Laughter Yoga- Fake it Till You Make It!

[Guest guest]

Enjoy,

Misty L. Trepke

http://www..com

 

Laughter Yoga (fake it till you make it)

 

 

Over the past two decades, extensive research has been conducted all

over the world and it has been proved that laughter has a positive

impact on various systems of the body. Laughter helps to remove the

negative effects of STRESS, which the number one killer today. More

than 70% of the illness like high blood pressure, heart disease,

anxiety, depression, frequent coughs and colds, peptic ulcer,

insomnia, allergies, asthma, menstrual difficulties, tension

headaches, stomach upsets and even cancer has some relations to

stress. Also it has been proved beyond a shadow of doubt that

laughter helps to boost our immune system, which is the master key

for maintaining good health.

 

 

Scientists are convinced that laughter has both preventive and

therapeutic value. But these days, where is laughter? It seems that

people have forgotten to laugh. According to a study done by Dr.

Micheal Titze, a German Psychologist " in 1950's people used to laugh

18 minutes a day but today we laugh not more than 6 minutes per day

despite huge rises in the standard of living " . Children laugh up to

300-400 times in a day but when we grow as an adult it comes down to

just 15 times a day. Due to over-seriousness our sense of humor is

also getting sick. The things at which we used to laugh heartily 30

years ago no longer stimulate even the faintest smile. Today we

need very hilarious jokes to make us laugh.

 

 

Here is a breakthrough! For the first time Dr. Madan Kataria, a

Bombay (India) based physician has developed a new technique of

thought free group laughter based on yoga (Hasya Yoga). Anyone can

participate in group laughter, everyday for 15-20 minutes, without

resorting to jokes. Each laughter session starts with deep breathing

and the Ho-Ho, Ha-Ha exercise, followed by a variety of stimulated

laughter like hearty laughter, silent laughter, medium laughter,

lion laughter, swinging laughter, one meter laughter, cocktail

laughter, gradient laughter and many other kinds. Not only we laugh

but also practice ways and means of sensible living, in a group, by

removing negative emotions like anger, fear jealousy and sadness.

 

 

Normally, people believe that you need a good sense of humor to

laugh, but the reverse is also true. You try to laugh in a group for

no reason, your inhibitions are broken and sense of humor flows.

This is exactly the breakthrough we have achieved in our Laughter

Clubs. There is sufficient data available from the medical research

that even if you pretend laughing or act happiness your body

produces happy chemicals. According to a study there was a stage

actress who played sad role for about ten years and she fell sick.

She lost weight and appetite, she was depressed and had body aches.

On through investigation there was no abnormality found. Doctors

opined that she fell sick because she was acting sadness. Therefore

they advised her to do some comic roles. All her symptoms disappear

as she switched over to comedy. This clearly indicates that if

acting sadness can make you sick. Acting happiness can make you

healthy. The idea of laughter clubs is based on this philosophy of

acting happiness. In other words, FAKE IT, FAKE IT, TILL YOU MAKE IT.

 

 

The most important factor in laughter club is WILLINGNESS TO LAUGH.

Though the members of laughter clubs laugh out voluntarily but it is

with full commitment and willingness. If you are not willing to

laugh nobody in this world can make you laugh. On the other hand if

you are willing to laugh and give yourself permission to laugh

nobody can stop you from laughing. Even you don't need any reason to

laugh. Laughter in laughter clubs is self induced. Secondly, when

you laugh in a group it is very contagious. Very soon the voluntary

laugh gets converted into genuine peals of giggles. Moreover, we

have brought in many child-like playful techniques which helps

to laugh spontaneously.

 

 

Yogic laughter exercise is not the SUBSTITUTE for spontaneous

laughter which we get throughout the day. As a matter of fact it

helps to increase our capacity to laugh during the day. According to

another research study if you stretch your laugh muscles on regular

basis they will respond more spontaneously whenever there is

something amusing. Group laughter exercises help the members to

reduce their inhibitions which enable them to laugh more often.

 

 

The whole concept of group laughter exercises is based on yoga which

produces unique physiological balance in our body by connecting

body, mind and spirit. Stimulated laughter exercises have been

combined with deep breathing which is an important part of yoga.

Deep breathing helps to stimulate calming branch of our nervous

system (Parasympathetic system) by rhythmic movement of the

diaphragm and abdominal muscles. Deep breathing helps to increase

the net supply of oxygen which is the most important component of

our metabolism. According to principles of yoga laughter gives

constant massage to our digestive tract and also improves blood

supply to all the internal organs. Laughter stimulates blood

circulation which helps to transport the nutrients all over the

body. And it also strengthens our respiratory apparatus which

supplies oxygen to our body.

 

 

Human brain has left and right hemispheres. Left side of the brain is

analytical, logical, calculative and concerned with learning skills.

The capacity of the left side is LIMITED. You can't learn beyond a

certain limit. The right side of the brain is concerned with

intuition, imagination, inventions, music, art, creativity,

meditation and healing. The power of right of the brain is

UNLIMITED. One of the easiest ways to stimulate right side of the

brain is by playfulness. By being playful one can become more

creative and imaginative. It will unfold the unlimited potentials of

our beings. But the problem with most of us is, we can't be playful

all the time and with everybody. Laughter club is an ideal platform

which gives an opportunity to be playful in a group without feeling

of embarrassment.

 

 

The members of laughter clubs not only laugh but also they practice

ways and means of sensible living. Through group discussions we

identify all the negative factors which stop us from laughing. For

example: anger, fear, guilt, jealousy are some of the negative

emotions which produce negative feelings in us. In a group effort we

try to cultivate positive emotions like love, appreciations,

kindness, forgiveness and joy. The motto of laughter club member is

not only to make themselves happy but make others happy also. This

is known as SPIRIT OF LAUGHTER. The inner spirit of laughter can

be cultivated easily in a group effort. As a group the members of

laughter clubs inspired and motivate each other. We know so many

good things in life but we don't get motivation to practice them.

But if we do it in a group it happens in a much easier way.