Laughter Yoga on  Indian Rocks Beach

What is Laughter Yoga?

Taken at face value, Laughter Yoga (LY) is a leading-edge cardio vascular exercise form that, although it can be performed alone, is ideally suited to group practice.  The LY format consists of sustained, hearty laughter, also referred to as inner jogging, improvisation techniques, mild stretching, clapping, chanting, positive messaging, deep diaphragmatic breathing plus breathing-based and/or laughter meditation.

Fortunately science now has the laboratory equipment needed to validate the familiar saying, “Laughter is good medicine”.  In short, science has proven that sustained, hearty laughter in the body:

• reduces stress

• relieves depression and anxiety

• strengthens the immune system

• increases brain-produced endorphins - our body's natural pain relievers for pain reduction

• improves respiration, digestion, elimination, dilates blood vessels

• improves circulation

• promotes better sleep and increases focus and creativity

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Are there any other benefits to Laughter Yoga?

The new discipline of Positive Psychology adds significantly to the body of knowledge about the profound psychological benefits we also get from our willingness to add more laughter in our daily lives.  Based on the experience of Laughter Yoga teachers, leaders and participants all around the world, our shared joyful experience supports the findings of Positive Psychologists.  While the physical benefits of our body-based laughter occur with each and every session of Laughter Yoga, we find that with continued LY practice, we begin reaping the benefits from our strengthened ability to laugh anywhere. In our everyday lives, we quite naturally find ourselves smiling, laughing, and enjoying life more.  As an exercise form, we are, in this case, regularly strengthening and conditioning our facial smile muscles, our laughter core muscles while also increasing our lungs’ capacity to exhale thoroughly and inhale deeply.  As we continue exercising our ability to laugh, we notice we are also seeing things from a lighter, less serious and stressful, perspective. And this supports what Positive Psychologists have to say about the profound impact our ability to laugh has upon us.  With our fitness for laughter, we also become better equipped to maintain balance during times of illness, hardship and/or loss.

Thus, the continued group practice of Laughter Yoga forms a kind of moving meditation, an energy medicine that playfully helps shift our consciousness and frees our deep wellspring of unconditional love and abiding joy.  Therefore, in addition to the scientifically validated, physical benefits of our sustained, hearty laughter, the practice of Laughter Yoga, while not religious, political, dogmatic or exclusive in any way, forms a complete package for wellness.  And yet having said all this, because Laughter Yoga is so simple in its form and so much fun for everyone to do - young & old, able-bodied & disabled alike - a stand-alone LY session also provides a perfect icebreaker for special events and/or an effective team-building tool for business.  As the saying goes, “a little is better than none”, and with Laughter Yoga, “the more the merrier!”

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