【推荐1】Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM, has been around for thousands of years and integrates Taoism(a nature-based philosophy) with elements of Buddhism and Confucianism. Centered around the core belief is that qi is the essential energy that flows through our bodies and powers all human life.     1    

The first suggests that everything about a person is interrelated.     2     And they affect one another because of this interconnection.

The second assumes that every person is part of the natural world, and in so being, is affected by everything from the time, the place, the season, to one’s age, genetic disposition(组成), and physical condition.

The third states that, like all things in nature, we are regenerative(再生的) and have the inborn ability to heal our bodies.     3    .

The fourth is that prevention is the key to staying well.     4     Do not ignore the warning signs. In this way, you can prevent a more serious condition from developing.

    5     They include herbal medicines and diet, foot reflexology (反射论) massage, tai chi, acupuncture, and acupressure (针压法) — to name a few of the more well-known ones. These methods are used to promote the unrestricted flow of qi throughout the body, which is said to promote health. They are also used to balance the opposing forces of yin and yang, believed by Taoists to be found in all things.

【推荐2】Many people’s mood goes slightly down as the days are getting shorter. Even if you don’t suffer from SAD（Seasonal Affective Disorder）— also called winter depression-you might feel different than just a few weeks ago.

Does that sound familiar?     1     As Mirthy’s Laughter Yoga Leader, I strongly believe in the health benefits of laughter, which are indeed impressive. The most obvious gain is that it puts people in a good mood. We assess mood levels before and after the Laughter Yoga session. Many participants’ mood goes up by at least two points-and that’s without drugs or pills, just by “a little bit” of laughter.

Dr Madan Kataria who is a medical doctor and created Laughter Yoga did quite a bit of research and found that laughter is a mild antidepressant (抗抑郁) as it releases endorphins and serotonin.     2       — again hormones and natural opiates (天然鸦片) play a big role in it-and without side effects.

    3     It reduces the levels of stress hormones in our bodies. If you keep in mind that almost 90% of all ill-nesses are associated with stress and tension we hold in our body, laughter is an easy remedy, isn’t it? So there is some truth in the old saying: “Laughter is the best medicine” — well, at least it’s a start!

Some people go to the gym first thing in the morning, if that’s not your thing, just keep in mind that laughter is an aerobic exercise (有氧运动)-probably with much more fun!     4    

I could go on, but I’ll stop here. For more health benefits, check out the PubMed research database where you’ll find over 2,600 references to laughter.     5