What Does Laughter Yoga Do?

One of the aims of laughter yoga is to make you laugh for no reason. 

In most cases, people laugh due to extrinsic causes such as jokes, comic movies, and television shows, etc. In other words, our bodies laugh in response to our minds being stimulated by something that we find funny. 

Laughter yoga takes a body-mind approach; it enables our bodies to attract and perform laughter despite what the mind says. So you laugh even if it means forcing a fake laugh, which eventually turns into genuine and unforced bouts of giggles.

Laughing acts as physical exercise due to the up and down movements at the chest and core areas. You stimulate the laughter by engaging in child-like activities, chanting, or clapping. 

So what does laughing yoga do exactly? Let’s dig a little deeper.

The benefits of laughing yoga

A simple smile or laugh positively impacts our bodies and others. You can communicate with people around you by laughing, leaving everyone feeling great. Laughter yoga has grown so much, especially since the pandemic and here are its advantages.

It’s a suitable internal workout

Aside from helping you relax and live stress-free, laughing yoga exercises many of your body’s muscles. Hearty laughter makes your core muscles move as your diaphragm moves up and down. Maybe you’ve even felt a slight pain in your abdomen after prolonged laughter. This is due to the muscle movements made in the process. Moving your shoulders when laughing also gives them a good workout, and the overall feeling is quite relaxing.

Allows physical release

You feel less stressed and calm when you release your emotions, especially the negative ones. As an individual, you have episodes where things are overwhelming, and the more you hold in everything, the harder it becomes. Crying is a standard solution, but laughing can produce the same body feeling. You achieve physical release when you laugh, accompanied by joy and relaxation.

Enables the release of hormones

Laughter yoga triggers the release of feel-good hormones in your body and reduces the production of others. Dopamine and serotonin elevate your moods and give you a sense of motivation in the things you do. During these joyful, laughing episodes, your body lessens the production of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. You seem cheery and stress-free after a laughing yoga session. 

Laughter yoga distracts the mind

It’s evident that kids laugh more than adults. As an adult, you are bound by everyday life, which can sometimes be stressful. You may find it challenging to find joy in various things since your mind is full of different thoughts. Laughing yoga is a distraction during and after the session, allowing you to redirect your mind from worrying or negative feelings. 

Helps build connections

As mentioned earlier, laughter itself is a form of communication. Smiling is contagious; once you smile at someone, they smile back. Laughter is no different, and it forms a bond between people. As a joyful person, you attract more people into your life or space, thus making your social connections better. Individuals love people who can laugh freely, have good vibes and have high spirits, and that’s precisely what laughter yoga does. 

Enhances positivity

Laughing yoga is fun and enjoyable. Laughing makes you approach matters lightly, even when they seem challenging. Humour alters several things within and outside your body, like reducing stress levels. It makes you a light-hearted individual and helps you handle situations in a much calmer way.

Conclusion

Laughter yoga does so much within and around us. Once you participate in laughing yoga, you approach life or situations from a softer and more positive angle. Laughter develops your social connections since you appear happier and calm and also greatly distracts negativity and life stressors. Lastly, laughing yoga exercises your core muscles, the shoulders and internal organs like the lungs, giving you a relaxed feeling.

I hope to laugh with you soon. Find me on LinkedIn.

Pete