The Armini Foundation

laughter is the Best MedicineNov. 18th, '10 @ 7:25pm

The Health Benefits of Humor and Laughter

Humor is infectious. The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people together and increases happiness and intimacy. In addition to the domino effect of joy and amusement, laughter also triggers healthy physical changes in the body. Humor and laughter strengthen your immune system, boost your energy, diminish pain, and protect you from the damaging effects of stress. Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use.

Laughter is strong medicine for mind and body

“Your sense of humor is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain that your daily mood and emotional state support good health.” ~ Paul E. McGhee, Ph.D.

Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert.

With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing your relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional health.
Laughter is good for your health

* Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
* Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
* Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
* Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

Laughter and humor help you stay emotionally healthy

Laughter makes you feel good. And the good feeling that you get when you laugh remains with you even after the laughter subsides. Humor helps you keep a positive, optimistic outlook through difficult situations, disappointments, and loss.

More than just a respite from sadness and pain, laughter gives you the courage and strength to find new sources of meaning and hope. Even in the most difficult of times, a laugh–or even simply a smile–can go a long way toward making you feel better. And laughter really is contagious—just hearing laughter primes your brain and readies you to smile and join in on the fun.
The link between laughter and mental health
The link between laughter and mental health

* Laughter dissolves distressing emotions. You can’t feel anxious, angry, or sad when you’re laughing.
* Laughter helps you relax and recharge. It reduces stress and increases energy, enabling you to stay focused and accomplish more.
* Humor shifts perspective, allowing you to see situations in a more realistic, less threatening light. A humorous perspective creates psychological distance, which can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed.

The social benefits of humor and laughter

Humor and playful communication strengthen our relationships by triggering positive feelings and fostering emotional connection. When we laugh with one another, a positive bond is created. This bond acts as a strong buffer against stress, disagreements, and disappointment.
Laughing with others is more powerful than laughing alone

Shared laughter is one of the most effective tools for keeping relationships fresh and exciting. All emotional sharing builds strong and lasting relationship bonds, but sharing laughter and play adds joy, vitality, and resilience. And humor is a powerful and effective way to heal resentments, disagreements, and hurts. Laughter unites people during difficult times.

Using humor and laughter in relationships allows you to:

* Be more spontaneous. Humor gets you out of your head and away from your troubles.
* Let go of defensiveness. Laughter helps you forget judgments, criticisms, and doubts.
* Release inhibitions. Your fear of holding back and holding on are set aside.
* Express your true feelings. Deeply felt emotions are allowed to rise to the surface.

by armini in operation smile – 0 Comments

what leads to successOct. 30th, '10 @ 6:33pm

A lot people want to know what leads to success so I decided to build this poster after watching several ted videos and getting some inspiration from my environment.

Persistence is first on the list because that is what makes success that hardest to achieve. We can all quit on a project but not many can persist.
Ideas are important because we have all been influenced differently and faced different challenges in this world. If we think about those challenges then we can all develop innovative ideas to solve those challenges.
Doing a good job is an essential part of success because there are plenty of people too happy to do a half ass job. If you do a good job and challenge the norm, you set a precedence that is extremely hard for others to imitate.
We all need a good push in life, we need to push for success but we also need someone to push and motivate us, so surround yourself with people that will push you forward (family, mentors and role models).
Serve your environment, money is a substitute of the service we provide. So if we can provide a great service to the masses then society will reward us accordingly.
Passion is what makes us forget about the pain and hardship, when a soldier is shot in a war zone, they break his finger to forget about the pain. In life when we are having a hard time the passion is what drives us forward. You need to believe in change to implement change.
Work is the four letter word most people dread, but a select few enjoy. You don’t need to be a workaholic but you do need to be a workofrolic. Find a job that makes you forget about time and enables you to focus on results.
You need to train your brain to focus on the task at hand and forget about all other distractions. The sun radiates a lot of energy but you need the magnifying glass to make the leaf burn. Your body can also generate a lot power and ideas but you need to direct it.

by armini in life – 0 Comments

reach out to someoneOct. 12th, '10 @ 7:04pm

We all take the simplest things for granted. Last Saturday I went out with my sister for a session of night time photography when we noticed this guy in the far distance. I noticed that we all look at a camera and instantly look directly at it and smile but this person did something different.
I think a lot of people take their position for granted and forget the simplest of luxuries “been confident enough with yourself to smile”.
We went down with a packet of Oreos and talked to the guy to see if he was ok, he seemed fine and we didn’t want to intrude in his private space so we made way.
We learnt a valuable lesson that night about reaching out to people and been grateful for what I have.

by armin in acts of kindness – 0 Comments

there's a story for every homelessOct. 4th, '10 @ 1:03am

For those who wonder.. yes, yes I'm running out of my holiday photo's of Laos. My holiday seems already a long time ago. Luang Prabang, does it still exist, or was it just a hazy dream I conjured in my imagination? Luang Prabang, the royal capital of the former kingdom of Laos, is a lovely quiet town. located between the two lazy rivers, the Mekong and Nam Khan river. Life flows slowly here, just like the muddy Mekong. The people are gentle and unassuming.

Our last day in Luang Prabang we were strolling down the Morning Market. A good place to go for food and entertainment. There are hundreds of temporary and semi-permanent shops, stalls, and blankets spread on the ground, where everyone buy and sell almost anything. Here the hill tribesman or woman comes face to face with the modern western traveler in a milieu strange to both of them. But nonetheless the strangeness seems to handle with a broad smile. Inside the market I caught a glimpse of this old man. Later I realize, looking at his dirty clothes, he must have been homeless.
He was just receiving a free meal from a local market restaurant. It was the first homeless we saw in Laos. I guess there are more homeless in Amsterdam than in Laos. Although Laos is a poor country, being homeless is ofcourse another story. But let's not forget a generation of War and the Politburo of the Communist Party who came to power. In 2005, the United States established Normal Trade Relations with Laos. Looking at his intriguing face I'm sure this man have quite a story to tell.

by armini in minimalism – 0 Comments