Laughter Yoga & Laughing Meditation

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It’s true: Laughter is strong medicine. It draws people together in ways that trigger healthy physical, emotional and social changes. As children, we used to laugh hundreds of times a day, but as adults we tend to be more serious and laugh infrequently. By seeking out more opportunities to laugh, you can improve your emotional health, strengthen your relationships, find greater happiness—and even add years to your life. Laughter strengthens your immune system, boosts mood, diminishes pain, and protects you from the damaging effects of stress.

Laughter Yoga is a revolutionary idea – simple and profound. An exercise routine that is sweeping the world, spreading to over 100 countries.  Developed by a medical doctor from India, Dr. Madan Kataria, it is a complete wellbeing workout!

• You can laugh with special guided techniques:  It’s easy. Anyone can laugh for no reason without relying on humor, jokes or comedy and one can feel the benefits on the very first session!
• Real and Contagious Laughter: We initiate laughter as a body exercise in a group and with eye contact and childlike playfulness. It soon turns into real and contagious  laughter.
• Oxygenates Your Body and Brain:  Laughter Yoga is a combination of deep breathing exercises from yoga and laughter exercises, which oxygenates our body and brain, and makes us feel healthy and energetic.

Scientific Evidence of the Benefits of Laughter

The  concept of Laughter Yoga is based on the evidence that the body cannot differentiate between fake and real laughter. Clinical research demonstrated that laughter lowered the level of stress hormones (epinephrine, cortisol) in the blood by 28%, compared to a control group. One gets physiological and psychological benefits even from listening to laughter! The Mayo Clinic reports positive long term benefits from laughter which include: 

• Good Mood:  Laughter Yoga helps to change your mood within minutes by releasing certain chemicals from your brain cells called endorphins. You will remain cheerful and in a good mood throughout the day and will laugh more than you normally do.
• Healthy Exercise:  Laughter Yoga is like a cardio workout which brings more oxygen to the body and brain thereby making one feel more energetic and relaxed.
• Health Benefits:  Laughter Yoga reduces stress, strengthens the immune system and lowers inflammation. 
• Quality of Life:  Laughter is a positive energy which helps people to connect with other people quickly and improves relationships. If you laugh more, you will attract happy friends.
• Positive Attitude in Challenging Times :  Everyone can laugh when life is good, but how does one laugh when faced with challenges? Laughter helps to create a positive mental state to deal with negative situations and negative people. It gives hope and optimism to cope with difficult times.

After the Laughter Yoga session, I find it very helpful to instill a Laughing Meditation. Here we lay on our backs and allow ourselves to spontaneously laugh for 5-10 minutes, uninterrupted. Resting when we wish, and then allowing the laughter or emotions to bubbly up safely and effortlessly over and over again. Afterwards, the class rests quietly and absorbs all the benefits from our practice. A lovely Yoga Nidra or guided meditation or restful music will conclude our hour long session.