Laugh your way to fitness with Laughter Yoga
Andrew HirstKatrina Kinsella recently ran a highly successful and enjoyable laughter yoga session for HCT staff. I was curious to find out more about it.
How does laughter yoga differ from traditional yoga?
Well, there are many different types of yoga- so it is difficult to say! Most types of yoga focus on body movements, stretching, breathing and relaxation. In laughter yoga, the focus is on ….. laughter exercises. In groups, people practice laughing as if it is a kind of sport.
What benefits do people get from laughter yoga?
We do an exercise at the beginning and end of each laughter yoga session. People talk about their mood and how their body is feeling. Here are a few of the typical things I hear at the end of a laughter yoga session:
“I feel good…. I feel like I have no worries at all…. My body is tingling….. I feel like a child again….. I feel energized….. Let’s do it again!..”
When I first did laughter yoga, I loved it. I felt 100 times physically and emotionally better. The effects reminded me of my dad. He used to be a nurse – when I watched him with his patients, he would really make them laugh and they would forget their pain or their problems. Laughter is powerful stuff.
Do you need a sense of humor to benefit from laughter yoga?
No, not at all. You don’t need a sense of humour. You don’t need to know any jokes. Laughter yoga comes from the body, not the mind – think of it like an exercise to do. Our minds know the laughter isn’t real, but our bodies don’t know the difference. Faking laughing usually makes real laughter come. So the benefits of real laughter and fake laughter are the same.
Are there any dos or don’ts you would recommend for people interested in participating in further yoga sessions?
Only one: just try it. Just once. The idea of Laughter Yoga may keep some people away because it seems so strange. Once they’ve tried it, they love it! So, come and try it!
Do you plan to run any more laughter yoga sessions for either students or staff?
I have run 5 workshops with staff and students, especially around exam time and I would love to run some more. Do you know anyone who would be interested in coming?
