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Laughter Yoga - Laughter Can Heal the Body, Mind, and Soul
"Most people think they have to feel good first in order to laugh. But you can start from nothing, you can even start feeling unhappy and just laugh as a form of exercise, and happy feelings follow." -- Jeffrey Briar, Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher
From the country that brought us Yoga and Transcendental Meditation, we now have another global phenomenon: Laughter Yoga.
In 1995 an Indian family physician, Doctor Madan Kataria, started the first Laughter Club in a park in Bombay, India to put into practice what he aptly named Hasya or Laughter Yoga ("Hasya" means laughter in Sanskrit). Dr. Kataria was conducting research on the effects of laughter on health and was amazed by the number of studies showing the profound physiological and psychological benefits of laughter.
Armed with determination and a wish to help others improve their health and feelings of wellbeing through laughter, he went to a public park near his home and convinced four other people--one of the four being his wife--to start a Laughter Club there. This action was at first considered rather bizarre by his friends and colleagues. However, little by little, more and more people joined in. Today, his friends aren't laughing at him anymore, now they're laughing with him: laughter is contagious, and Laughter Yoga has swept the globe.
Since the beginnings of Laughter Yoga in that park in Bombay, Dr. Kataria has taken Laughter Yoga to schools and orphanages, prisons, hospitals, senior homes, institutions for people with disabilities, and corporations. In addition, Laughter Clubs have sprung up around the world:
- There are currently more than 6,000 Laughter Clubs worldwide
- Laughter Clubs exist in over 50 countries, in 5 continents
- There are more than 250,000 people who participate in Laughter Clubs
Anyone can benefit from Laughter Yoga; read on to learn more about it.
(The Laughter Yoga photograph is courtesy of laughteryoga95)
(The quote by Jeffrey Briar was taken from Alternative Medicine-Live! "Laughter Yoga Trend No Joke in California" by Derrick Walker, February 17, 2008).
Table of Contents
- Laughter Yoga - Alternative Healing Technique
- The Benefits of Laughing
- Laughter Yoga 101
- What can I expect at a Laughter Yoga Session?
- Laughter Yoga in the News
- Laughter Yoga in the Print Media
- World Laughter Day 2009
- Laughter Club Sessions Around the World
- Books on the Healing Power of Laughter
- Laughter Yoga in the Workplace
- Laughter Helps Solve Problems that Require a Creative Solution
- Quotes on Laughter
- Laughter Yoga for Kids
- Laughter Yoga on Wikipedia
- Laughter Yoga on the Oprah Winfrey Show
- Laughter Yoga on "Dancing with the Stars"
- Lose Those Extra Pounds by Incorporating Laughter into Your Exercise Routine
- Influential People in Laughter Therapy
- Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams on Wikipedia
- Here's a Lens That Will Make You Smile
- Laughter Yoga Links
- Links: Health Effects of Laughter
- Try the Following Laughter Yoga Warm Up Exercises with Sebastian Gendry
- Norman Cousins on Wikipedia
- The Happiness Project
- The Best Stress Reducing Techniques
- Legal Disclaimer
Laughter Yoga - Alternative Healing Technique
Laughter Yoga is an alternative healing technique that consists of exercises designed to get people to laugh for no reason, combined with simple yoga breathing techniques. It uses a blend of playful and tension-releasing laughter exercises to improve health, reduce stress, and increase feelings of wellbeing.Laughter exercises, even if begun by faking it, almost always lead to real laughter, especially when done in a group. However, research has shown that simulated laughter creates the same physiological response in the body as spontaneous laughter. So even if you're faking it when you laugh, your body does not know the difference. Therefore, you don't need to be happy to laugh and you don't need to have a reason to laugh. Even fake laughter can help relieve stress and bolster your mood.
Dr. Kataria--the Founder of Laughter Yoga--explains that: "When you start laughing, your chemistry changes, your physiology changes, your chances to experience happiness are much greater. Laughter Yoga is nothing more than prepping the body and mind for happiness."
