Laughter yoga. Your first thought is either “What in the world is that?” or it goes something along the lines of “Well, the internet has memes so why would I need it?”
IOL spoke to laughter yoga teacher Tové Kane about the exercise.
What is laughter yoga?
Laughter yoga is an exercise programme with the unique concept that anyone can laugh without relying on jokes, comedy or even a sense of humour – but it’s no laughing matter.
“Laughter yoga is no laughing matter, we have to take it seriously if we want to survive the stress of modern life. If we leave our laughter to chance, we might never find anything funny. That’s why I love laughter yoga so much, it doesn’t rely on things to be funny. Try it, breathe in, hold, then laugh ha ha. You’d be surprised at how the body can laugh when the mind thinks it’s foolish,” said Kane.
According to Kane, practitioners can be “as young as preschool and as senior as those in care homes”.
Unlike the usual exercise programmes, one does not need special clothing or a mat or any equipment.
It’s called laughter yoga because it’s a combination of deep breathing inspired by yogic breathing and playful laughter.
Okay, so how does it work and what is the science behind it?
Scientific studies reveal that the body and brain can’t differentiate between real and voluntary laughter. In fact, we can benefit even from simulated laughter.
Statistics show that as adults, we laugh less than children, who can laugh up to 300 times a day. As adults, we only laugh a few times and in short spurts of three to five seconds – if at all.
According to Kane, in order to get the scientifically proven health benefits of laughter, we need to extend our laughter from three to five seconds to 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
“In polite society, social laughter is sometimes expected to be quiet and restrained. This is not the kind of laughter that can promote the benefits of more oxygen and improved blood circulation. By producing loud, deep, belly laughter, using the diaphragm, it’s possible to get a deeper, heartier laughter that leads to the full benefits,” said Kane.
The laughter yoga ambassador added that most laughter that occurs naturally is based on certain conditions.
“Without a good enough reason to laugh, people simply won’t allow themselves to laugh. Sometimes, people feel guilty to laugh when others are going through tough times. By choosing to make laughter unconditional, we choose to laugh daily despite circumstances and not leave our laughter to chance.”
What happens during the laughter yoga experience?
The laughter yoga experience includes the four steps of laughter yoga, laughter meditation and a guided relaxation.
There are four steps in a laughter yoga session: clapping, warm-up exercises, breathing exercises and childlike playfulness.
Laughter exercises are also divided into three types, namely yogic laughter exercises, playful laughter exercises and value-based laughter exercises.
If a person suffers from anxiety or depression, can you use laughter yoga to help?
Mental health is in the spotlight and the Covid-19 pandemic has increased anxiety and depression to unprecedented levels.
“People are suffering severe degrees of trauma and help might not be available to the masses who are stuck financially and geographically. That’s where laughter yoga is the most innovative solution since it is free and available to people right now, without the need of resources,” said Kane.
Kane added that it helps to have a laughter yoga leader to guide groups through the exercises, but one can also do it if they are alone.
What are the benefits of laughter yoga?
Laughter can benefit you in all aspects of life. It lifts the mood through release of endorphins within minutes. This enables individuals to handle daily stress in a more manageable way, thus lowering stress and boosting the immune system.
In a professional space, the laughter will help promote more oxygen to the body and brain, stimulating focus, motivation and energy.
Your relationships could also see improvements. You could create and maintain caring, sharing relationships.
There are numerous benefits to laughter yoga on a professional level.
The improved relationships can lead to better teamwork, increased productivity and enhanced communication.
“Especially following the Covid-19 pandemic, seniors have suffered isolation and loneliness worse than ever before. Laughter yoga can restore their sense of connection with each other, their carers and with their own sense of inner joy. In a world so heavily dependent on materialism and chasing happiness, laughter yoga enables seniors to enjoy the simple joy of laughter for no reason,” said Kane.
“Dementia and Alzheimer’s are common ailments for the elderly and these two illnesses commonly prevent people from getting jokes or finding anything funny. When they realise they can laugh without jokes and enjoy feeling better, it is a great relief. This leads to improved physical health, as laughter yoga has been seen to help with blood pressure, diabetes, asthma and other ageing diseases,” Kane added.
How often do people go to laughter yoga sessions?
People go once a week or once a month to in-person laughter yoga clubs. Some clubs also offer daily laughter yoga sessions.
With the shift that happened during the various Covid-19 lockdowns, laughter yoga entered the online space.
Why should we give laughter yoga a go?
Kane said it is important to volunteer our laughter as an intentional practice as laughter allows us to let go.
“It’s the mind that causes us to feel so anxious. The body is happy to laugh and enjoys the experience.
“We can’t concentrate on negative thinking and laugh at the same time. Although laughter isn’t a solution in itself, by decreasing our focus on the problems of life, by slowing our resistance, we can take a moment to laugh and then reset with a more optimistic outlook, better able to creatively participate in solutions.”
Kane spoke about how she used laughter yoga during hardship.
“In my own life, I grief-laughed through the death of my mother. I anxiety-laughed through being furloughed and then retrenched. I anger-laughed at the frustration of living with a chronic illness. I show up every day and laugh, knowing that I can release difficult feelings that would otherwise cause me more stress and ultimately poison my body. I’ve boosted my immunity through laughter, I’ve been able to sleep better and my pain levels are decreasing every day.”
IOL