Laughter Yoga
“Laughter is the best medicine.”
Laughter is an essential aspect of our true nature… a natural element of Life.
LAUGHTER is the universal language. It is the medicine we humans need in our world… its free, its innate, and it doesn’t discriminate!
Benefits of Laughter Yoga:
Did you know that… Laughter Yoga has been shown to elevate mood, diminish pain, regulate our nervous system, improve sleep, and activate our immune system? It can decrease stress hormones, increase immune cells and infection fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
Laughter Yoga (LY) increases blood flow and oxygenation of the cells and organs. It moves the lymphatic system, supports digestion, elimination, and detoxification overall. Laughing provides a natural workout for a number of muscle groups and massages all the internal organs and tissues in the body. Supports aerobic health, circulation, blood pressure, and hormonal health.
Laughter Yoga significantly aides in stress relief and mental and emotional health. It triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being. Studies also show that laughter can help us release emotions and generate more elevated emotions and states, such as compassion, joy, forgiveness, and freedom of being. Keeps us grounded and alert. It can also help reprogram our subconscious mind… It helps to create new neuro-pathways in the brain. LY activates the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS), the calming or “rest and digest” part of the Autonomic Nervous System. It teaches us how to shift out of the Sympathetic Nervous System, or Flight/Fight Response, and reengages the Vagus Nerve of the PNS.
Laughter Yoga can also help us move through inhibitions and feeling self-conscious in a safe, and healthy way.
Laughter is the Great Alchemist, it can foster an opportunity to transform negativity to positivity.
… and the benefits continue!
What is Laughter Yoga?
Laughter Yoga (LY) is something we can all easily do and enjoy.
It is a unique concept where anyone can laugh for no reason. We can laugh without relying on humor, jokes, or comedy. This is one of the most important aspects of LY because there are so many “conditions” out there, and we often put conditions on ourselves and our well-being. This is an opportunity to learn to be unconditional, and not be as dependent on outside circumstances to affect how we feel. We can reclaim our freedom of being so that we can create life rather than react to it. We can CHOOSE to laugh. It’s so liberating and empowering!
Laughter Yoga is different because we initiate laughter as a physical exercise. We can do it in a group or on our own, and it really gives us permission to bring out our childlike playfulness, which is so healing and enlivening. And so often it becomes real and contagious laughter!
The reason why we call it “Laughter Yoga” is because it combines laughter exercises with deep breathing, sound, and movement. This brings more oxygen to the body and the brain, which helps us feel healthier and more energetic.
The fascinating thing is that scientific studies show that the body cannot differentiate between real laughter and voluntary laughter if done with willingness. We get the same health benefits, whether laughter is real or simulated.
How did LY get started?
A medical doctor named Madan Kataria from India was inspired to explore the many healing benefits of laughter. He began in 1995 with only 5 people in a Mumbai park. Now, there are 1000’s of social Laughter Clubs in more than 100 countries.
Why do we want to do LY?
Many people ask why they would need to make themselves laugh, when they can just watch a funny movie or comedy. The answer is that there is an important distinction here. There are 3 reasons in order to be able to receive the maximum health benefits of laughter.
1. LAUGHTER SHOULD BE SUSTAINED: Any laughter or upliftment is helpful. Yet, in order to receive the scientifically proven health benefits of laughter, we need to laugh for at least 10-15 minutes. Natural laughter hardly lasts for 4-5 seconds at a time, it is not sufficient to bring about significant physiological and psychological changes in the body. Since LY is done as an exercise, we can prolong our laughter as much as we want.
2. LAUGHTER SHOULD BE DEEP: To reap the health benefits of laughter, we want it to be hearty and deep, coming from the diaphragm. It should be a belly laugh. Laughter is basically an extended exhale, which in themselves, longer exhales are proven to activate our parasympathetic response, the rest and digest portion of our nervous system. We relax deeply on an extended exhale. Also, we detoxify at least 75% of toxins through our breath.
3. LAUGHTER SHOULD BE UNCONDITIONAL: In life, we don’t necessarily know when a natural laugh will come through, and we don’t want it to be dependent on any outside reasons or conditions. Because unfortunately, given the state of the world, there aren’t a lot of reasons out there to make us laugh. This makes it all the more important to take our power back, and commit to our well-being and joy regardless of circumstances. We can’t leave that to chance. Laughter is far to essential to our health, and why taking the time to give yourself this gift of laughter is so important.
Laughter Yoga is a powerful, healing, and uplifting experience… Come and enjoy the special gift of your own laughter medicine!