Laughter and Yoga

By Toni Greene, Owner

Happy Hour Yoga Center

. http://happyhouryoga-reiki.vpweb.com

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Laughter and Yoga

What does laughing have to
do with yoga? Laughing is good
for the soul, laughing makes you happy and laughing relaxes you. Laughing takes us back to our true selves, when we were children we laughed a lot. Children are known to laugh up to 400 times in a day. How many times
a day do you laugh? When is the
last time you laughed? Laughing is healing.
Hasya Yoga is a form of yoga originating in India that incorporates laughter into the practice of Yoga. Laughter can cause profound changes in moods, confidence and health. When you see someone laughing, you smile because you know the joy and enlightenment you can experience from laughing.
Laughter is universal; laughing is a way to bring peace to a great number of people worldwide. Laughing is used to bring a message of hope and healing to hopeless and desperate situations. Laughing is also thought to have medical benefits, similar to some medicines. Laughter can stimulate the production of T-Cells that boost the immune system. The oxygen levels increase and aids in mental clarity. The left-right brain activity becomes more balanced and stress is reduced.
Laughing exercises the muscles in the face, the eyes widen, the mouth opens, the forehead is wrinkled, stomach muscles contract and relax more, the heart is happier. When we laugh we tend to forget about our worries. Laughter helps us to let go. We release our tension, anxieties, pain, discomfort and our heart rate increases. You get a good cardiovascular workout when you laugh. Laughing is good for the soul, it is contagious, and you laugh when you see someone else laughing.
Have you listened to the way people laugh? How about when someone laughs with a snort, or when you are trying not to laugh and you burst out laughing? Laugh, laugh for no reason. The benefits are the same whether your laugh is real or fake, as we say in laughing yoga, laugh until you cry, cry until you laugh. Sat Nam