Today’s guest blogger is Wholistic Woman Retreats’ member, Cathy Hansen. Cathy showcased her Laughter Yoga at our 2016 Strong You Retreat. Today she writes to introduce you to Laughter Yoga. We know you are going to enjoy this one!
It was my first trip outside of the U. S….I was alone in a cab with a non-English speaking driver as we exited the airport in the pouring rain. I was confident that I was on the right track because my trip coordinator had warned me to only hire a cab authorized by the Mexico City airport. When the cabbie turned down an isolated side street, pulled over and parked, I wasn’t so sure I that I had made a smart choice after all. My heart was in my throat until he pulled out a map; I knew then that he simply didn’t know how to reach my destination.
When I finally reached the retreat location an hour later, it was nearly dark and still pouring. It didn’t take long after we piled onto a crowded bus, for me to discover that only eleven of us spoke English. There were multiple languages being spoken as the participants got to know one another. That led to interesting teamwork four hours later when our driver decided to take a shortcut to the ashram through a rain soaked pasture. When the bus sunk axle-deep into the mud three miles from the ashram at 2 a.m., it was clear that the bus wasn’t going to go any further.
This was my introduction to the power of Laughter Yoga (LY)!
You might think that everyone on board would have been tired, irritable, and justifiably impatient from this series of mishaps, but not this group! After all, we were laughter yoga leaders. We kept our energy up with a hearty chant. HO HO, HA HA HA! And laughter followed.
That was in 2009 and I was already a Yoga leader. Its joyful and wholistic approach to promoting wellness had me completely hooked. I had come to this ashram in Mexico to earn my teaching certification under the watchful eye of LY’s founder, Dr. Maddan Kataria, of Mumbai, India.
What is Laughter Yoga?
Laughter Yoga is a refreshing and innovative practice that provides a new approach to stress management as well as physical and mental well-being through laughter. The secret of Laughter Yoga is that our bodies are hardwired to release powerful, natural benefits from extended, hearty laughter. LY uses a series of visualizations and pantomimes that are designed to generate laughter. The “yoga” portion comes from the yogic breathing interjected between the exercises to reduce heart rate and stress levels. Laughter itself, whether authentic or simulated, boosts the power of an aerobic workout in an easy and entertaining way.
Benefits of Laughter Yoga:
• Ten minutes of hearty laughter equals 30 minutes on a rowing machine
• Fifteen minutes of laughter every day can help you lose up to 4 lbs in a year
• A boost in confidence and increased overall sense of well-being
• Improves trust through increased communication
• Simultaneous reduction in physical, mental, and emotional stress
• A huge lift to your energy
• Lowered blood pressure
What can you expect from a Laughter Yoga session?
During a LY session, participants gather in a circle and follow the instructor’s lead as she prompts them to envision positive reactions to a series of negative situations. These scenarios are familiar to most people, such as running late in an airport, or opening a jaw-dropping credit card bill. The core message of LY is to foster joy and reinforce the fact that laughter is a natural, healing, technique.
The LY instructor gives participants techniques to incorporate laughter into their daily routines in simple ways, such as:
• Designating a specific door knob or handle to be a laughter trigger each time you touch it.
• Choosing three stop signs or traffic lights which you pass regularly as laughter reminders. Fortunately, with today’s wireless technology, other drivers will just think you’re listening to a really great story!
Prior to embarking on my journey in 2009, and creating my company, Laugh ‘N Live Well, I was on medication for hypertension and suffered from high anxiety. My personal testimony is that I’m no longer on medication and my anxiety has been lowered significantly. Perhaps most importantly, applying the LY attitude of positivity and gratitude has vastly reduced my stress levels.
I recall the day when a diabetic student nurse approached me after completing a LY session with me. She explained that before the session had begun she had tested her glucose and it was quite high. She considered doing an injection of insulin, but decided that she would wait until after the session and re-check. Upon doing so, she was excited to report that her glucose level had dropped by 200 points within the 50 minute session! Her story is a great example of the tremendous positive effect laughter has on our health and well-being.
In addition to reducing stress, LY is a great cardio workout. It is an easy, fun and joyful way to increase your energy and boost your immune system without the physical challenges of traditional yoga. Better yet, you do it in a welcoming environment surrounded by like-minded, happiness-seeking people.
My wish for you is that LY becomes part of your wellness journey.
Today’s author: Cathy Hansen is a certified Laughter Yoga instructor and owner of Laugh ‘N Live Well. She provides Laughter Yoga facilitation services for corporate training programs, conferences, networking events, yoga studios, and women’s business and social groups. Cathy is passionate about introducing the Laughter Yoga experience to those with a desire to have fun and increase their well-being. In addition, Cathy is currently attending the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC). If you would like to learn more or arrange for Cathy to offer LY to your group you can contact her at 717-414-8849 or visit her website- www.laughnlivewell.net.