About Laughter
Laughter is generally understood as a response to humour or to ease our nerves. But there’s no need to wait for something funny to happen to reap all of the biopsychosocial benefits of a mirthful belly laugh. Unconditional laughter, in the form of Laughter Yoga or Laughercize, reframes laughter as an exercise and an easily accessible wellness tool. Through fun, creative, playful exercises and deep nourishing breaths, we can laugh for no reason and at any time.
How do we laugh when there really isn’t anything to laugh about?
It is challenging to give ourselves permission to laugh when times are tough. Yet we can be the light, the laughter, that breaks the stress, sadness, fear and builds joy, peace and confidence. Laughter work (in person and online) keeps us breathing deeply, connected and helps us improve our ability to cope and live a joyful life.
Here’s the key to remember:
Your body doesn’t differentiate between real or improvised laughter. You reap the same benefits no matter what makes you chuckle.
How’s it done?
Step 1: Reframe laughter as an exercise and wellness tool, not as a response to humour.
Step 2: Remove the judges that sit perched on your shoulders. Feel free to laugh without judgement.
Step 3: Breathe, laugh (using triggers and exercises), breathe, laugh, breathe….
Step 4: Notice how you feel!
- Increases happy hormones – endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin
- Decreases stress hormones – adrenalin, cortisol
- Improves lymphatic flow due to diaphragmatic contractions
- Boosts immune system
- Relaxes muscles and decreases pain
- Supports cardio health and blood circulation
- Enriches the blood with oxygen through deep breathing
- Alleviates chronic stress
- Facilitates connections
- Breaks down barriers to communication and emotions
- Elevates mood
- Breaks isolation
- Improves emotional intelligence and coping skills, especially when practiced over time
- Supports team building
- Enhances efficiency
Personal note: Laughter makes sense. We all know how to do it. It is our universal language. Now more than ever, it is being used to spread joy and positive energy, and to simply give ourselves a break and feel better in body and mind. The ripple effect of group laughter has the power to permeate our communities and beyond. The deeper I delve into my laughter practice, the more certain I become of this message.
Laughter Yoga is a unique, simple and fun exercise concept designed to make you laugh heartily and to your heart’s content. It is effective both in person and online. When practiced in a group setting, improvised laughter quickly turns genuine, contagious. By allowing ourselves to be less serious and play, we discover (or rediscover) our smile, our breath, and our joyful selves.
Laughter Yoga was introduced in 1995 by Dr. Madan Kataria in a park in Mumbai, India. His vision to increase health and happiness with his patients inspired him to create a laughter club. Today, this powerful health and wellness regime is practiced worldwide in schools, the corporate world, hospitals, seniors’ residences, and yoga, fitness and community centres, to name a few.
Visit www.laughteryoga.org to learn more about Laughter Yoga and Dr. Kataria’s vision.
Personal note: “When you laugh you change, and when you change, the whole world change.”
– Dr. Madan Kataria, Founder, Laughter Yoga Movement
Laughercize
This offshoot of Laughter Yoga was created by Laughologist Albert Nerenberg while working on his documentary Laughology in 2009. Highly improvisational, Laughercize focuses on trigger laughter and connecting exercises like stare-downs, laugh-offs, limbic locks and the highly physical and hilarious laughter competition.
Albert says:
“I don’t care why you’re laughing, as long as you’re laughing!”
is the place to reconnect with your laughter!
