What is Laughter Yoga?
Is it Yoga?
Laughing Yoga?
Do we laugh whilst doing Yoga poses?
Yes and no…
Simply put, officially named Laughter Yoga (sometimes referred to as Laughing Yoga) is intentional laughter combined with deep Yogic Pranayama breathing.
The History of Laughter Yoga
Laughter Yoga was created as a well-being exercise by medical practitioner Dr Madan Kataria on 13 March 1995 after writing an article about Laughter for the Health of It in My Doctor magazine, in which he was an editor.
Guess what? There’s no need to rely on jokes, comedy, humour, friends, relatives, or alcohol to create laughter anymore.
Dr Madan Kataria solved that reliance on external sources.
Laughter Yoga exercises
We could share intentional laughter with some Laughter Yoga exercises, such as making a milkshake, answering/sharing a phone call, or an electric shock handshake. Since going online in October 2019, many exercises have used the Zoom facility—bringing things out of the Zoom cupboard, passing, and connecting the Zoom boxes. My favourite is the laughter shower.
Laughter Yoga is fully inclusive of all ages and abilities. I’ve encouraged well-being laughter with children as young as 4 and up to 103, even blind children. Standing, moving, or sitting, online or in-person, all abilities and ages are catered for.
Do I see a change in participants as a well-being Laughter Yoga Professional? What is magical about Laughter Yoga? Why should you try it?
The number of mind and body benefits is incredible and numerous (too many to write in a short article, even).
The feeling of becoming happy when you’re just not feeling it, renewing your brain energy and working that creative side, too.
The main thing I see in attendees of Laughter Yoga sessions is transformation. From the slightly awkward feeling to fully active participation within 1-3 sessions, the comfort zone is stretched. Your self-esteem and confidence grow. Increased immune health. Reduced stress and anxiety—and the benefits compound, too!
Oh, by the way, did you know that your body can’t distinguish between pretend, intentional laughter and genuine laughter? Despite this, you can still receive psychological and physiological benefits.
This is the real background behind Laughter Yoga.
The most recent profound comment came from a carer after a Laughter Yoga session. He said to me “That was great! More people should do this”.
For more information on Laughter Yoga sessions, happiness workshops
and Bollywood Laughter Yoga Dance
contact Sara Kay – email HAPPY@SERIOUSLAUGHTER.CO.UK
or call 07974 778091
