Laughter Yoga - Laughter and Wellness Book Report Spontaneous Happiness, by Andrew Weil, MD

Bob Bowe Purpose: To offer readers A New Path to Emotional Well-Being and becoming a happier and healthier individual. Andrew Weil, MD, is the founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine in Tucson, Arizona, and has published fifteen books dealing with achieving a healthy mind, body, and soul. This book assesses your emotional well-being and offers advice on improving lifestyle, emotional well-being, and physical status, and offers suggestions for improving dietary status and general daily habits needed to find lifes purpose and meaningful happiness. Dr. Andrew Weil teaches a new approach to finding Happiness by applying techniques from Buddhism, Ayurveda, psychotherapy, natural dietary practices, Yoga exercises, mindfulness training, and other practices. He helps you archive an improved state of emotional and physical well-being. The book offers a new and pleasant approach to seeking happiness and an immensely beneficial approach for those seeking a more joyful state of life and happiness by using practical guidance techniques that are natural and pleasant!

Table of Contents Part One: Theory of emotional well-being, depression and approaches to mental health
in Eastern & Western Psychology.

Part Two: Practice optimizing emotional and physical well-being by retaining and
caring for the minds and bodys functions both emotionally and health-wise.

Part Three: Putting it all together using an 8-week program for optimum emotional and
physical well-being.(CustomerCare@SpontaneousHappiness.com ). You can go to Andrew Weils web site at www.spontaneoushappiness.com to complete the 8-week program on line.

Introduction

Dr. Andrew Weil, a graduate of Harvard Medical School, is a professor of public health, clinical professor at the University of Arizona, and the director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine Clinic in Tucson, Arizona. In the 1970s Dr. Weil lived in Colombia where he was studying native uses of medical and psychoactive plants. He was working in Cubeo, an Indian village. He spent a great deal of time interviewing the Cubeos and walking with them through the rain forest studying their use of topical plants. The climate was unbelievably hot and steamy and following trips through the rain forest, he would spend many hours in a hammock under a mosquito net dreaming of his favorite ice-cold passion fruit drink or pineapple-coconut shake. On completing his studies he spent many hours driving on steep mountain dirt roads, horrifying downriver boat adventures, then a flight on a cargo plane (missing its door) to Bogota, which was a long, cold, tedious adventure. On arriving he checked into his hotel, put on some warm clean clothes and rushed down to the juice bar. Seeking to satisfy his fantasies, he found himself disappointed that his dream was not available and he was quite unhappy! He was clearly depressed and typical of many people today, basing happiness on external goals. Yes, as result he was having what many consider a bad day. For some people, its nothing more than being bummed about the bad weather or their favorite sports team losing a game. Many people suffer from a broad spectrum of negative moods and emotional states not being able to find a happy and rewarding life. There are great many books teaching and offering many ways to find happiness. This book, Spontaneous Happiness is quite different. It deals with emotional well-being and deals with the new science of integrative mental health which is Dr. Andrew Weils field of expertise and business. The book Spontaneous Happiness is intended to teach its readers techniques and habits in maintaining emotional, physical, spiritual and a health-way of developing well-being and happiness.

Body & Conclusions The primary objective is teaching people how to attain emotional wellbeing. The book teaches a process of developing awareness, knowledge, and practice techniques to develop good physical and emotional health. American Society is suffering from rampant depression and anxiety and by the year 2030 more people will be affected by depression and anxiety than any other health problem, a dooming global epidemic. Society needs a new approach to mental health noting that at least 75 percent of the benefit of the typical class of antidepressants seems to be a placebo effect as confirmed by current research. Integrating Eastern and Western practices and psychology in developing an integrated mental health approach using natural products and meditation and good physical programs to optimize our brain chemistry. Optimizing emotional wellbeing by caring for the body and retaining and caring for the mind using essential multivitamin, multimineral supplements and critical physical activity. Maintain secular spirituality effect on emotional well- being, sharing your success with others, communicate with the beauty and peace in nature, and relate to our animal companions. Appreciate art and beauty and practice sharing love, compassion, forgiveness and finally smile and laugh at lifes amazing experiences. Laughter Clubs International exists throughout the world. A formalized practice of Laughter, you will find yourself at the center of a spontaneous laughter group giggling and building friends and happiness. Darwin noted that expressing emotion is the key to feeling emotions which can be joyful or sad.

Spontaneous Happiness Eight Weeks to Optimum Health and Healthy Aging

1. Week 1: Getting Started To know where you are and where you want to go you need to assess your present state of health, review your life style and set new goals. Go to your family doctor and have a complete physical and have him evaluate your health status and what changes you need to make to achieve maximum emotional and physical health for you and seek to develop a balanced physical emotional and spiritual balance. 2. Week 2: First Things First The Blood test will evaluate your medical status and what dietary changes and supplements you may need. Review what medication you are presently taking and their status. You weight, physical conditions, emotional status and proper sleep patterns most likely will need to be improved. Dr. Weils Anti Inflammatory Diet is recommended in avoiding food with large amounts of sugar, fats and caffeine. Start taking fish oil: 2 to 4 grams daily (containing EPA & DHA). It is also recommended that you take 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily, which can improve your emotional well-being. A daily multivitamin/multimineral supplement is also highly recommended. Daily physical exercise and activity is also essential to keeping a strong body and strong emotional status along with improved sleeping habits. At least a brisk one two mile walk should be completed on a daily basis. 3. Weeks 3 and 4: Long-Term Strategies and Further Steps Managing anxiety and depression in todays high stress society and avoiding negative thinking and thinking positive loving and caring kind and happy thoughts are essential! Meditation and good sleep habits will enrich your life. Supplements such as valerian root or melatonin are safe and help one to sleep soundly. Relax and watch positive programs and assist in positive activities.

Spontaneous Happiness Eight Weeks to Optimum Health and Healthy Aging 4. Week 5: Evaluating Progress How much has your health and diet achieved in the past four weeks? Now are you sleeping better and feeling less anxious or depressed? Try the 4-7-8 breathing exercise at least twice a day. Keep meditating and get out into nature and enjoy flowers and all the living beings on this beautiful world! Do you find regular exercise helpful emotionally and do you sleep better and enjoy your friends and activities? Think positive loving and compassionate thoughts and bliss will fill your life! Take a moment to feel grateful and feel your spirit with joy! 5. Weeks 6 through 8: Gaining Momentum, Eye on the Goal and Home Stretch Keep up with the program and keep your eye on the goal and soon the goal of physical, emotional and spiritual well-being will fill your life with gratitude, peace and compassion and a desire to live every day of your existence with bliss and good health !

Bibliography, Glossary (Last Word) and Internet Resources Glossary: All terms are defined in the Lessons and for further or more detailed information go to www.spontanoushappiness.com or www.drweil.com . Bibliography Book Title: Spontaneous Happiness Author: Andrew Weil, MD Published: Little, Brown and Company, November 2011 First Paperback edition, January 2013 Printed in the United States of America Internet Site: www.drweil.com (personal site) Internet learning Site: www.spontaneoushappiness.com
Make sure to add CustomerCare@SpontaneousHappiness.com to your address book or safe sender list so these emails get to your inbox.

Dr. Weil's Spontaneous Happiness horatiobowe@yahoo.com

Laughing Yoga Karen Bernard Robert Rackham Bowe 04-19-14