The physical and psychological benefits of laughter yoga
Laughter Yoga or Laughing Yoga is a form of yoga that is based on a combination of intentional laughter and breathing exercises, and aims to promote physical and mental health of individuals.
Laughter yoga appeared in 1995, and was designed to help people of different groups learn to laugh without the need for an activity or something to make them laugh, as laughter has many benefits, including improving mood, relieving stress and pressure, and strengthening the immune system.
Learn about the physical and psychological benefits of laughter yoga, and how you can do it.
Laughter yoga benefits
Laughter yoga is a therapeutic method and exercise program for health and well-being, and combines movement exercises and breathing techniques of pranayama yoga to promote laughter, which has been used since ancient times in the treatment of physical, psychological and spiritual ailments for its many benefits.
The benefits of intentional laughter can be paralleled by the benefits of spontaneous or spontaneous laughter. This is because the body cannot differentiate between real laughter and fake laughter. The benefits of laughter yoga include therapeutic and preventive benefits on the level of the body and soul.
Physical benefits of laughter yoga
The following are the most important benefits of laughter yoga on physical health, especially when practiced on a regular basis for thirty minutes to one hour a day:
Improving mood, as laughter enhances the secretion of happiness hormones, such as serotonin and dopamine.
Reducing stress, by controlling breathing and obtaining a greater amount of oxygen, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for activating the body's natural relaxation system. Laughter yoga also helps suppress stress hormones, such as cortisol.
Reducing pain. Laughter stimulates the release of endorphins, which are a natural pain reliever, which is why laughter yoga can help people who suffer from arthritis, migraines, or chronic pain.
Strengthening the immune system, promoting the health of the digestive system, and contributing to recovering from diseases faster, as laughter yoga increases the flow of blood and oxygen to all parts of the body. Laughter yoga also helps eliminate the negative effects of stress, which may delay the healing process.
Improve cardiovascular health, as laughter helps lower blood pressure and heart rate.
Contribute to alleviating and treating respiratory problems that asthma patients or bronchitis patients may suffer from.
Strengthening the body and muscles, as laughter yoga includes stretching and stretching exercises.
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Psychological benefits of laughter yoga
Among the benefits of laughter yoga in promoting mental health are the following:
Building a better ability to deal with stressful situations and manage stress, by developing a sense of joy, positivity, optimism, and acquiring the skill of laughing without relying on external stimuli. In addition to the benefits of breathing exercises in self-control.
Strengthening the skills of social and emotional intelligence, by bringing out the inner child and stimulating feelings of play and childish joy, which helps in developing social skills.
Contribute to building a happy society, and reduce depression rates.
Also Read: Yoga and Meditation for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
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How to practice laughter yoga
Laughter yoga is practiced in group sessions accompanied by a specialized trainer, as the practice of intentional laughter is often easier within a group of people practicing the same act.
Laughter yoga sessions include deep breathing and prolonged exhalation, some stretching, as well as laughter exercises. Here are some types of laughter yoga that can be applied:
Laughter greeting, which means replacing words with laughter when shaking hands and greeting someone.
Silent laughter, which can be implemented by laughing without making a sound, in conjunction with making eye contact with a participant and making funny gestures.
Laughing from the heart, by opening the arms and pointing them up towards the sky, with the head tilted back and the chin raised, then laughing heartily.
Mobile phone laughter, which is done by holding the mobile phone and pretending to be fake and laughing.
Gradual laughter, which means the gradient from a smile to a giggling voice.
Also Read: Yoga for Kids
Who can do laughter yoga?
Laughter yoga can be practiced by all people of all groups and ages, and what distinguishes laughter yoga is that it does not require a level of physical fitness, knowledge, or special equipment to practice it. Nor does a person have to be happy or in a good mood to do it.
Laughter yoga is one of the best sports for some groups who are prone to stress and psychological pressure.