{"id":166608,"date":"2020-07-27T05:00:44","date_gmt":"2020-07-27T04:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/laughter-yoga\/"},"modified":"2025-09-23T12:13:43","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T11:13:43","slug":"laughter-yoga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/en-ie\/laughter-yoga\/","title":{"rendered":"Laughter Yoga: Why It\u2019s Seriously Good For You"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When was the last time you laughed really hard? Not a chuckle or a giggle, but a deep, belly-jiggling guffaw. Today? Yesterday? Can\u2019t remember? That\u2019s alright if you can\u2019t recall. But I bet you still remember how good it felt! Laughter has so many benefits that it\u2019s truly mind-boggling why most of us don\u2019t laugh more often. Today, I\u2019ll introduce you to laughter yoga \u2013 a branch of yoga that\u2019s probably unlike anything you\u2019ve seen or heard before!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Laughter Yoga?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Laughter yoga is not the kind of yoga most of us are familiar with. You know, the ones where people work on different yoga poses and meditate to achieve inner peace and relaxation. Rather, this kind of yoga is, shall I say, more fun?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you see a group of people rolling around in laughter and cackling and guffawing like there\u2019s no tomorrow, then chances are it\u2019s a laughter yoga session. Laughter yoga is a fast-growing global phenomenon that\u2019s bringing joy and positivity into many people\u2019s lives. It combines the power of yoga breathing exercises (called pranayama) with laughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s perfect for anyone who\u2019s looking to have fun whilst getting a subtle workout. Diaphragmatic laughter exercises your abdominal area, your torso, and your facial muscles. Sustained, genuine laughter increases your heart rate and helps you burn calories in the process (1). <\/p>\n\n\n

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How Did Laughter Yoga Start?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Contrary to its worldwide popularity today, laughter yoga actually had humble beginnings. Its founder, Dr. Madan Kataria, wanted to test the theory that laughter is indeed the best medicine. So, he decided to form a laughter club in 1995. Sounds fun, right? I mean who wouldn\u2019t want to join such a club? But only 5 people attended the first session in a Mumbai park, with Dr. Kataria and his wife among the attendees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first, jokes and humor were the medium for getting people to laugh. But eventually, the jokes ran out. Dr. Kataria had to think of a sustainable way to get people to laugh without resorting to comedy. Knowing that the mind can\u2019t tell the difference between fake and real laughter, he soon came up with several exercises to get people laughing. And laughter yoga – as we know it today – was born!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To date, there are more than 20,000 yoga laughter clubs in more than 100 countries. If you don\u2019t have one in your area, the official Laughter Yoga University website<\/a> offers an online Skype laughter club. Feel free to join and laugh along in the comfort of your own home!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are The Benefits Of Laughter Yoga?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Aside from making you laugh, there are other tangible benefits to laughter yoga. Here are some of them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It improves your mood immediately<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Watching funny videos on YouTube or a nice comedy on Netflix can uplift your mood. But laughter yoga is on another level. You\u2019re going to be laughing for several minutes at a time. Sessions last anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. Sustained laughter will definitely help boost your mood and make you feel good for the rest of the day! This is all thanks to endorphins<\/strong> or the so-called \u2018happy hormone\u2019 that are released when we laugh heartily.<\/p>\n\n\n

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It helps ease your pain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Everyone can do laughter yoga \u2013 alone or with a group. Laughter is free and everyone can use a good laugh from time to time. This is especially true for a group of volunteer community care workers in South Africa. Laughter therapy helped them overcome emotional exhaustion and secondary trauma. They were able to develop a more positive mindset and take better control of their emotions (2).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The more you practice laughter yoga, the easier it will be for you to start seeing the world in a positive light. You\u2019ll learn to loosen up and laugh at yourself and your problems instead of drowning in them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s great for your muscles, heart, and lungs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Laughter yoga also has wonderful physical effects on your body. When you laugh, your muscles contract. Prolonged belly laughter helps tone your belly muscles. It\u2019s like a mini-workout without actually doing any physical exercise, aside from laughing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Wagner et al., laughter yoga is a demanding exercise for trunk muscles. When laughing heartily, you may find yourself clutching your abdomen and your sides. This isn\u2019t surprising according to the study. Apparently, laughter yoga is comparable to doing crunches and back lifting exercises (3).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It decreases stress levels<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are plenty of stressors around us. Whether it\u2019s personal or job-related, no one\u2019s exempt from stress. While short-term stress can be good, chronic stress is the exact opposite. A good bout of spontaneous or fake laughter (remember, your brain can\u2019t tell the difference) can reduce your cortisol levels and help you feel less stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It helps lower blood pressure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Medication for high blood pressure is available, but did you know laughter therapy or laughter yoga can also help lower blood pressure? In a study done on 20 hypertensive patients, laughter yoga proved to be very helpful for them. A daily laughter yoga session contributed to a significant reduction in the patients\u2019 blood pressure (4)!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Improve immunity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Laughter yoga helps you breathe in more fresh oxygen and expel stale air in your lungs. You\u2019ve also got more endorphins and less cortisol circulating in your body. It\u2019s therefore not surprising that laughter can also help boost your immunity. According to Dr. Lee Berk<\/a>, an expert on laughter and how it affects the body, laughter leads to an increase in \u201ckiller cell\u201d activity which is a sign of a healthy immune system.<\/p>\n\n\n

