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3/20/2009 - by Tyler Wirth, Owner/Editor HumorInfusion.com

Laughter Yoga: What in the World Are They Laughing At?

If you haven’t heard anything about Laughter Yoga in the media, you will. Soon. Okay, like right now.

Founded in India by Dr. Mandan Kataria, Laughter Yoga is a potent concoction of laughter and yogic breathing which has profound positive effects on one’s mental and physical health.The first session in 1995 was held for just five people in a Mumbai, India park. Now there are over 6,000 Laughter Yoga clubs in 60 countries around the world…and who says laughter isn’t contagious?  

One of the most interesting aspects of Laughter Yoga is that no outside stimulation (i.e. Jim Carrey slapstick or America’s Funniest Video piñata mishaps) is needed to create the type of laughter healthy for our body, mind, and soul.Laughter is actually forced until it self-perpetuates, not unlike the starter in a car working briefly to get the engine running on its own.  Amazingly, the body can’t decipher the difference between forced and natural laughter, so the health benefits are equivalent either way.

It has long been known that laughter is extremely beneficial to our health, but only recently have studies been done which show more specific evidence. I’ll spare you the technical aspects and simply pass along some of the areas positively affected:          

• Stress Reduction  
• Can change your state of mood (i.e. help you be cheerful for a longer period of time)  
• Fortify your immune system  
• Increase circulation  
• Fantastic cardio and aerobic exercise   
• Increased supply of oxygen  
• Helps us cope with difficult situations  
• Allows us to live better in the “now” vs. so many other times in which we life.   
• Creates positive energy (HUGE in successful people)  
• Builds self-confidence   
• Improves communication  

Trust me, I could go on…but I’ll stop there.  The bottom line is that laughter is such a positive force that it should really be looked at as a basic human need.  We should be changing our train of thought from “I need a drink after work” to “I need a good laugh this evening.”  If our society could do this just one day a week, the reduction in health care costs would be staggering.  I’m not joking.

This is but a brief snippet about Laughter Yoga, and I’m sure you’ll be seeing a whole lot more in the news about it very soon.  On a side note, I bet media outlets would gather and keep many more followers if they were to start a broadcast off with something funny versus the gore we usually get.  Here’s a few links that’ll help you learn a bit more if you’re interested:

• Laughter Yoga International website
• Laughter Yoga Products (Self-learning)

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