BELARÔME
 

What Is It?

Laughter Yoga (Hasyayoga) is a form of yoga employing self-triggered laughter. Laughter Yoga combines unconditional laughter with yogic breathing (Pranayama). The "laughter" is physical in nature,  because anyone can laugh for no reason, without relying on humor, jokes or comedy. Laughter is simulated as a body exercise in a group; with eye contact and childlike playfulness, it soon turns into real and contagious laughter. The concept of Laughter Yoga is based on the scientific observation that the body cannot differentiate between fake and real laughter. 

 

In Laughter Yoga, there are no yoga positions that you have to twist yourself into.  We sit (on the floor, in a chair, in a wheel chair), we stand, and we move around at will.  The only thing you need to bring with you is your smile!  The laughter will take care of the rest!

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At BelArôme, Laughter Yoga is about connecting from the heart, connecting to yourself and to others from a place of pure love and joy. That's why we love to do it here, and we know that you will too.

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For How Long Have People Been Practicing It?

 

The brainchild of Dr. Madan Kataria, a physician from Mumbai, India, the first Laughter Club was launched at a park on March 13, 1995, with merely a handful of persons. Today, it has become a worldwide phenomenon with more than 6000 social Laughter Clubs in about 60 countries.

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What Can I Expect In a Joyful Hearts Laughercize Laughter Yoga Session With You?

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The first session usually lasts between 60 and ninety minutes hours.

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Here is an outline of what typically happens during a Joyful Hearts Laughercize Laughter Yoga workshop:

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Introduction

You will be given an introduction into laughter yoga. This will include information about what laughter yoga is and the benefits of laughter and deep breathing exercises for holistic health and wellbeing. You will receive key information to help you to achieve the benefits of laughter during the session, as well as some tools that you can use in your daily life for enhanced health and happiness.

 

Warm-Up Exercises

You will be guided through some warm-up exercises to prepare the body for laughter.

 

Laughter Workout

The laughter yoga workout will alternate between laughter exercises, rhythmic clapping and deep breathing exercises.

 

Laughter Exercises

Laughter exercises are often playful and many incorporate acting techniques to act out a scenario. They are designed to simulate laughter, but with eye contact, group dynamics and the contagious nature of laughter, real, hearty laughter begins to flow from the body.

 

Rhythmic Clapping

In laughter yoga, we clap with the hands parallel for full palm-to-palm, finger-to-finger contact. This stimulates the acupressure points in the hands and energizes us.

 

The chant HO, HO, HA, HA, HA is added to the clapping pattern. These sounds stimulate the movement of the diaphragm, a key muscle involved in laughing and in yoga breathing. When movement is also added, positive energy builds and joyful feelings emerge.

 

Deep Breathing Exercises

Deep breathing exercises bring relaxation to the mind and body. One key feature of yoga breathing is that exhalation is longer than inhalation, in order to activate the calming branch of the autonomic nervous system, known as the parasympathetic nervous system. One of the easiest, and certainly the most fun way to exhale for longer, is to laugh.

 

Laughter Meditation

Most laughter yoga sessions of 45 minutes and longer will involve a laughter meditation. A laughter meditation is more about spontaneous laughter and a deeper level of laughter is often experienced, during this stage. This is a powerful opportunity to release a whole range of repressed emotions from the body and can bring about a healthy, emotional catharsis.

 

Grounding Exercise

Energy can reach high levels during laughter yoga, so the workshop will involve a grounding exercise, such as a guided relaxation, to ground the energy of laughter and stabilize the body systems. This is where the real benefits of laughter yoga can be felt. People commonly report that they feel relaxed, yet energized and positive at the end of a laughter yoga workshop.

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What Are The Benefits of It?

 

Physical Benefits

 

Laughter Relaxes the Whole Body

A good, hearty laugh leaves your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after. 

 

Laughter Assists Breathing

It especially exercises the diaphragm, the body's muscle that controls our breathing; for those of us who have trouble breathing, whether from stress, chronic illness, lack of exercise, or even sitting all day in a chair or in a wheelchair, laughter helps us breathe fully and supplies oxygen to all the cells of our body.

 

I have had much fabulous success in bringing Laughter Yoga to nursing homes, where my sister was living.  We made a wheel chair Laughter Circle, and we were having so much fun and breathing so deeply that even ambulatory residents walked over to join us, people who had lived in the home for many years but never before connected to the Wheelies, as they called themselves. And the connections remained long after I left.

 

Laughter Boosts the Immune System

It decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.

 

Laughter Triggers the Release of Endorphins

The body’s natural feel-good chemicals, endorphins, promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.

 

Laughter Protects the Heart 

Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

 

Mental Benefits of Laughter

 

Research has shown that intentionally producing smiles and laughter moves brain activity towards spontaneous happiness. And the link between improved mental and health and laughing doesn’t end there.

 

Laughter Dissolves Distressing Emotions

You can’t feel anxious, angry, or sad when you’re laughing.

 

Laughter Improves Your Ability to Relax and Recharge

Laughing reduces stress and increases energy, enabling you to stay focused and accomplish more during your day.

 

Humor Shifts Perspective

Allowing you to see situations in a more realistic and less threatening light. A humorous perspective can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed.

 

Social Benefits of Laughter

 

Improve your relationships and your health through the healing power of laughter. 

I told you about how Laughter Yoga groups can thrive even in long-term care homes.  But I didn't tell you that even the nursing care staff joined our circles when they saw how much fun we were having.  Both the residents and the staff began to look at each other with more compassion and connection, and new, authentic relationships blossomed.  What a benefit it was to everyone in the whole place!

 

Be More Spontaneous

Humor gets you out of your head and away from your troublesome thoughts.

 

Let Go of Defensiveness

Laughter helps you forget judgments, criticisms, and doubts.

 

Release Inhibitions

Your fears and self-conscious tendencies are set aside as you cease constantly holding back.

 

Express Your True Feelings

Deeply felt emotions are allowed to rise to the surface and be expressed naturally.

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Joyful Hearts Laughercize Laughter Yoga offers tailored laughter yoga workshops throughout Canada & the United States. Contact us to discuss how we can tailor a workshop for your group, organization, business, or summit.

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