Tags
happiness, inspiration, Laughter Yoga, peace, philosophy, psychology, yoga
In our busy and stressful lives today, many of us have forgotten how to laugh and have fun. We can become consumed by the many things we have to do and we can end up taking ourselves and our lives too seriously. We all have worries, concerns and stresses however if we allow these things to control our lives we can potentially result in being unhappy and lack a sense of joy and peace within.
As you know I have been travelling India for the last few months and I have just recently completed a Laughter Yoga Teacher training. Initially I was a little sceptical of the benefits of this intriguing and funny yoga practice however having completed the training, I am convinced of its many benefits.
Laughter Yoga is essentially a practice where anyone can laugh for no reason without using humor, jokes or comedy. Laughter is practiced in a group with eye contact and childlike playfulness as well as combining laughter exercises with yoga breathing. The concept of Laughter Yoga is based on scientific evidence that the body cannot differentiate between fake and real laughter, if done with willingness.
A lot of the Laughter Yoga training I experienced involved many funny and creative ways to laugh. At times I felt resistance to practicing some of these ridiculous exercises however when I fully embraced them and just went with them, I felt a deep sense of joy and peace within. A lot of the training involved dancing, singing, playing, laughing and yoga exercises. It felt great to have the opportunity to engage with the childlike and playful part of myself with others.
Here a few ways that Laughter Yoga could benefit your life;
1. Improves Your Mood
Laughter can change your mood within minutes as it releases feel good hormones into your brain.
2. Benefits Your Health
Laughter Yoga has been proven to reduce stress and strengthen peoples’ immune systems.
3. Gives You Strength in Adversity
Anyone can laugh when times are good however Laughter Yoga teaches people to laugh unconditionally so that they can laugh even when times are hard. It helps you to maintain a positive mental attitude regardless of your circumstances.
4. Enhances Your Creativity
The playfulness of Laughter Yoga frees right brain thinking, the basis of all creativity. When we are creative we can think of new ideas and solutions about our current situation.
5. Improves Your Social Connection and Communication Skills
Laughter Yoga is a great connector of people and builds team spirit.
You could bring more laughter into your life by;
1. Joining A Laughter Club
There are thousands of Laughter Clubs that you can attend on a weekly or a daily basis in over 70 countries in the world. It is much easier to laugh with others rather than by yourself.
2. Look for ways to be silly
This could involve dressing up, singing or creating a funny song or just doing a silly dance 🙂
3. Ask yourself
What is keeping me from laughing freely in my life? What is holding me back from truly being happy?
4. Reframe your situation
If you are not happy in the situation you are currently in, maybe look at ways that you could change your view of it and just laugh about it. It may not change it, but it will make you feel better about it.
5. Don’t take yourself too seriously.
I heard a quote recently which said;
“Don’t take yourself too seriously because nobody else does”.
I think this is very true 🙂
As always I would love to hear any feedback, comments or words of wisdom you may have.
Namaste.
TW
lruthnum said:
I love this – remember watching a programme about this years ago and ever since I have done my best to laugh about something every day whether it is funny or not! It just relaxes you and really does make you feel so much better – no matter how terrible your day is. Similarly – I make it my business to smile as much as possible. It doesn’t matter how annoyed I am, I try to smile at everyone because you never know the power of that smile. It could be the thing that stops someone from feeling alone enough to commit suicide or hurt themselves. Always look at the bigger picture and keep things in perspective – it is so easy to get stuck inside our heads.
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The Truth Warrior said:
It’s so true what you have said. Thanks so much for sharing your great words. Namaste. TW
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mgert123 said:
Always great stuff. Thanks for posting this!
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The Truth Warrior said:
You are very welcome 🙂 Namaste. TW
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the dune mouse (CybeleMoon) said:
what a concept!!
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The Truth Warrior said:
Thanks 🙂 Namaste. TW
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mayor5 said:
Kinda of fun moments.
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The Truth Warrior said:
Yes 🙂 Namaste. TW
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pepaulmier said:
Interesting concept, will try this more often. Thanks
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The Truth Warrior said:
You are welcome 🙂 Namaste. TW
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Sally's Healthy Living said:
Love it. I used to keep a joke file. Life is bleak without humor.
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The Truth Warrior said:
I agree totally 🙂 Namaste. TW
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Michele said:
Reblogged this on Words of Compassion, Creativity, & Knowledge and commented:
Laughter yoga! How interesting.
