Have you seen a group of people laughing without any reason in the parks early in the morning?
You may have called them insane, but hold on. These are healthy individuals performing exercise just like you. Well, their way of exercising is different, called laughter yoga.
What Is Laughter Yoga?
Laughter yoga is a unique mind-body exercise where yoga breathing techniques are combined with laughter to promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It originated first with Dr. Madan Kataria, a medical doctor from India, in 1995, who found out that voluntary laughter when practiced in groups boosts happiness and joy. Long-term studies reveal that it is not only a stress reliever; it also boosts our immune system and enhances heart and respiratory function.
Now let’s find out how a forced voluntary practice improves our well-being.
1. Boosts Immune Function:
Is it possible to survive a war if you lose your weapons?
No, or next to impossible.
So how can we survive with a weakened immune system? A system that protects our body from harmful microbes and fights with them in case of their invasion.
Have you ever wondered why weakened immune systems are common in new generations?
Let’s have a look at our routines. Our elder’s morning starts at 5 a.m. with a morning walk or a little bit of exercise. Then we came, whose sleep time starts at midnight around 3 a.m. and later on the whole day is messed up because of it. Lack of exercise routine and junk food eating habits all lead to a weak immune system.
Read More: Why Is It Essential to Exercise Regularly?
So for those who think that laughter yoga is only for older people, no. It boosts the immune system by making antibodies (protein structures that fight with microbes) in our body. A study shows that laughter increases the concentration of immunoglobin. An antibody in our body, a fighter, specializes in respiratory infections.
2. Reduces Stress Hormones:
Tell me the difference between a smile and laughter.
A genuine, pure laugh will leave you in a cheerful and happy state for a longer period of time. You feel like something heavy lifted off your shoulders and feels light like a feather.
Well, there is a science behind it too; it’s not delusional. When we laugh, our bodies release endorphins like dopamine and serotonin, which are feel-good hormones. They are responsible for our delightful and stress-free condition. This theory is also proven by the research where nurses life satisfaction increases and stress levels decrease with yoga
In today’s world, where stress is becoming common, laughter yoga is a therapy for it. A chronic stress condition leads to depression, anxiety, and many heart-related problems.
So is it not easy that we laugh for 30 minutes rather than have medicines for a lifetime?
But remember, medical supervision is mandatory for chronic illnesses. Laughter yoga will speed up the healing process or act as a preventive measure.
Read More: 10 Ways to Reduce Your Stress Level: Achieve the Impossible
3. Improves Cardiovascular Health:
Globally, it is stated that 1 in 13 people are living with heart disease. A constant fear of losing life and leaving your loved ones behind is prevalent in cardiac patients. Also, cardiac diseases terribly affect the quality of life.
But you can prevent it. When a person practices laughter yoga, “internal jogging” takes place within it. A rhythmic contraction and relaxation of the heart occur, which leads to improved blood circulation, lower blood pressure, and a reduced risk of heart disease.
A study published in the Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology found that laughter yoga participants experienced significant reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure after just four weeks of practice.
4. Enhances Respiratory Function:
An era of industry where our lives are filled with breath-taking technologies that provide a comfortable life. But every fortune pairs it with misery. Where advancement leads us to a more defined lifestyle, it also increases pollution around the globe. More pollution means an increased risk of respiratory disorders.
How has laughter yoga played its role in this era of advancement or pollution?
Never forget that the yoga deep breathing principle is also integrated into laughter therapy. In laughter yoga, people practice inhaling more oxygen and exhaling out the stale air. The rhythmic movement of the diaphragm improves air ventilation, lung capacity, and respiratory muscles.
The American Lung Association reports that laughter yoga interventions enhance pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other respiratory conditions.
5. Strengthens Social Bonds:
Laughter therapy is a blessing for introverted people. Those who find it difficult to interact with others can also socialize because of laughter yoga; It brings people together at a time of joy and happiness. In laughter yoga, everyone laughs their hearts out without fearing judgment and builds emotional connections with one another
Conclusion
As everyone said, a happy mind has a healthy body. We should smile less and laugh more because the effects of laughter last longer on our soul and body. Laughter yoga may sound weird to many people, but its amazing health benefits are the reason why now a million people are following it. Thus, regardless of people’s opinions about it, enroll yourselves in any laughter yoga group to embrace these amazing health benefits.
