A Joyful Yoga! This Article Introduces You to the Origin, Benefits and Practice Methods of Laughter Yoga
It is said that laughter is the best medicine in life! As stress and negativity increase in our lives, we can use laughter to moderate it. This is where laughter yoga comes in. Laughter yoga originated in India and combines gentle stretching, laughter exercises, hand clapping and deep breathing to provide a fun and effective workout for everyone’s mind and body. This article will start with the origin of laughter yoga, tell you the benefits of laughter yoga to us and how to practice laughter yoga. After reading today’s article, you can also try laughter yoga to fill your life with laughter. !
Dr. Madan Kataria, a physician from Mumbai, India, invented Laughter Yoga in 1995. This type of yoga is sometimes called Hasya Yoga. He initially promoted this yoga in a small park. From just five people, Laughter Yoga has now spread to over 100 countries. Laughter yoga simply means laughing as uncontrollably as possible. The human brain cannot differentiate between real laughter and artificial laughter. As long as you smile more, your brain will release endorphins, feel-good chemicals that can lead to relaxation and happiness.
5 Key Benefits of Laughter Yoga
- Laughter yoga can increase T cells and immunoglobulins in the body and strengthen the immune system.
- Laughter has been shown to enhance blood vessel function, which often benefits cardiovascular health.
- Laughter yoga exercises the heart in a low-impact way; ten minutes of continuous laughter is equivalent to thirty minutes of exercise on a rowing machine.
- Laughter has been found to help increase sleep duration and reduce discomfort, so practicing laughter yoga can do the same.
- Through the practice of laughter yoga, you can reduce the signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and worry while cultivating mindfulness and optimism.
How to practice laughter yoga?
Laughter yoga is a simple and easy practice that can be done anywhere and requires no equipment. Here are simple practice steps:
Laughter Yoga Exercise Steps
- Start with deep breathing: Take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth, allowing yourself to relax and release any tension.
- Warm up with gentle stretches: Stretch your arms, legs and neck to prepare your body for laughter.
- Start laughing: Start with a fake smile and soon it will turn into a real laugh. Repeated laughter, interspersed with deep breathing and clapping.
- End with relaxation: After laughing for a few minutes, end with relaxation, sitting still, meditating, such as pranayama or static stretching.
Laughter yoga is a simple and enjoyable method that can make us feel funny and have positive benefits for our physical and mental health. If you haven’t tried it before, you might as well give it a try. The effect may be better than you think, and it may even make you laugh more often! Let’s join the ranks of laughter yoga and embrace laughter!