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I think laughing yoga would be the kind that I just might stick with. As I wrote in my post “9 Ways Humor Heals,” laughter does lead to better health. “Mindfulness and Psychotherapy” blogger Elisha Goldstein introduces his readers to laughing yoga. He writes:
Dr. Madan Kataria tells us that it doesn’t make a difference whether you force laughter or it comes naturally, eventually it becomes contagious and it just flows. He is the founder of, hold onto your seat, Laughing Yoga. This form of yoga combines laughter exercises with yoga breathing, moving and stretching, which releases much needed endorphins and brings more oxygen and energy into the body. Just like in mindfulness work, we practice just being present for its own sake, in laughing yoga, we just laugh for the sake of laughing and you can’t help but be present to it.
Sound ridiculous? If it does, we can just notice our initial judgments, let them be and come back to reading more. This started in 1995 and there are now over 6000 laughter clubs around the world in 60 countries. It’s been featured on CNN and the Oprah Winfrey Show. According to Dr. Lee Burk at Loma Linda University, laughter can decrease stress hormones, improve immune system and boost endorphins. Dr. Michael Miller from the University of Maryland suggests that laughter can improve circulatory and cardiovascular health. This can be supportive when struggling with stress, anxiety, or depression. Apparently it’s been used with Iraqi war veterans, Policemen in Taiwan, and those struggling with cancer.
I encourage you to read his entire post, by clicking here.
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Therese J. Borchard writes the daily blog, Beyond Blue, on Beliefnet and is a regular contributor to the award-winning blog, World of Psychology, on Psych Central. Therese is the author of Beyond Blue: Surviving Depression & Anxiety and Making the Most of Bad Genes and The Pocket Therapist: An Emotional Survival Kit. Subscribe to Beyond Blue, visit her website, or follow her on Twitter @thereseborchard.
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Therese J. Borchard writes the daily blog, Beyond Blue, on Beliefnet and is a regular contributor to the award-winning blog, World of Psychology, on Psych Central. Therese is the author of Beyond Blue: Surviving Depression & Anxiety and Making the Most of Bad Genes and The Pocket Therapist: An Emotional Survival Kit. Subscribe to Beyond Blue, visit her website, or follow her on Twitter @thereseborchard.
posted February 8, 2010 at 5:35 am
Laughter yoga is one of the best exercise. Laughter yoga is a physical practice that combines breathing and stretching with laughter exercises to increase oxygenation, strengthen the resistant system and gives happiness. This is very easy and useful technique to reduce stress.
posted December 12, 2010 at 3:15 am
I’ve participated in plenty of yoga/meditation classes, and also have participated in classes that involved laughter therapy. Both are fantastic for relieving stress and for elevating one’s mood – but I’d never considered combining the two!!! Imagine if they started teaching this to kids at school as part of their physical / mental education. The world would sure be a happier place!