(The "Laughter" photograph is courtesy of TyC).
Medical Prescription
1. 20 to 30 minutes of laughter a day
2. Learn to laugh at yourself
3. Laugh even if you don't have a reason for laughing
4. Don't take life too seriously
"Mirth is God's medicine. Everybody ought to bathe in it."
The Benefits of Laughing
(The quote in the talk bubble above is by Henry Ward Beecher.)
- It oxygenates cell tissues.
- Stress may be a contributing factor in up to 90% of all illnesses. Laughter helps to relieve stress and decreases stress hormones in the body such as cortisol and epinephrine(adrenaline).
- Laughter strengthens the immune system.
- When we laugh our bodies release hormones and chemicals that have positive effects on our system. One of these chemicals is endorphins, the feel-good hormone. Because laughter increases the level of endorphins in the body, it's a natural pain killer.
- One minute of laughing burns the same number of calories as 6 to 10 minutes on a treadmill. So go ahead and laugh off those extra pounds. In addition, laughter is gentle exercise. It fills your lungs and body with oxygen, deep-clears your breathing passages and exercises your lungs.
- Laughing raises your mood; joyfulness through laughter is the fastest way to create a positive state of mind. Laughter also helps to combat depression.
- Laughing is good for the heart and improves blood circulation.
- Laughter is Anti-aging! It tones facial muscles and increases blood supply to the face, which nourishes the skin and gives it a healthy "glow".
- Internal organs are stimulated when you laugh which enhances efficiency of vital organs and improves digestion and bowel movement.
- Because laughter increases the secretion of endorphins, it can help reduce cravings for chocolate and other comfort foods.
Laughter Yoga 101
Requirements for Laughter Yoga- Laughter Yoga can be done indoors or outside.
- Some Laughter Clubs meet at the beach or in public parks, while others meet in conference rooms, classrooms, nursing homes, hospitals, etc.
- No equipment or props are required.
- There's no special clothing that you need to wear.
- Laughter Yoga can be practiced by people of all ages and fitness levels. Basically, you can practice Laughter Yoga whether you're young or old; fit or unfit; flexible or stiff.
- Laughter Clubs are led by Certified Laughter Yoga Leaders.
- Most Laughter Clubs are free, although some charge a small fee to cover costs or ask for a small donation.
- A session usually lasts from 20 to 30 minutes.
Is Laughter Yoga really "Yoga"?
Although some simple Yoga techniques are incorporated into Laughter Yoga sessions--such as deep breathing with inhalation through the nose and prolonged exhalation, as well as shoulder, neck and stretching exercises--you won't be asked to go into "Downward Dog Position" or the "Triangle Pose" during Laughter Yoga. The main reason it's called Laughter Yoga is because the word "Yoga" means union, or the integration of body with mind and soul.
How do I do Laughter Yoga?
Look for a Laughter Club in your area, find out when they meet, and go to a session. Most Laughter Clubs accept people on a walk-in basis. Below--in the next module--you will find more information on what you can expect in a Laughter Yoga session.
Can I practice Laughter Yoga alone?
Laughter Yoga is meant to be practiced in a group. When a lot of people start laughing, even if at first it's fake laughter, it almost always turns into real laughter. That being said, if there are no Laughter Clubs in your area and you would like to practice Laughter Yoga, you can do it on your own. Sebastian Gendry of the Los Angeles Laughter Club has several videos on YouTube where he shows you easy exercises you can do to get started. Scroll down this lens to find them.
(The photograph of the Laughter Yoga session above is courtesy of laughteryoga95.)
What can I expect at a Laughter Yoga Session?
