Laughter Yoga: Exercises and Benefits
Laughing is good for the body and spirit. Just like Yoga. What if Yoga and Laughter could be practiced at the same time?
You got it right: among the many styles of Yoga in vogue at the moment, there is a very special one, the so-called Laughter Yoga. If you are curious to find out what it is, what its history is, what are the benefits it entails and what kind of exercises it offers, do not waste time and read on! Meanwhile, remember that before practicing any physical activity it is always good to start with some stretching, like this one here:
What is Laughter Yoga?
Laughter Yoga starts from the premise that laughing is very good, helps to overcome stress and improve our health. This type of Yoga uses specific techniques to be able to create a self-induced laugh which then, by dint of exercising, will become completely spontaneous.
Laughter Yoga should be practiced in a group, because laughing in company is always easier and more engaging than doing it alone!
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How was Laughter Yoga born?
Laughter Yoga was invented by Madan Kataria, an Indian doctor who, in 1995, deepened his studies on the miraculous power of laughter.Since laughing is good for you, why not learn how to do it with precise techniques?
Madan Kataria began to organize groups in which to practice laughter in various ways, but the experiment was not successful. At least until she developed a series of exercises aimed at self-provoking laughter which, after being induced voluntarily, ends up becoming delusional. all spontaneous, bringing real benefits. Thus he founded the first "laughter club", which would be followed by about six thousand around the world!
What does Yoga enter, you may be wondering? The exercises designed by Madan Kataria are very similar to those of this discipline, because they are based on a conscious approach to breathing.
Laughter Yoga: Benefits
The benefits of Laughter Yoga are many, seeing is believing! The important thing, of course, is to practice it consistently.
First of all, it reduces stress: laughter lowers the level of cortisol, the stress hormone, definitely improving mood! As stress decreases, the sleep-wake rhythm also improves, so it is really beneficial for those suffering from insomnia.
Again: Laughter Yoga improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system, regulating blood pressure and improving oxygenation of the blood and brain. It then strengthens the immune system, releasing enkephalins.
Like any yogic discipline, it helps improve breathing and raise the pain tolerance level.
Laughter Yoga is finally a cure-all from a psychological point of view: it helps to overcome anxiety, depression, panic attacks or anger attacks, decreases fears and increases self-esteem.
Laughter Yoga exercises
Are you wondering what kind of exercises are included in Laughter Yoga? Soon said. Each lesson lasts about half an hour and is divided into three parts.
In the first part we proceed with a warm-up based on Yoga techniques. There are also specific exercises to prepare the body for laughter, such as the "Gibberish speech" (in which the participants begin to speak to each other with meaningless words, but with a precise rhythm) and the rhythmic clapping of the hands, which serves to stimulate the energy centers.
The second part is where you start laughing seriously! There are many techniques used to develop self-induced laughter: generally you try to laugh for about thirty seconds, and then follow breathing and stretching exercises similar to Yoga.
The last part is the so-called "laughter meditation", which allows you to release the spontaneous laughter that is in us and relax. After this meditative practice, everyone shouts liberating phrases followed by a "yes!"
And to continue with some traditional Yoga, here are some positions:
