Laughter Yoga - Cheers to a hilarious 2018!

Happy 2018! Hope you had a chance to spend time with your loved ones to cherish the best of 2017 and dream big for 2018.

We've all heard the adage "Laughter is the best medicine". When I looked up this phrase, some claim it has roots in the bible where Proverbs 17:22 says ‘A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.’ The actual origin has been lost in the mist of time. However, it is as real and relevant today as it has always been.

On this journey of wellness, I decided to explore, explore and explore some more. And this led me to want to try out laughter yoga. Being Indian, I had heard about laughter yoga since it originated in India around 1995. However, I didn't think I could stand in a circle and laugh on demand…it looked corny and contrived. They say everything has its time and here I am in a different continent, decades later, trying out laughter yoga at Laughter Yoga Atlanta.

The same thoughts came rushing back. "This looks so contrived" to force oneself to laugh without something being funny. Also, should we be taught to laugh? Isn't that natural? I did a mental override on those thoughts. If I was re-learning the basics of how to maintain a correct posture, how to drink enough water, how to sleep well, then why not practice the art of laughing and laughter yoga?

No you don't need yoga mats for laughter yoga. It is called yoga because of the diaphragmatic involvement when you engage in laughter, as well as the intentional deep breathing exercises interspersed throughout the session.  The concept of laughter yoga is to make joy intentional, the key word being intentional. It is based on scientific knowledge that the body cannot differentiate between genuine laughter and just going through the motions of a fake laugh. When we get together in a group and go through the motions of laughing we make eye contact and this helps the laughter transition into genuine and contagious laughter. 

So what did I do in the meetup session? The class started with some warm up exercises like pretending to throw a make-believe ball to each other and laughing every time when doing it. I have to say I surprised myself by diving right in. There’s something to be said about anonymity that makes you not care about looking silly and hence helps you shed your inhibitions.

The one exercise that really stuck with me though, was the "credit card laughter". We had to pretend that we were looking at our credit card statements with disbelief and then laughing as we showed it to each other.  I could totally relate to that and I think I might actually laugh off my next credit card bill (and hope that my husband finds it contagious and does the same). These exercises are not just for fun though, they are called value based exercises and are purposefully crafted to condition our minds to react from a place of calm and laughter rather than stress, when these situations arise in real life.

Think about it, every time you have a great laugh with your friends or family, it makes you feel light and happy and almost always helps you see your problems in a different perspective. I always feel that if I lived next door to my girlfriends, with the riot of laughter and giggle based conversations we indulge in, I would possibly never have a "we need to talk" conversation with my husband. Sometimes it's just easier to step around life's problems rather than stress about finding solutions.In fact, research by one of my favorite nutritionists Luke Coutinho proves that one of the 4 things people with cancer have in common is chronic stress. So stress is real and there are real and practical ways to address it. And laughter therapy including laughter yoga may be a good way to combat stress. Laughter Yoga for instance,

• Provides a cardiovascular workout, and shares a number of health benefits in common with aerobic exercise
• Increases blood circulation and relaxes the muscles
• Helps combat depression, blood pressure, reduces symptoms of allergies, asthma, arthritis and helps in chronic illnesses like cancer
• Reduces physical, mental and emotional stress 
• Can change your mood within minutes by releasing certain chemicals from your brain called endorphins

So what's your take on laughter therapy? Laughter Yoga Atlanta has free monthly meetups, if you want to try out. Honestly, with tens of thousands of laughter clubs in 65 countries, you most likely will find one close to you. It could be a great team building activity, a fun thing to do with your friends and a great option if you are trying to help someone feel better physically, mentally or emotionally. So give it a shot!



Cheers to a hilarious 2018!
Ayesha@Choose WellThee

Choose WellThee is about making choices that enhance your Mental, Physical, Emotional and Spiritual wellness.