should
have been more specific.
-   Jane Wagner

The Ananda Yogi says to his pupil: “Do you understand that you
don’t really exist?”  The pupil replies, “To whom are you speaking?”

Eternal nothingness is okay if you’re dressed for it.
-   Woody Allen

If love is the answer, could you rephrase the question?
-   Lily Tomlin

Student Exam Bloopers

1) A student wrote, “The universe is a giant orgasm” (instead of organism).  At the end of the student’s essay, the teacher riposted, “Your answer gives new meaning to the Big Bang Theory.”

2) “Involuntary muscles are not as willing as voluntary ones.”

3) “When you breathe, you inspire. When you do not breathe, you expire.”

When two Behaviorist Yogis met, one said:
“You are fine.  How am I ?”

A young woman who was worried about her habit of biting her fingernails
down to the quick was advised by a friend to take up yoga. She did, and soon
her fingernails were growing normally.  Her friend asked her if yoga had
totally cured her nervousness.  “No,” she replied, “but now I can reach
my toe-nails so I bite them instead.”

And last on the yoga humor list is a video that comes from the folks at Yoga Journal, and is about Ogden, the Inappropriate Yoga Guy:

Comedy Has Always Been King

Comedy, humor and laughter have always been king. They have been an essential part of living since the dawn of humanity.

Instinctively, people have always known that humor and laughter just plain makes you feel better, and because of that, people have been trying to make each other laugh as long as there have been people walking the planet.

You may have read the article of a recent archaeological finding in which scientists found hieroglyphics on a cave that through extensive carbon dating were able to trace back to 500,000 years ago.

They were able to translate the cave writings as the following:

Q: Why did the dinosaur swallow Maury and then spit him out?
A: Because he tasted horrible without Tobasco sauce!

Granted, all those years ago, comedy wasn’t as refined as it is now, so the jokes weren’t as good.

But you get the point: humor and laughter is an important part of our DNA.

And, as I have noted many times in this series on humor and laughter, it’s an essential part of living a Low Density Lifestyle.

So as a series finale on the subject of humor and laughter, I want to present to you some kings of comedy, going back to the early part of the twentieth century.

And so, ladies and gentlemen and children of all ages, I now give you a series of videos featuring some geniuses of the art of comedy, laughter and humor:

1) Buster Keaton:

2) Laurel and Hardy:

3) Charlie Chaplin:

4) W.C. Fields:

5) The Three Stooges:

6) Abbot & Costello:

7) Monty Python:



Let others know about this article by posting it on Twitter! It’s easy – just click on the “tweet it” button below.

The 9 Benefits of Humor

For the last 2 weeks, I’ve been writing about humor and laughter.

I started the discussion by writing about how humor and laughter can be beneficial for health and can allow you to feel lighter of body, mind and spirit.

The next article was about Laughter Yoga and how people get together in Laughter Yoga clubs to laugh together.

From there, I just started writing articles designed to make you laugh, whether it was on the new depressant medication Despondex, the 1-minute book classics, or about my allegiance to the Marx philosophy.

Tomorrow, to close the series, I will return with another humorous article. But today, I want to review how humor is a positive influence in our lives by listing 9 benefits of humor and laughter.

Of course, I could just narrow it down to one – that humor and laughter are essential traits of living a Low Density Lifestyle.

But, I’ll still give you 9 benefits. Here they are:

1. Humor lessens fears.

2. Humor comforts and helps you get through difficult times.

3. Humor helps you to relax.

4. Humor reduces pain.

5. Humor boosts the immune system.

6. Humor reduces stress.

7. Humor spreads happiness.

8. Humor cultivates optimism.

9. Humor helps with communication.

And so, in conclusion, humor and laughter make you feel lighter, like you’re carrying less of a load in your body, mind and spirit. And when you feel like that, you know what that means, don’t you?

It means you’re living a Low Density Lifestyle.

Let others know about this article by posting it on Twitter! It’s easy – just click on the “tweet it” button below.

The Right Stuff

In yesterday’s article, I told you how I’m an avowed Marxist (although I haven’t decided which of the Marx family – Karl, Groucho, Chico, or Harpo – my politics most resemble.

But in order to keep it fair and balanced, I’ve decided to present a more right-wing perspective.

So today we will hear from someone with a right-wing perspective.

This person is none other than Steven Wright.

Ok, this has been a series on humor and laughter and how it can help keep you in Low Density Lifestyle mode.

Did you really think I would have someone with a right-wing perspective? There’s not much humor there, from what I can see.

