Laughter yoga is a great practice for keeping fit. Originally founded in India, laughter yoga clubs (or laughter clubs) now number in the hundreds on the national territory. They are generally free and open to anyone who wants to learn and practice a good laugh.
What a long way since the inauguration, in 2002, of the first French laughter club, created by an Alsatian entrepreneur… Originally founded in India, laughter yoga clubs (or laughter clubs) now number in the hundreds on the national territory.
Laughter Yoga (Hasya Yoga) was invented in 1995 by Bombay general practitioner Madan Kataria, who realized that his happy patients healed better than others. He had decided to close his medical practice to travel the world and create laughter clubs.
Laughter yoga, how does it work?
These are not friends of merry fellows who slap each other on the thighs by chaining puns.
The reality is much more serious because a laughter club is a group of individuals who practice laughter yoga, i.e. exercises that combine breathing techniques and neuronal stimulation. They generally meet on a weekly basis around an animator who, far from being a clown, teaches them the art of laughter.
If the discipline interests you, you can even join online groups to laugh out loud on command with specialists! Laughter Yoga video sessions are organized daily on Zoom.
It’s biological, laughter causes choppy breathing which itself stimulates the work of the diaphragm, which has the direct effect of promoting better blood circulation. Indeed, the one who laughs, benefits from a massive arrival of oxygen in his body. Hence the yoga of laughter …
In other words, it’s good for the heart! Everyone will then understand the physiological benefits of laughter. And then laughing is also secrete endorphin, this happiness hormone that makes us feel good and happy.
By training, we laugh more easily and without forcing ourselves, we find the original laughter explain the animators. Several thousand of these yoga groups of a particular genre are officially listed in the world, and all proceed more or less in the same way, however allowing some adaptations according to socio-cultural environments.
A little laughter yoga session?
A typical session begins with a little physical warm-up then is followed by half an hour of breathing exercises to build muscle: this is the yoga of laughter. Finally we meditate, an activity that often provokes general hilarity. It is well known, laughter is contagious.
The funny thing is, it is the case to say it, a sense of humor is not especially necessary for the expression of laughter. Anyone can participate because the goal is to laugh for no reason.
All these exercises which sometimes carry strange names like the “Laughter of the lion”, to loosen the throat, or the “Duel of laughter”, a face-to-face where the weapon is the laughter, were thought to l originated by Indian guru Madan Kataria.
The activity even bears the very serious name of gelotherapy (from the Greek “gelos” which means “laughter”) and is increasingly used in hospitals to de-stress patients.
The 5 benefits of laughter yoga
- Laughter puts you in a good mood: by quickly releasing endorphins, it allows us to spend the day in a good mood and laugh more by ripple effect.
- Laughter fights the negative effects of stress: Laughter yoga is an aerobic exercise that oxygenates our body, clears our mind and relaxes us.
- Laughing strengthens our immune system, relieves our pain and chronic illnesses.
- Laughter strengthens our social relationships: energetic and joyful, laughter allows us to easily connect with others and improves our relationships.
- Laughing when everything is going well helps us cope better with difficult times: laughing generates a positive state of mind that allows us to maintain hope in painful times.