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The Truth Warrior said:
Thanks for the reblog:) Namaste. TW
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mybodymytime said:
Great post
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The Truth Warrior said:
Thanks 🙂 Namaste. TW
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ghostbusterbev said:
Have you played “chuckle belly”? It’s a great way to loosen people up and have fun. Each person lies on the floor with their head on the belly of the person next to them. The first person starts to laugh and pretty soon everyone is laughing! Kids love to play this game as much as adults!
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The Truth Warrior said:
I have never played it. Sounds very cool. I will definately try it out… Thanks for sharing. Namaste. TW
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Ashley said:
This is great! I’ve tried laughter meditation before getting out of bed and I had the best day, a day of lightness and amusement. I think everyday should be like that.
Thank you for sharing, I’m following you now.
-Ashley
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The Truth Warrior said:
Thanks for the follow and I am glad you liked it 🙂 Namaste. TW
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AntonioWestley said:
Yeah i validate this claim i mean it is essential to maintaining ones structure as a whole
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The Truth Warrior said:
Yes. So true 🙂 thanks for sharing. Namaste. TW
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K.McGady said:
I just became a yoga teacher, and I am DEFINITELY going to become certified as a Laugh Yoga leader! I love to laugh, and want to share this!!!!!
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The Truth Warrior said:
Yes I would totally recommend this. You can check out http://www.laughteryoga.org if you would like to find out more. Namaste. TW
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jgroeber said:
We brought laughter yoga to a very serious high school back when I was teaching. It was totally awkward… and then absolutely wonderful. Even the dowagers and naysayers were laughing.
And I have to say, while being a mother to four young children is mostly exhausting, it’s also laughter yoga every day.
Love this post! (And thanks for the follow.)
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The Truth Warrior said:
Your story is very inspiring. Thanks so much for sharing. Namaste. TW
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K.McGady said:
When my kids were young, I taught them that if they were frustrated, they could scream as loud as they could into pillows. I don’t know if that was laughter yoga, per se, but it worked! Huge screams turned into ridiculous miniscule parodies, and they would DISSOLVE into laughter! It was a wonderful way to deflect negative emotions!
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The Truth Warrior said:
That sounds great 🙂 It is very much like laughter yoga!! Thanks for sharing. Namaste. TW
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ramakrishnan6002 said:
Reblogged this on Gr8fullsoul.
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The Truth Warrior said:
Thanks. Namaste. TW
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quirkybooks said:
This is an absolutely awesome post, I marked it to read a while ago and wanted to make sure I shared it on my http://www.facebook.com/beatredundancyblues page. It reminds me of when I saw Antony Robbins in London. He said to smile, the act of moving your mouth into a smile shape will make you feel happy and it’s hard to feel depressed if you feel happy.
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The Truth Warrior said:
Thanks so much 🙂 I am glad that you enjoyed it! It’s so true what Anthony Robbins said. Namaste. TW
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quirkybooks said:
Absolutely. I have a new Facebook page and your post was the first post I shared in it http://www.facebook.com/BlogtrainerUK This page is for all bloggers who want to share great posts.(Rules apply)
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quirkybooks said:
And I can’t spell Anthony Robbins – Ha! Ha!
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The Truth Warrior said:
Ha ha 🙂
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quirkybooks said:
Just to let you know, I have a fantastic opportunity for bloggers. I have a new FB page http://www.facebook.com/BlogtrainerUK page. You can share as many posts as you like, providing you like the page and follow the rules. Yours was the first post I shared on there.
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The Truth Warrior said:
Thanks so much for that:) TW
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quirkybooks said:
It’s a pleasure. Please feel free to share more great content. Thanks for the FB Like, I appreciate it.
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The Truth Warrior said:
You are very welcome 🙂 TW
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jacksjottings said:
I like this post, I can understand you being sceptical. Some comedy is stupid and can also put-down people,use them as the fall guy.
TV comedy that has caned laughter to me is off putting.
Still some times Pauline and I just break down in laughter for something that is not funny at all and on reflection or recall it just has no effect.
Just a one off crazy thing that leaves us feeling good.
A man I admired for his composure said to me when I was loosing cool “Never loose your sense of humour, Jack.’ He have a very positive mental attitude.
It is wonderful to travel following up your Yoga in the country of its origin.
I am looking forward to hearing more of your experiences. _/\_
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The Truth Warrior said:
Great to hear you again Jack!! Laughter really is the best medicine 🙂 Namaste. TW
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connectdd said:
No wonder it feels do good when I’ve had a good laugh with my friends or family! It does feel like a natural drug at times. 🙂
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The Truth Warrior said:
So true laughter really is the best medicine 🙂 Namaste. TW
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