Instead, I present to you someone with the right stuff, or I should say the Wright Stuff.

Steven Wright has an incredibly unique style. It’s truly a Zen style of humor.

Whatever you call it, it can help ease you into a Low Density Lifestyle point of view.

So kick back, watch the two below videos, and enjoy.

Let others know about this article by posting it on Twitter! It’s easy – just click on the “tweet it” button below.

Why I’m an Avowed Marxist

I have made it a point to stay away from discussing politics on this website, as it’s something that can become so polarizing and cause a lot of stress.

And as you all know, I’m for things that manage stress and encourage stress relief and keep you far away from High Density Lifestyle mode.

I’m trying to help you live a Low Density Lifestyle, and I know if I start sharing my political beliefs, it’s bound to make some of you quite uptight.

But I’ve decided I can’t hold back anymore. Even though this series is about humor and laughter, I’ve decided to let it all hang out and tell you where I’m coming from.

And no, I’m not telling you this because I’ve been taking too much Despondex.

And so here’s the real deal: yes, I’m an avowed Marxist. And not only do I think the Marxist approach is the best approach, I believe it’s something that should be taught in school right from kindergarten.

And in these recessionary times, what better approach is there to adopt than Marxism?

Let’s delve into this further. What does Marx have to teach us? Such things as:
***Why a Duck?
***There ain’t no Sanity Clause
***Never join a club that would have you as a member

Huh, you say? You don’t remember this from your copy of Das Kapital? Well, if you’ve been reading Das Kapital, then you’ve got the wrong Marx, brother.

I’m talking the real Marx Doctrine: the world according to Groucho, Chico, Harpo, and occasionally Zeppo.

This is the type of Marxism we need!

The Brothers Marx were masters of inspired Zen lunacy, and to this day, the likes of what they did has never been repeated.

They took comedy, humor and laughter to a whole new visionary level. It was enlightened humor, the type that easily puts you into Low Density Lifestyle mode.

And that’s the kind of Marxist approach we need now more than ever, brother (and sister).

Oh, and by the way, if I think about it even more, I’m not just a Marxist, but a Marxist-Leninist. Or more correctly, a Marxist-Lennonist, as in John, the man behind All You Need is Love, Across the Universe and Imagine.

He was a man with vision, and if there’s anything the world needs now, it’s people with vision. These are the true Low Density Lifestylers.

I say: how about starting a movement, the Marxist Zen lunacy humor movement, or the Marxist-Lennonist visionary movement?

Either way, it’s time we all become avowed Marxists.

For your viewing and laughing pleasure, here are three classics of the Marx Brothers in action:

This clip is the Stateroom Scene from “A Night at the Opera”:

This clip is the Contract Scene between Groucho and Chico, also from “A Night at the Opera.” It contains the famous “Sanity Clause”:

This is the Mirror Scene from “Duck Soup”:

Let others know about this article by posting it on Twitter! It’s easy – just click on the “tweet it” button below.

It’s Foto Funny Time!!

Last week I discussed humor and laughter and how it’s an important aspect for living a Low Density Lifestyle.

Humor and laughter keeps you feeling light, and as the old saying goes, light makes might, or something like that.

Humor and laughter is good for your health – physical and mental – and good for your spirit.

So I want to continue with the humor vein this week, and by doing so, help you to feel lighter and more in the Low Density Lifestyle mode.

Today, it’s Foto Funny Time! Time to look at some ridiculous photos and chuckle and snort over them. Ok, you ready? Then let’s go!

Let others know about this article by posting it on Twitter! It’s easy – just click on the “tweet it” button below.

Total Eclipse of the Heart – The Literal Version

I’ve been discussing laughter and humor all week, because they are essential aspects of helping you to feel lighter, and helping you to get in the Low Density Lifestyle mode.

Actually, as of the article the other day on the new depressant medication Despondex, I’m not discussing laughter and humor as much as just writing articles that are aimed at making you laugh and chuckle.

Ditto for yesterday’s article on the ultra-condensed versions of many classic stories.

And for today, check out the above video – it’s really funny. It’s a spoof – called the Literal Version – of a music video that came out quite awhile ago for the hit song Total Eclipse of the Heart.

The song Total Eclipse of the Heart come out in 1983 and was sung by Bonnie Tyler. You still hear it from time to time, as it is a ballad that has endured.

The original video, the one that the above spoof video is based on, was very serious – you can see it below, if you are so inclined. I like the above Literal Version better.

Plus it’s funny as all hell, while the original one borders on pretentious.

But, you be the judge. Just remember to have fun while watching.

