Anxiety & Stress Disorders Clinic

Menu:

signup
Don't miss a single issue of our Quarterly Newsletter!

Subscribe to our quarterly Newsletter and we'll let you know when a new issue is published on the site. Just click here to send us an e-mail.


enews


Denis
McCarthy

Fan Page
Join denismccarthy
on Facebook

facebook

View profile
on Linkedin
Linkedin

 

 


Denis McCarthy
Clinic Director

More info:

* Facebook Fans
Facebook Profile
Linkedin
• Twitter


Anxiety & Stress Disorders Clinic
Fan Page
Free to Join
on Facebook

facebook

Follow us on Twitter
Twitter

Read our Blog
Wordpress

Join free Group
on Ning
Ning

View videos
YouTube

LAUGHTER YOGA

Laughter Yoga - A Growing Worldwide Phenomenon


Laughter Yoga is the brainchild of an Indian physician, Dr. Madan Kataria. While studying the effects of laughter on the body, he discovered a way to boost the immune system, raise feel-good endorphins, and lower blood pressure while reducing stress hormones naturally.

In 1995 Dr. Kataria offered his first class to five people in a park in Mumbai, India. This worldwide movement has blossomed into six thousand laughter clubs throughout sixty countries. Laughter Yoga clubs are in session from Asia to Europe and throughout America.

Laughter Yoga Cofounder Madhuri Kataria
Laughter Yoga on Discovery Channel


Laughter Yoga Better than Humor


Natural laughter in our everyday lives isn't enough to show beneficial results. Laughter Yoga, on the other hand, is a simple system to extend laughter. To receive the scientifically proven benefits, laughter has to come from the diaphragm and last for a longer period of time than naturally produced.

In Dr. Kataria's program, gut-busting laughter combined with yogic breathing is used to produce results. The participants laugh continuously and with great gusto for fifteen minutes with short breaks of yogic breathing. Since the body apparently cannot differentiate between forced and real laughter, positive physiological and psychological benefits can be obtained by this continuous and deep-reaching laughter.


Laughter Yoga Powerful Therapy

Laughter Guru: how to be stress free!!


NEWS: Laughter Yoga Steadily Growing In Indonesia

“The impact of laughter is so profound that many practitioners claim they no longer need anti-depressants. The sustained positive emotions keep them coming back for more.” Lee said many participants had reported a significant health improvement with a reduction in the frequency of respiratory infections like common cold and flu while some even claimed of overcoming depression, relief or cure from chronic medical problems.
( Source: http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=16852. Posted On May 14, 2010 )


Uncontrollable Laughter


This contagious and increasingly common Disorder, not yet listed in DSM-IV,
occurs at all ages, from children at young as 3 months to centenarians. As can be seen in the following videos observers can usually do little to help and any interventions often make things worse. The best advise so far is to just let it run its course. Let it be!

Laughter attack in young girl.


Laughter attack in young boy.
Laugher attack in middle-aged male.
Laugher attack in older male.






25 Laughter Yoga Exercises
To Get Started

Here is a list of 25 Laughter Yoga exercises that we have compiled to help you easily get started using laughter as a form of exercise. Enjoy!

5 Classic Laughter Yoga Exercises

  1. Cell Phone Laughter: Hold an imaginary cell phone to your ear and laugh.
  2. Gradient laughter: Fake a smile; giggle, then laugh slowly and gradually increase in tempo and volume.
  3. Greeting Laughter: Greet everybody the way you normally greet (e.g. shake hands) and replace words with laughter.
  4. Hearty Laughter: spread your arms up, look up and laugh heartily as you direct your laughter to come straight from your heart.
  5. Think Of A Socially Awkward Situation And Laugh At It (e.g. shoe laces untied, shaving cream behind your ears…)

