What is Laughter Yoga (or Hasya Yoga)?
Laughter Yoga was initially developed and created in 1995 by a medical practitioner (Dr M. Kataria). This was in relation to his research into the benefits of laughter. Since then, laughter yoga has spread like wildfire and is now practiced in 70+ countries.
A typical class includes: clapping & chanting, laughter exercises, stretching interspersed with yogic breathing exercises and laughter meditation. One of the meditation exercises includes around 10 minutes of uncontrolled, uninhibited laughter - this can be a very powerful experience, proving mood altering and even life altering for some.
Sessions can be held with persons of all ages, from young children through to more senior groups. Individuals with early onset dementia / cognitive impairment, or persons with various disabilities, learning difficulties or sensory impairments are able to enjoy and benefit from laughter yoga. Laughter is a universal language, we are all emotive and experiential beings; with each of us being able to laugh and experience joy.
Laughter Yoga is beneficial to both our minds and our bodies. Laughter has scientifically been shown to increase the endorphins in our body giving us the 'feel good factor'. Laughter reduces stress hormones (cortisol) and increases our heart rate and blood supply to our bodies.
Laughter Yoga is so-called as it incorporates child like behaviour and laughter exercises with deep yogic breathing (pranayama) which provides our bodies with the much needed oxygen and helps us in getting rid of toxins.
We generally engage in 'shallow breathing' where around 75% of residual stale air is left in the body. By engaging in laughter yoga we use 'pranayama breathing' (yogic breathing) whereby we exhale for a longer period than we exhale. This is not something that we need to focus on whilst completing the session as extended laughter aids this process. By engaging in 'deep breathing' (pranayama) we flush out toxins and replenish our body's with fresh air. Fresh oxygen is essential for human life and to prevent illness.
The body cannot tell the difference between real / genuine or fake laughter... therefore we still get the same benefits whether the laughter is real or not. Fake laughter will generally lead to real laughter for most people as being surrounded by the sound of laughter and smiling faces proves itself to be contagious.
To take part in Laughter Yoga is to allow joy into our life!
We are all born joyful, however as adults we seem to need a reason to laugh - something to laugh at whether this be in good humour, or at someone's expense. We often hold back laughter for fear of otherwise being inappropriate and are conditioned to laugh only in certain situations from later childhood years - these traits are ever more overpowering by adulthood.
By completing Laughter Yoga we once again give ourselves permission to laugh for no reason and just to feel joyful.
Regular Laughter Yoga creates new neuro-pathways in our brain which mean that we find it easier to laugh in general and to enjoy life in abundance.
Laughter Yoga is generally practised in groups where laughter is easily brought about by eye contact, child like playfulness and laughter exercises.
Laughter Yoga can also be completed on a one-to-one basis or even alone where you have been given guidance as to how this should be done.
If you have any other questions about Laughter Yoga or wish to discuss any requirements that you may have, please get in touch.