And remember the more you laugh, the more you get in Low Density Lifestyle mode. And that’s not a bad thing.

If you’re having trouble getting the guffaws and chuckles out, you can always take up Laughter Yoga.

Let others know about this article by posting it on Twitter! It’s easy – just click on the “tweet it” button below.

In 1 Minute or Less, the Greatest Books Ever Written

First off, a number of people have asked me about yesterday’s article and video about the new depressant medication Despondex. Is it real, they wondered? Is there really a medication that will stop people from being cheery?

Of course not (though I’m starting to wonder what’s in my water supply).

It obviously was a humor piece, something that was aimed at making you chuckle.

This entire series is on humor, after all. The first article on the benefits of humor and laughter explained the importance of it and how and why it can keep you feeling light of body, mind and spirit, and keep you in Low Density Lifestyle mode.

But as of yesterday’s article, I’m not here to tell you why humor is important for living a Low Density Lifestyle. Instead the articles are aimed at making you laugh.

So today, courtesy of the scholars at Book-a-Minute Classics, I want to give you ultra-condensed versions of classic books. These condensed versions will tell you everything you need to know about the book, and shave off all the fluffy frills.

Never again will you have to read a classic book, thanks to Book-a-Minute Classics.

So here comes 15 of your favorite stories. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey

Nurse Ratched
I destroy my patients psychologically so I can have power and control.

Randall P. McMurphy
But freedom and happiness are good things.

Nurse Ratched
Lobotomy time for you, buster.

(McMurphy DIES but inspires HOPE so OTHERS may LIVE.)
THE END

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

(Some BOYS crash on an ISLAND.)

Ralph
We need a fire.

(They make a fire. It goes out.)

Ralph
We need a fire.

(They make a fire. It goes out.)

Ralph
We need a fire.

Jack
Forget the fire. Let’s kill each other.

Other Boys
Yeah!

(They do.)
THE END

Walden by Henry David Thoreau

Henry David Thoreau
A truly rich man doesn’t have money but rather courage, truth, and an inner glory that transcends the passiveness of our physical beings. That’s why I’m going to live in the boonies.

(Two years later…)

I’m getting the heck out of here and getting my pencil-making job back. Um. But what I said still goes.
THE END

Finnegans Wake by James Joyce

James Joyce
I have created my own language to tell the cyclical history of humanity.

Reader #1
Brilliance!

Reader #2
(dies)
THE END

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Ebenezer Scrooge
Bah, humbug. You’ll work thirty-eight hours on Christmas Day, keep the heat at five degrees, and like it.

Ghost of Jacob Marley
Ebenezer Scrooge, three ghosts of Christmas will come and tell you you’re mean.

Three Ghosts of Christmas
You’re mean.

Ebenezer Scrooge
At last, I have seen the light. Let’s dance in the streets. Have some money.
THE END

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

Stock Hemingway Narrating Character
It was in Europe after the war. We were depressed. We drank a lot. We were still depressed.
THE END

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Holden Caulfield
Angst angst angst swear curse swear crazy crazy angst swear curse, society sucks, and I’m a stupid jerk.
THE END

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Hamlet
Whine whine whine…To be or not to be…I’m dead.
THE END

The Collected Work of Edgar Allan Poe

Some Guy
Oh no. I’m buried alive!

Narrator
I died.

Raven
Nevermore.
THE END

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Tom Joad
Our farm has been taken away. Let’s go to California.

(They do. On the way, there are calamities, and people DIE, because this is the Great Depression when times were HARD, and it was a struggle just to hold on to one’s DIGNITY.)
THE END

Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Huckleberry Finn
(Goes rafting. Goes home.)
THE END

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

Willy Loman
Everytime something bad happens, I go back in time to happier occasions.

Biff Loman
I’m a bum.

Willy Loman
Here I go again.

(Willy Loman goes back in time. Then he runs out of times to go back to, so he dies.)
THE END

Metamophosis by Franz Kafka

Gregor Samsa
Holy crap, I’m a vermin thingie!

(He DIES…eventually.)
THE END

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Mr. Darcy
Nothing is good enough for me.

Ms. Elizabeth Bennet
I could never marry that proud man.

(They change their minds.)
THE END

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

(The Earth gets BLOWN UP.)

Arthur
I’m a bit upset about that.

Ford
Yes, I can understand that.

(They fly around the galaxy. They go UNDERGROUND, where they see…)

Arthur
The Earth.

Deep Thought
Forty two.
THE END

Let others know about this article by posting it on Twitter! It’s easy – just click on the “tweet it” button below.

