Laughter yoga is a relatively new form of yoga that began in Mumbai, India in 1995. This form of yoga is designed to be a workout that focuses on the well-being of the whole person. Since its inception, it has grown to include groups located in more than 60 countries around the world.
Laughter yoga is based on pranayama breathing and laughter. The focus on laughter and joy provide a wide range of physical and psychological benefits. The positive energy that is released through laughter has been shown to help people deal with stress, relieve depression and bring happiness and energy into the lives of regular practitioners of laughter yoga.
In addition to improving mental and emotional states, laughter yoga has been shown to offer improvements in general health. Practitioners of this form of yoga have claimed to heal faster and have fewer colds, respiratory infection, and flu and even found healing from a variety of chronic medical problems.
There is some research to support these claims. Various clinical research in the US, India and Austria have shown that laughter is effective for lowering stress hormone levels, improve the general outlook on life and reduce the symptoms of depression.
In addition to general improvements in health, laughter yoga has been shown to be helpful for specific health conditions. People have found laughter yoga to be effective for improving happiness in all areas of life, including home, work and school. In addition, laughter yoga has been used effectively at cancer hospitals, in prisons, and in schools to reduce stress and help people cope with everything from physical pain to extreme stress.
Laughter yoga clubs can be found in a growing number of cities and countries around the world. Often, laughter yoga clubs are free and held in parks. You can find information on clubs in your area by inquiring at your yoga studio or visit the organizations website at laughteryoga.org.