Laughter yoga is a great practice for staying in shape. Originally founded in India, laughter yoga clubs (or laughter clubs) now number in the hundreds across the country. They are usually free and open to anyone who wants to learn and practice how to laugh heartily.
What a long way since the inauguration, in 2002, of the first French laughing club, created by an Alsatian business leader… Originally founded in India, laughter yoga clubs (or laughter clubs) now number in the hundreds across the country.
Laughter Yoga (Hasya Yoga) was invented in 1995 by a Bombay GP, Madan Kataria, who realized that his cheerful 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 merry fellows who pat each other on the thighs while chaining puns.
The reality is much more serious because a laughter club is a group of individuals who practice laughter yoga, or exercises combining breathing techniques and stimulation of neurons. They generally meet on a weekly basis around an animator who, far from being a clown, teaches them the art of laughter.
If you are interested in the discipline, you can even join online groups to burst out laughing on command with specialists! Laughter Yoga video sessions are organized daily on Zoom.
It’s biological, laughter arouses 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 Laughter Yoga…
In other words, it’s good for the heart! Everyone will then understand the physiological benefits of laughter. And then laughing is also secrete endorphinthis 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 facilitators. 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, conceding however some adaptations according to socio-cultural environments.
A little laughter yoga session?
A typical session begins with a short physical warm-up followed by half an hour of breathing exercises to build muscle: this is laughter yoga. Finally we meditate, an activity that often causes general hilarity. It is well known, laughter is contagious.
The funniest thing is to say, 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 bear strange names such as the “Lion’s Laugh”, to clear the throat, or the “Laughter Duel”, a face-to-face where the weapon is laughter, have been thought of originated by Indian guru Madan Kataria.
The activity even bears the very serious name of gelotherapy (from the Greek “gelos” which means “laugh”) and is increasingly used in hospitals to de-stress patients.
The 5 Benefits of Laughter Yoga
Laughing puts you in a good mood
By quickly releasing endorphins, it allows us to spend the day in an excellent mood and to laugh more by training effect.
Laughing fights the negative effects of stress
Laughter yoga is an aerobic exercise that oxygenates our body, clears our mind and relaxes us.
Laughing is good for immunity
Laughing strengthens our immune system, relieves our pain and our chronic diseases.
Laughing strengthens social relationships
Energetic and joyful, laughter makes it easy for us to connect with others and improves our relationships.
Laugh to get through crises better
Laughing when everything is going well helps us cope better with difficult times: laughter generates a positive state of mind that allows us to keep hope in painful times.