You Wanna Laugh? Do Some Laughter Yoga!

I told you in yesterday’s article that laughter and humor is good for your health, it makes you feel lighter of body, mind and spirit, and is an essential component of living a Low Density Lifestyle.

So, if laughter is something that is good for your body, mind and spirit, doesn’t it seem natural that it could become a form of yoga?

Absolutely! Welcome to Laughter Yoga.

It’s guaranteed to make you laugh, make you lighter, and make you healthier. Who couldn’t ask for more?

Laughter Yoga was the brainchild of an Indian doctor, Dr. Madan Kataria, who while researching an article on the health benefits of laughter, realized that he was too serious for his own good.

So he gathered some people one day in a park in Mumbai and began a Laughter Yoga club. The idea caught on and now there are Laughter Yoga clubs all around the world.

Watch the above videos and learn for yourself about Laughter Yoga. In the first video, a man who knows a thing or two about laughter, John Cleese of Monty Python fame, visits Dr. Kataria and his Laughter Yoga club.

Cleese even goes into a prison for a session of Laughter Yoga with the inmates. You’ll notice while the prisoners are whooping it up and having a grand old time, the guards look deadly serious.

Probably because they’re worried that there might be a prison outbreak of laughter that would infect them.

And in the second video from CNN, Dr. Sanjay Gupta looks at Laughter Yoga and its health benefits.

After you watch the videos, make sure you let out a belly laugh or two. And if you can’t find a Laughter Yoga club in your area, here’s the website to go to find out more: http://www.laughteryoga.org

Let others know about this article by posting it on Twitter! It’s easy – just click on the “tweet it” button below.

Living Life Lightly, Living Life with Humor and Laughter

One of the best ways to feel lighter of body, mind and spirit is to infuse your life with humor and laughter.

In fact, keeping humor and laughter in your life is one of the 12 steps of living a Low Density Lifestyle, and it will bring you much happiness and joy.

There’s something special about laughter. It allows you to take yourself less seriously, and in the process causes you to lighten up.

It’s well known that laughter is good for the health. In one of the most famous and well-documented cases of how laughter can be healing, Norman Cousins, who went on to write about his case in his best-selling book, Anatomy of an Illness, healed from a terminal illness by watching funny movies.

The Greek philosopher Aristotle viewed laughter as “a bodily exercise precious to health.”

Studies have shown that laughter drops the blood pressure and is linked to healthy function of blood vessels. Laughter appears to cause the tissue that forms the inner lining of blood vessels, the endothelium, to dilate or expand in order to increase blood flow.

That makes sense, because when you laugh you can feel your body open up – this is the blood moving through the body and dilating blood vessels.

Other studies have shown that laughter can cause a drop in the blood’s concentration of the stress hormone cortisol. Because chronically elevated cortisol levels have been shown to weaken the immune system, this can help ward off disease.

And other experiments have indicated that laughter increases the activity of immune cells called natural killer cells in the saliva of healthy subjects.

Psychologists and mental health experts have also found that laughter and comedy can be a remedy for stress, depression, or just feeling down.

Laughter can also help with pain. As early as 1928, New York physician James J. Walsh noticed that laughter seemed to dampen pain after surgery. Since then, research has indicated that humor can have painkilling properties. One 1996 study demonstrated that patients who watched funny movies needed less of their mild painkillers after orthopedic surgery than did patients who viewed serious flicks or nothing at all.

In addition to suppressing pain, being funny and cheerful can cultivate friendships. Cheerful people have a lighthearted interaction style that facilitates bonding closely with others and builds social support.

And get this, single people: people with a sense of humor may get more dates. In 2006 psychologists Eric R. Bressler of Westfield State College and Sigal Balshine of McMaster University in Ontario reported that women are more likely to consider a man in a photograph a desirable relationship partner if the picture is accompanied by a funny quote attributed to the man. In fact, the women preferred the funny men despite rating them, on average, less intelligent and less trustworthy.

And other research indicates that both men and women value a “sense of humor” when choosing a partner.

According to 18th-century philosopher Immanuel Kant, laughter is one of a trio of tactics humans may use to counterbalance life’s troubles. The others are hope and sleep.

So, if you want to lighten up, if you want to live a Low Density Lifestyle, and if you want to get out of the rut of living a High Density Lifestyle, then make sure that you have laughter and humor in your life.

And so the bottom line is: don’t take yourself too seriously.

Let others know about this article by posting it on Twitter! It’s easy – just click on the “tweet it” button below.

Next Page »