Who doesn’t want more laughter, happiness, and joy in their life? All of us love to laugh, the harder the better.
Turns out that laughter has healing powers; it unites people in ways that trigger positive emotional and physical changes in the body.
One option to add more laughter to your life is to practice laughter yoga, a series of exercises designed to get you to laugh for no reason combined with simple yoga breathing techniques.
This is what makes laughter yoga such a great activity:
Laughter yoga:
- Strengthens your immune system as it decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies
- Helps to change your mood within just minutes while the resulting good mood will last throughout the day
- Is a gentle aerobic exercise which oxygenates your brain and body, making you feel more energetic and relaxed
- Improves your relationships due to the positive energy which helps you to connect to others easily and quickly
- Helps you to cope better with negative situations and difficult people
- Reduces pain by triggering the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals that can temporarily relieve pain
- Reduces the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular problems as it increases blood and improves the function of blood vessels
What to expect during a laughter yoga session?
A laughter yoga session generally takes 20 – 45 minutes and practiced in a group of 8 – 50 people, although private sessions are sometimes practiced with persons suffering from addiction, depression, or chronic disease.
The instructor will ask you not to speak during the session so that all participants can benefit from continuous uninterrupted laughter.
Typically, (s)he starts with a brief introduction of laughter yoga. This is followed by warm-up exercises and then the laughter yoga workout. Expect a mix of laughter exercises, breathing exercises, and sometimes rhythmic clapping.
The motto is: “FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT”; you start by laughing on purpose until you realize that you are genuinely laughing.
You may be skeptical or feel embarrassed or silly at first. But once you start laughing along with a group of others, you will soon find yourself in a laughing fit.
Every laughter yoga session is a chance to breathe, experience joy, celebrate being alive and allow our inner child out to play.
Laughter truly is the best medicine. Have a laugh for good health and good mood! HoHoHaHaHa!