Laughter Yoga is not a Joking Matter
Laughter Yoga encourages unconditional laughter: it's possible for adults to laugh like children without the use of jokes, humor, or comedy. In a Laughter Yoga session you won't find people sitting in a circle taking turns telling jokes or using humor to make each other laugh. Instead, a session of Laughter Yoga consists of a series of exercises which include yoga breathing, funny gestures, systematic giggling and guffawing, and improv-like activities.A Laughter Yoga session will probably begin with rhythmic clapping and chanting of "Ho-Ho-Ha-Ha-Ha" in unison, followed by a mixture of stretching, breathing, and silliness. Some of the exercises typical of a Laughter Yoga session are the following:
- People wandering around with their hands in the air, laughing hysterically.
- People of all ages squawking like chickens.
- Men and women rotating their hips while talking gibberish.
- Improv-style exercises such as playing on an imaginary swing set; flapping your arms and squealing like a seagull; and sitting in an imaginary rocket ship getting ready for take-off.
- At one point you walk around to different people with palms pressed together at the upper chest in the Namaste greeting or shake hands and laugh, making sure to look into other people's eyes.
- A popular exercise is "Lion Laughter": thrust out the tongue, widen the eyes, and stretch the hands out like claws while laughing.
- Another improv-style exercise is Airport Laughter: people pretend they're at the airport and are late for check-in, running around with their bags.
- There's also Regal Laughter: each person takes turns walking like a king or queen between two rows of applauding subjects.
- If the group of people has become comfortable with each other, you can come closer and hold each others' hands or hug and laugh.
All of these seemingly whacky exercises are meant to induce laughter to help participants combat stress and boost their immune system. For more ideas on laughter exercises, visit the following link: Forty Laughter Exercises.
(The photograph of the Laughter Session in Budapest, Hungary is courtesy of laughteryoga95)
Laughter Yoga in the News
It was also featured on Good Morning America.
Laughter Yoga in the Print Media
- "Health: Latest Hybrid Yoga Encourages Giggling Toward a Higher Plane", Jennifer Saranow, The Wall Street Journal, October 13, 2004
- "They laugh and teach the world to laugh with them", Karen Fritscher-Porter, The Christian Science Monitor, June 9, 2004
- "The Funny Thing About Laughter", Jeffrey Kluger, Time Magazine, January 17, 2005
- "Learning the Yoga Way of Laughter", Alex Perry, Time Magazine, January 17, 2005
World Laughter Day 2009
May 3, 2009 is World Laughter Day
Laughter is a universal language.
The celebration of World Laughter Day is a positive manifestation for world peace.
This day is intended to build up global consciousness of brotherhood and friendship through laughter.
Celebrate World Laughter Day: on May 3rd laugh unconditionally for a minute with the intent to send vibrations of peace, love and freedom into the Universe.
(World Laughter Day is May 3, 2009)
Kids laugh up to 400 times a day.
Adults laugh about 17 times a day.
Why is this?
Adults tend to laugh from the mind, using judgment and evaluating what's funny and what isn't.
Children laugh from the body; they laugh all the time while they're playing.
Poll: Measuring Laughter
Laughter Club Sessions Around the World
Books on the Healing Power of Laughter
"Laugh for No Reason" by Dr. Madan Kataria--Founder of Hasya Yoga--is the definitive book on Laughter Yoga.
Laughter Yoga is for everyone! A laughter yoga session will leave you feeling refreshed and invigorated!
"Laughing helps people think more broadly, associate more freely, and notice complex relationships."
Laughter Yoga in the Workplace
Laughter can help your performance at work; it enhances your ability to think out-of-the-box and to think with more complexity, making it easier to find solutions to problems. Daniel Goleman, best-selling author of "Emotional Intelligence", stated in The New York Times that "humor can aid problem-solving as well as contribute to creativity in the business environment." Dr. Kataria--founder of Laughter Yoga--is also very well aware of this, and he's taken Laughter Yoga to the Boardroom.Among his many other functions, Dr. Kataria is a corporate consultant to national and multinational corporations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Switzerland, Australia, India, Singapore and Dubai. Corporations that hire him have discovered the connection between laughter and productivity.