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How Does Laughter Yoga Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now that you know the amazing benefits of laughter yoga, here\u2019s how it works:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start by warming up<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Laughter yoga is just like any other type of yoga \u2013 you also need to warm up. Start by clapping rhythmically. To stimulate pressure points, clap finger to finger and palm to palm. Then do some breathing exercises, such as breathing from the nose and exhaling from the mouth. Your instructor will also encourage playful, childlike exercises to help you relax and loosen your inhibitions. Then you\u2019ll proceed to the fun part \u2013 various laughter exercises!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make a commitment to laugh<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s hard to laugh when there\u2019s nothing funny going on. But in laughter yoga, you\u2019ll need to fake it until you make it. It\u2019s especially hard when you\u2019re new to a group and everyone\u2019s a stranger. But I promise, once you start fake laughing and seeing others laugh along with you, your fake laughter will soon turn real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laughter yoga combines laughter with yogic breathing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Yogic breathing or pranayama is essential to laughter yoga. Remember, one of the goals of laughter yoga is to get as much air as possible into the lungs while expelling all the residue air inside. Several exercises are designed to help you achieve full inhalation and full exhalation, so you\u2019ll be able to do yogic breathing with no problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Encourage childlike playfulness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Children laugh so much more than us adults, don\u2019t they? They can laugh spontaneously at the slightest provocation. Oftentimes, they don\u2019t even need a reason to laugh. They laugh because they want to. During laughter yoga, you\u2019ll be encouraged to rediscover your inner child so you can laugh more freely and more openly!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn to live in the moment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This type of yoga is so powerful because it forces you to focus on the present. It literally drives away all the negativity that surrounds you. If you\u2019re feeling sad or depressed, laugh it all away! Laughter yoga allows you to connect and build new relationships with people. Best of all, it allows you to see the world in a different light. You learn to laugh at yourself and deal with problems in a more positive way.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"even<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Should You Try Laughter Yoga?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Oh yes, absolutely! No matter how old you are or what you\u2019re going through right now, you can benefit from lots of laughter. Laughing is free and there are practically no side effects, so make it a regular part of your day. You don\u2019t need yoga clothes or any special tools to participate. Just bring yourself, have an open mind, and laugh your problems away!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Laughter yoga goes just beyond laughing and having fun. It can have real, tangible effects in your life. It can boost your mood, melt your stress away, and even help improve your immunity<\/strong><\/a>. Laughter may not cure everything, but it sure is the best free medicine everyone can afford!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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References:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(1) Buchowski, M S et al. \u201cEnergy expenditure of genuine laughter.\u201d International journal of obesity (2005) vol. 31,1 (2007): 131-7. doi:10.1038\/sj.ijo.0803353<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(2) Hatzipapas, Irene et al. \u201cLaughter therapy as an intervention to promote psychological well-being of volunteer community care workers working with HIV-affected families.\u201d SAHARA J : Journal of Social Aspects of HIV\/AIDS Research Alliance vol. 14,1 (2017): 202-212. doi:10.1080\/17290376.2017.1402696<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(3) Wagner, Heiko et al. \u201cLaughing: a demanding exercise for trunk muscles.\u201d Journal of motor behavior vol. 46,1 (2014): 33-7. doi:10.1080\/00222895.2013.844091<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(4) K, Angeline. (2018). Laughter Yoga for Patients with Hypertension, India. Open Access Journal of Cardiology. 2. 10.23880\/OAJC-16000120.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When was the last time you laughed really hard? Not a chuckle or a giggle, but a deep, belly-jiggling guffaw. Today? Yesterday? Can\u2019t remember? That\u2019s alright if you can\u2019t recall. But I bet you still remember how good it felt! Laughter has so many benefits that it\u2019s truly mind-boggling why most of us don\u2019t laugh…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":151335,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1855],"tags":[1771,1834,1777,1716],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-166608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wellbeing","tag-brain-health","tag-depression","tag-heart-health","tag-immunity"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":1855,"label":"Wellbeing"}],"post_tag":[{"value":1771,"label":"Brain 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