LAUGHTER YOGA
5 Points about What Is Laughter Yoga
- Laughter yoga is a unique concept where anyone can laugh for no reason without relying on humor, jokes or comedy.
- We initiate laughter as an exercise in a group but with eye to eye contact and childlike playfulness, it soon turns into real and contagious laughter.
- The reason we call it laughter yoga is because it combines laughter exercise with yoga breathing. This brings more oxygen to the body and the brain which makes one feel more energetic and healthy.
- The concept of the laughter yoga is based on the scientific fact that the body cannot differentiate between the fake and real laughter if done with willingness. One gets the same physiological and psychological benefits.
- It was started by a medical Doctor Dr Madan Kataria from India with just five people in a Mumbai park in 1995.today there are thousands of laughter clubs in more than 72 countries.
In addition to social laughter clubs, laughter yoga is also practiced in companies and corporations, fitness center, yoga studios, centers for seniors, schools, colleges, universities, physically and mentally challenged and self-help cancer groups.
Why Laughter Yoga- 3 Reasons
- In order to get the scientifically proven health benefits of laughter, we need to laugh continuously for at least for 10 to 15 mins. Since in laughter yoga we do laughter as an exercise, we can prolong our laughter as long as we want. On the other hand natural laughter comes for just a few seconds here and there and is not enough to bring about physiological and biochemical changes in our body.
- To reap the health benefits of laughter, laughter has to be loud and deep coming from the diaphragm. It should be a belly laugh. It might not be socially acceptable to laugh loudly, but the laughter yoga clubs provide a safe environment where one can laugh loudly and heartily without ant social implication.
- Natural laughter that courses through our life depends upon many reasons and conditions,
- But there are not many reasons which make us laugh. That means we are leaving laughter to chance.
- It may happen or it may not.
- In contrast, in laughter yoga clubs we are not leaving laughter to chance, but doing it out of commitment. This is guaranteed way of getting the health benefits of laughter.
5 Benefits of Laughter Yoga
- Elevates Mood Laughter Yoga can change your mood within mins by releasing endorphins from your brain cells. This makes you feel good and if you are in a good mood you do everything well. It makes you cheerful all.
- Health Benefits Laughter yoga reduces stress and strengthens the immune system. If your immune system is strong you will not fall sick easily and if you have chronic health conditions, it will help to heal faster.
- Business Benefits Our brain needs 25% more oxygen for optimal functioning. Laughter exercise can increase net supply of oxygen to our body and brain which helps to improve efficiency and performance. You will feel energetic and can work more than you normally do without getting tired.
- Social Connector Quality of life depends upon quality of our friends and our relationships. Laughter is a great connector of people and brings lot of good friend with caring and sharing relationship.
- Laughing through Challenges Anyone can laugh when times are good, but Laughter yoga teaches people to laugh unconditionally so that they can laugh even when times are hard. It provides strength in adversity, a coping mechanism to help people keep a positive mental attitude regardless of circumstances.