Some of the benefits of Laughter Yoga in the workplace incude the following:
- Laughter bonds people together and aids in team building.
- It improves cooperation and inter-personal relationships, enhances communication, and aids in conflict resolution.
- Laughter in the workplace increases job satisfaction and overall morale.
- It helps employees to keep a positive attitude on the job.
- It stimulates creative problem solving.
- Laughter Yoga sessions prior to brainstorming sessions makes those sessions much more productive.
- Laughing reduces stress, tension, frustration and anger among employees.
- Less stress means less sick leave.
- Laughter Yoga sessions are effective for enhancing group dynamics, especially in times of transition, heavy workloads or to help clear negative attitudes.
- Laughter improves performance and increases productivity and profitability.
Mark H. McCormick, author of "What They Don't Teach You At Harvard Business School", writes: "Laughter is the most potent, constructive force for diffusing business tension. If you can point out what is humorous or absurd about a situation or confrontation, you will be guaranteed the upper hand." The effects of Laughter Yoga are described by some companies as "revolutionary", and yet a typical program consists of inexpensive weekly sessions lasting 20 to 30 minutes.
(The photograph of the Laughter Yoga session above is courtesy of laughteryoga95).
(The photograph of "Joellen" in the Polaroid is courtesy of funfuncheese).
Start your office meetings with laughter.
Take a laughter break!
Laughter Yoga Session in an Indian Business
Laughter reduces tension, which increases productivity
laughter laughing laugh yoga session in an Indian business
laughter laughing laugh yoga session in an Indian business. Read more at http://www.laughangeles.com/
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Laughter Helps Solve Problems that Require a Creative Solution
"The intellectual benefits of a good laugh are most striking when it comes to solving a problem that demands a creative solution. One study found that people who had just watched a video of television bloopers were better at solving a puzzle long used by psychologists to test creative thinking."Daniel Goleman, "Emotional Intelligence", pg. 96
(The "Rubik" photograph is courtesy of Toni Blay).
Laughter Yoga for Kids
Use Laughter Yoga techniques throughout the day to relieve tension.
If you're sitting in traffic or feeling upset, laugh. You can laugh yourself out of stress in as little as 20 seconds.
Laughter Yoga on Wikipedia
Laughter Yoga (Hasya Yoga) is a physically oriented technique that uses a blend of playful, empowering and otherwise "tension-releasing" simple laughter exercises. With gentle yoga-breathing and -stretching exercises, rhythmic clapping and chanting of Ho Ho Ha Ha Ha in unison a simulated laughter turns into real laughter. Laughter Yoga is done as a way to improve health, increase well-being and promote peace in the world through personal transformation. It is non-religious, non-sectarian, and
non-political.
A typical Laughter Yoga session lasts about 20 to 30 minutes. The session may be adapted to suit the needs, abilities and motivations of the group participating.
The Laughter Yoga method is the brainchild of Dr. Madan Kataria, a family physician from Mumbai, India who started the first laughter club in 1995. He has been the catalyst for the creation of over 5,000 Laughter Clubs in 40 countries, mostly free and public.
Critics of laughter yoga (or unnecessary howling) point out that the stress relieving benefits are generally in response to inner stimuli rather than the physical activity of laughing itself.
The more the merrier!
Laughter Yoga on the Oprah Winfrey Show
Oprah Winfrey Show Reggie Wells: Laughter Yoga
http://www.laughangeles.com / Oprah Winfrey Show and Reggie Wells: Laughter Yoga lifted stress from my soul!
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Laughter Yoga on "Dancing with the Stars"
Dancing with the stars stress gone! Laughter Yoga
http://www.laughangeles.com / Laughter Yoga helps actor overcome stress in Dancing with the stars.
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"A good, real, unrestrained, hearty laugh is a sort of glorified internal massage, performed rapidly and automatically. It manipulates and revitalizes corners and unexplored crannies of the system that are unresponsive to most other exercise methods."
