Work Out Your Funny Bone With Laughter Yoga
What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul.
~Yiddish Proverb
A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book
~Irish Proverb
Did you know that laughter decreases stress hormones, boosts the immune system, and releases endorphins that make you feel good?
Did you know that these endorphins will release into your body whether you are genuinely laughing hysterically or faking the laughter? The brain doesn’t distinguish genuine laughter from fake laughter. If we keep laughing, whether we want to or not, we’ll be feeling good, soon! Try it!
Laughter Yoga is a fun form of exercise that everyone can participate in. Through the process, you will become relaxed, strengthen your immune system, unwind, release stress and negativity and leave a session feeling fully energized.
To participate in Laughter Yoga, you can come as you are. You will not need to have any special skill or strength level and you can laugh in your bare feet or in a tux and tails. The only experience you need is knowing how to laugh.
With Laughter Yoga, you will laugh for a reason – or no reason at all.
Laughter Yoga originated in 1995. It was invented by Dr. Kataria, based on the premise that laughter really is the best medicine. He started the idea by gathering several friends together and telling jokes. Long before the jokes no longer seemed funny they realized that laughter is not only contagious, but hysterical as well. So the laughter continued, independent of the jokes and since its onset it is responsible for helping thousands of people across the globe realize a better life.
Everyone knows or can easily prove that smiles and laughter make them feel better. There is no mystery to that. Dr. Kataria decided that since you can’t bottle laughter, making it easily accessible for everyone was the next best thing. So he did. Laughter Yoga integrates the basic breathing principals of yoga, with fundamental exercises using laughter.
If you have any doubts about the whether or not this works, find one of the many YouTube videos available that show laughter sessions in motion. It is guaranteed that within a few minutes you will have one of those smiles on your face that aches in your cheeks and if you give yourself permission, you will find yourself laughing uncontrollably from the deepest part of your belly.
Laughter Yoga is described as an exercise in well-being. The mission of Laughter Yoga is simply to bring good health to all. Laughter Yoga is non-religious, non-political and non-profit organization. Through his own light, Dr. Madan Kataria has created a beautiful, fun vehicle of well-being that practices laughter with yogic breathing. His intention of bringing good health, well-being and happiness to all is being fulfilled as laughter yoga is catching on all over the world.
The premise is simple. Laughter naturally lowers stress hormones. Research performed in India and the United States ultimately concurs that as stress hormones like epinephrine and cortisol are lowered in the blood stream a positive attitude is developed. As people go about daily life with a positive attitude they are less likely to suffer annoying and recurrent infections or feel depressed. Quite possibly the positive attitude of laughter yoga participants is responsible for rubbing off on the many people they come in contact with during a day.
Many participants have reported that laughter yoga sessions have improved their overall health. Why not, laughter really is good medicine and what is amazing is that someone did not think of this before Dr. Kataria. A laughter session consists of yoga techniques that encourage laughter for 15-20 minute intervals with short breaks of yogic breathing. It produces chains of hearty laughter that are often unattainable in real world humorous situations.
Laughter yoga is available all across the world. As more and more like-minded people meet and decide that the fate of their health and well-being really is up to them, more laughter clubs are being created each day. The universal beliefs of these clubs are centered on unconditional love, laughter and fellowship.
There really is no venue in our existence that can’t be helped with a little laughter. Schools, prison, hospitals, the business world, cancer patients, physically and mentally challenged people and many more groups have been using laughter yoga to strengthen and improve the overall health and performance of the people in them. One of the beautiful elements of laughter is that no matter where in the world you go, you can understand what laughter means regardless of language. It remains unchanged across the gamut of human existence. For this reason it is possible to share laughter and to share laughter yoga with participants from widely varied backgrounds. Your laugh in China means exactly the same thing as it does in your hometown.
The understanding of your laugh also translates into any language. Laughter really is a gift. It can effortlessly become a part of the universal wisdom in our search for well-being. The more we laugh, the more we smile, and the more others around us do the same. The premise is as simple as spreading your light with a method that is easy to share with the world.
Seven days without laughter makes one weak.
~Mort Walker
JOIN A LAUGHTER YOGA CLUB TODAY!