5 Laughter Yoga Exercises To Release Stress

  1. Argument Laughter: voice your discontent in laughter sounds only, or in pig-latin. You can be as passionate as you’d like and point fingers if you want, just don’t hit (or even threaten to hit) anything or anybody.
  2. Credit Card Bill Laughter: open an imaginary credit card bill (or any other letter that represents a bad news to you) and burst out laughing the second you look at what’s inside.
  3. Electric Shock Laughter: Imagine that everything and everybody you touch gives you a shock of static electricity. Jump backward and laugh each time it happens (make it happen a lot).
  4. I Don’t Know Why I Am Laughing: laugh (fake is perfectly fine) and shrug your shoulders and make a big smile as you look at yourself in a mirror or anybody else who might be there and try to convey the message with your eyes and body language “I absolutely don’t know why I am laughing”.
  5. No Money Laughter: laugh as turn your pockets inside out looking for money that isn’t there.

5 Laughter Yoga Exercises To Help You “Loosen Up”

  1. Find Your Laughter Center: Probe your head with one finger as if looking for your laughter center. Imagine that each spot you push on triggers a different laughter sound.
  2. Figure Of Eight Laughter: Laugh as you draw several imaginary figures of eight in the air with your head, shoulders, hips, knees.
  3. Hula Hoop Laughter: imagine having a hula hoop around your hips. Get the hoop in motion by moving your hips back and forth saying “aeeeeeeeeee”. Once you feel your hoop is in motion laugh as you keep swinging it.
  4. Mental Floss Laughter: Move your hands sideways on either side of your head as if you were flossing your brain (why not?) and laugh as you do so.
  5. Stage Actor Laughter Technique: imagine you are the best Shakespearean actor in the world. Make large movements in the air with your arms as you recite your lines in laughter sounds.

5 Laughter Yoga Exercises For Children

  • Baby Laughter: one person must demonstrate how a baby laughs (take turns!). Everybody else must then do the same things.
  • Favorite Animal Laughter: laugh and behave the way your favorite animal or pet would behave if it was very happy to see you.
  • Chicken Laughter: Imagine you are a chicken. First lay 3 eggs in 3 laughs, then laugh with lots of excitement in your voice as you go tell the world about it.
  • Jumping Frog: squat down, hands on the floor between your knees. Jump once saying “ha”, then a second time saying “ha ha”, a third time saying “ha ha ha”, then jump in fast succession laughing a lot.
  • Laughter Vowels: let’s learn the laughter vowels! Let’s start with “A” as in “hat”: Aaaaa ha ha ha ha ha”. Next is “E” as in “hen”: Eeeee he he he he he. Next is “I” a in “hiccup”: Iiiii hi hi hi hi hi. Next is “O” as in “Otto”: Ooooo ho ho ho ho ho. Last is “U” as in “soup”: Uuuuu hu hu hu hu hu.

5 Laughter Yoga Exercises For Seniors

  • Back Pain Laughter: lean forward and put your hand on your lower back, then laugh as if you could not stand back up.
  • Conductor Laughter: Imagine you are a conductor. Direct an imaginary orchestra with enthusiastic arm movements as you sing any song of your choice in laughter sounds only e.g. (ho ho ho) or “ha ha ha”.
  • Ear-Wiggle Laughter: slowly slide your left hand upward along the left side of your head, slowly going over your head as you say an extended “aeeee” sound, then laugh as you wiggle your right ear with your left fingers. Do the same on the other side. Repeat a few times.
  • Laughter Pill: take some laughter pills! Each pill has a unique effect and makes you laugh and jerk in a peculiar way for just a few seconds. Try another one as soon as the effects wear off.
  • Vowel Movement Laughter: have you had your vowel movement today? Laugh in the tonality of the following sounds: Eee Eee Eee Eee! Aye aye aye aye! Ah ah ah ah! Ho ho ho ho! Ooo ooo ooo ooo! Uh uh uh uh!

Help Us Share The Joy!


GO TO TOP


 
| GoToTop | Return To Previous Page | Home |
© Copyright 2009, All Rights Reserved