~Author unknown, from an editorial in New York Tribune, quoted in Quotations for Special Occasions by Maud van Buren
"One minute of laughter is equal to 10-minutes on the rowing machine"
Lose Those Extra Pounds by Incorporating Laughter into Your Exercise Routine
(The quote in the talk buble above is by Dr. William Fry of Stanford University.)
Laugh Your Abs Away Exercise Video
The newest way to work your abs. Wait for the ending. it's well worth it.
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Feeling sad?
Laughter boosts the production of serotonin and endorphins, both natural anti-depressants.
Influential People in Laughter Therapy
- Dr. Lee S. Berk,
Professor at Loma Linda University in California.
- Psychiatrist William F. Fry from Stanford University
- Dr. Madan Kataria, Founder of Laughter Yoga
- Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams, Founder and Director of the Gesundheit Institute
- Norman Cousins, American Journalist
Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams on Wikipedia
Hunter Campbell "Patch" Adams (born May 28 1945 in Washington, District of Columbia) is a medical doctor, social activist, citizen diplomat, professional clown, performer, and author. He founded the Gesundheit! Institute in 1972. Each year he organizes a group of volunteers from around the world to travel to Russia as clowns, to bring hope and joy to orphans, patients, and the people. In 1998 he also visited Bosnia, one of the Balkan Peninsula countries torn apart by the war that started after the break-up of Yugoslavia.
His life was the template for the plot of the film Patch Adams, starring Robin Williams. Adams is currently based in Arlington, Virginia, where he promotes a different health care model in collaboration with the institute.
The Movie "Patch Adams" with Robin Williams
Patch Adams - Collector's Edition
Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 05/17/2008)
This movie starring the brilliant Robin Williams is based on the life of Hunter "Patch" Adams.
Here's a Lens That Will Make You Smile
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Smiles and Smileys!
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This is the happy place. Everything is about smiles and smiling. Make yourself feel better. Share a smile and make someone else feel better.
Laughter Yoga Links
- Laughter Yoga - A Life Changing Experience
- Today there are more than 6000 Laughter Yoga clubs in 60 countries. It's a new revolution in mind-body medicine started by a medical doctor, Dr. Madan Kataria from Bombay, India.
- The Laguna Laughter Club Web Site
- The Laguna Beach Laughter Club has had more than three thousand participants.
- The American School Of Laughter Yoga: Discover Laughter Yoga
- The American School Of Laughter Yoga is the oldest and currently biggest provider of Laughter Yoga education in North America. The school was founded in 2004 by Sebastien Gendry, the first American to train as a Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher with Dr. Kataria. They've played a major role in helping introduce Laughter Yoga in the United States.
- World Laughter Tour, Inc. - Laughter Clubs, Healing Laughter
- We synthesize the best laughter and humor practices into multi-generational, multi-cultural health and happiness related programs; providing methods that are uplifting, simple and powerful for individuals, organizations, and communities. We teach how to prevent hardening of the atitudes, help people make better health choices, and offer the best value in training.
- Laughter Yoga New York
- Laughteryoga in New York is a series of yogic exercises undertaken voluntarily with the express purpose of inducing laughter. Laughing Yoga helps in anger & stress management. Click to get more info at Yogalaff.com.
- Laughter for Africa
- Laughter for Africa is based on the concept of Laughter Yoga, a series of simple yoga breathing and laughter exercises, designed to teach the body to laugh without depending on jokes or humour. This is a simple, yet very effective body-mind technique that is scientifically proven to counter stress and boost the immune system.
Laugh Outloud: Great Cosmic Happy Ass Gear
"Where there is laughter there is God" by Diane English
Beyond Help Magnet
There's the "Self-Help" section in the bookstore, and then there's the "Beyond Help" section.
Price: 4.99
Fake or simulated laughter has the same physiological effects as spontaneous laughter.
