Heloise van Heerden, a close friend of mine is (beside other things) a Laughter Yoga instructor. Everything about this woman is upbeat, positive and spunky. Here is her take on Laughter Yoga and its benefits.
"Many scientific studies have confirmed the positive effects of laughter on our mental, emotional and physical health. Examples of the positive effect of laughter can be found in the work of Norman Cousins (“Anatomy of an illness”) and even the popular Patch Adams, among many others.
It is also believed that the body does not know the difference between real and “fake” laughter – you still reap the benefits.
So, in 1995 a medical doctor by the name of Dr Madan Kataria, whilst doing research on laughter, found the practice that is known today as Laughter Yoga. What started as a “laughter club” with Dr Kataria and four other people in a park in Mumbai, India, has spread across the world, with many laughter clubs meeting on a regular basis.
Funny enough a session involves NO jokes or deliberate humour. You start with a good stretch and then some rhythmic clapping. This is followed with chanting, movement and guided laughter exercises. It is important that participants make eye contact with one another and smile as they do this.
Most important is to have fun and let go during a session.
Some of my favourite laugher exercises are: Namaste greeting laughter - in two’s, you greet one another in the Namaste position, remember to laugh as you do it and greet as many as possible people in the session; Lizard-walk laughter - everyone walk like lizards (it’s all in the hips ladies, remember the S-shape as you walk!) and remember to laugh as loud as possible as you move around. Tickle-soap laughter – whilst mimicking showering and soaping yourself in, the soap all of a sudden turns into “tickle soap” and you laugh uncontrollably!
Understandably many participants do not laugh naturally from the beginning of a session, but it is important that they follow my lead and fake the laughter if they have to, eventually the laughter will come naturally...
I normally end of a session with some more chanting, and finally, to ground participants I’ll take them through either a guided relaxation exercise or a laughter meditation.
There are also many other ways you can practice laughter in day to day life.
Watch a funny movie – and laugh!
Think of the funniest joke you’ve ever heard – and laugh!
Next time something happens that normally freaks you out – laugh some more! It’s always easier solving the problem while in a good state of mind.
Practice gratitude – I find this an amazing way to bring positive energy into my world and the more positive I feel the more naturally laughter flows!
(Tip: Whenever you feel off balance, write down five things you are grateful for – it works)"
