Laughter Yoga

It really is a Laughing Matter

Back in 2019, I attended a program at the DeKalb Public Library. It was about laughter yoga. Many times I have thought that I want to be a laughter yoga teacher. Life happens, Covid happened, and I didn't pursue it . . . until now.

November 3rd I attended my first class toward earning my certification to teach Laughter Yoga. It was fun and filled with laughter. The next morning, I attended a Zoom Laughter Yoga Club and then went and taught Tai Chi. I told my class about Laughter Yoga and just that little experience lightened the mood and brightened the day. Everyone seemed to be having more fun. When the group practiced their form facing what has been labeled the nemesis wall (It seems when we face that way, we get discombobulated), it went well without heading in the wrong direction once. We said our goodbyes and I headed upstairs to do a little workout. It was magical. I did my thing, but I saw so many people that I know and we all chatted and shared and laughed.

This all happened with just one class and one session of laughter yoga.

As part of our class assignment, we are supposed to complete a 40 day laughter challenge. We are supposed to laugh for a least 5 minutes a day and record ourselves laughing for one minute to share with our group. After the first day, we were asked to ask others to laugh with us.

This is my first video.

I’m amazed at how much it helps. The thing about laughter yoga is that you are voluntarily laughing, not waiting for some external source to make you laugh. It sounds weird, but when you laugh voluntarily even when you are faking it, your brain doesn’t know the difference. (There’s research to back it up.) Laughter is laughter to the brain and Laughter produces endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin. No pills, no addictive scrolling is required to increase your happiness chemicals. Additionally, you actually get more benefits from laughing voluntarily because you control the duration. The more you laugh, the better you feel.

Laughter yoga is not about comedy, jokes or humor. Laughter Yoga is an exercise program. Sustained laughter over 10 - 15 minutes become aerobic and raises your heart rate, the yogic breathing techniques incorporated into the sessions help you increase your lung capacity. Laughing is breathing out. You expel carbon dioxide and make room for more oxygen to get into your body as you breathe in. Participating in a laughter yoga group gets us making eye contact, and we let go and reconnect with our childlike playfulness. In a group setting, you don’t have to worry about what anyone might be thinking about your laugh because you are all there for the same reason.

Here’s my practice video of the Three Reasons We Need to Do Laughter Yoga It’s 2 minutes.

My sister had a little skin tag removed. She get very nervous in these types of situations and struggles to breathe properly. She also doesn’t want me in the room. When they brought me in to hear the instructions of aftercare, she was pretty shaky. We were alone so I got her to take a couple of slow long breaths. Then we did a very simple Laughter Yoga exercise. It was simply to put our hands up facing each other and say Ha Ha while pushing our hands forward to the beat. Then we said, Ho Ho and our palms faced the ground like we were beating a drum. And back to Ha Ha and then Ho Ho. We did this several times and by expelling excess air and focusing on the hand movements, she began to calm down. (A little magic trick you can use when someone you love is in need of expending pent up nervous energy.)

Making videos for class and for practice is rarely a 1 take deal. Here’s a one minute blooper of me trying to make a video session of laughter yoga. It’s a good thing I can laugh about it.

I‘m excited to share that I’m now a certified Laughter Yoga teacher. I will be offering a Pop-up Laughter Yoga Session at Kishwaukee Health and Wellness on Friday, November 29th at 3:00 pm. If you are around, I’d love for you to join me. Ha Ha Ho Ho, we we laugh together. If you aren’t a member come a little early and we can get you a free visit to check out the center.

Peace, Love and Laughter!