Charles Schaefer, psychology professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey has the following to say about fake laughter:
"Once the brain signals the body to laugh, the body doesn't care why. It's going to release endorphins; it's going to relieve stress as a natural physiological response to the physical act of laughing."
You don't have to be happy to laugh and you don't need a reason to laugh.
Changing your facial expression can lead to a change in emotions. Just smiling releases endorphins!
Links: Health Effects of Laughter
- ABC News: Laughter May Be the Best Medicine
- In hospitals, nursing homes and private clubs all around the country, "certified laughter leaders" are teaching the therapeutic value of mirth, not by telling jokes, but simply pretending to laugh, so that forced hee-hee-hees eventually become honest-to-goodness giggles.
At the Midwestern Regional Medical Center in Zion, Ill., part of the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, laughter leader Katherine Puckett has patients pretend to put ice down each other's backs. At first, the patients pretend to laugh. Then it becomes so easy that they're cracking up unself-consciously. - University of Maryland School of Medicine study shows laughter helps blood vessels function better
- Using laughter-provoking movies to gauge the effect of emotions on cardiovascular health, researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore have shown for the first time that laughter is linked to healthy function of blood vessels. Laughter appears to cause the tissue that forms the inner lining of blood vessels, the endothelium, to dilate or expand in order to increase blood flow.
When the same group of study volunteers was shown a movie that produced mental stress, their blood vessel lining developed a potentially unhealthy response called vasoconstriction, reducing blood flow. That finding confirms previous studies, which suggested there was a link between mental stress and the narrowing of blood vessels. - Laughter: Is it Healthy?
- In a nation that spent some 75 million dollars on prescription drugs in 1993, we sometimes overlook the coping mechanisms we have been endowed with. Our bodies were created to take care of themselves for the most part, and we sometimes botch things up when we try to alter our system with drugs.
In Proverbs 17:22 (1989), it says "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones." For many years scientists and lay persons have done studies, research, and performed experiments concerning the effects of laughter on one's physical and mental health. These studies have proven that when we laugh, there is an actual chemical change in our bodies that helps to ease pain and release stress.
Namaste
In Sanskrit the root Nam means bending, bowing, humbly submitting and becoming silent. The word "Namas" means "bow, or reverential salutation." "Te" means "to you." So if you simply put it all together "namaste" means "I bow to you."
To perform Namaste, we place the hands together at the heart charka, close the eyes, and bow the head.
The connotations of Namaste could be translated as "I salute the divinity within you" or "the divine in me greets the divine in you."
Try the Following Laughter Yoga Warm Up Exercises with Sebastian Gendry
Sebastian Gendry is the Director of the American School of Laughter Yoga
Norman Cousins had the following to say about laughter:
"I made the joyous discovery that ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep.
When the pain-killing effect of the laughter wore off, we would switch on the motion picture projector again and not infrequently, it would lead to another pain-free interval."
Norman Cousins on Wikipedia
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Norman Cousins (June 24, 1915 ? November 30, 1990) was a prominent political journalist, author, professor, and world peace advocate.
Visit this link to find a Laughter Club near you:
Laughter Clubs Around the World
The Laughing Yoga Man - Yogi Ramesh
A bit over the top . . .
The Happiness Project
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byWhat do you think about Laughter Yoga?
Does Laughter Yoga sound like something you'd like to try?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byLaughter Yoga sounds great! I'd love to try it.
No thanks, Laughter Yoga just sounds silly.
spirituality says:
It does sound silly - but I like the idea. Probably not for me though.
Posted April 21, 2008
Laughter Helps Remove the Negative Effects of Stress
Research estimates that as much as 90% of illness and disease is stress-related.
Illnesses to which stress may be a contributing factor include:
high blood pressure, heart disease, anxiety, depression, frequent coughs and colds, peptic ulcers, insomnia, allergies, asthma, menstrual difficulties, tension headaches, stomach upsets and even cancer