Laughter Yoga as a Daily Practice and Its Impact on my Life

Laughter Yoga as a Daily Practice and It's Impact on my Life.

By: Jean Wilkerson

Laughter Yoga is a wonderful exercise regimen where Laughing uncontrollably is daily common place.

In fact, laughing heartily for at least 15 minutes can take away 4 hours of pain.

4HOURS!!! PAIN FREE! 

Plus I get to feel JOY to receive it, wow, I'm all in!

For those of you like myself, who deal with chronic illnesses and pain that goes with them, this statement should entice you to this exercise as much as it did me. I have always enjoyed smiling and laughing as well as a great chuckle from time to time. In fact I was very playful as a child and truly enjoyed using my imagination and creativity during play.

Somehow, as I became an adult and was fed the lie we have all been fed, that I had to be serious as an adult, I began to not laugh or play like I once did daily. I truly did not realize how much I missed it, until I attended a Laughter Yoga Club in sycamore township, OH. In just one laughter yoga session (11/2 hours) I realized I truly missed being silly, using my childlike playfulness and feeling the utter joy from just simply laughing and playing with the group.

Pamela S. Hall & Judi A. Winall, Certified Laughter Yoga Teachers, run a Laughter Yoga Club out of the Sycamore Twp. Library the third Wednesday of each month at 7PM (EST). Truly they run a wonderful session for all and have a regular following of folks that come every month. Its wonderful the relationships built through LAUGHTER! If you'd like more information about what they offer, their website is:https://www.joyfulhealinglaughter.com/

 

Before my exposure to Laughter Yoga, pain from my several chronic illnesses had begun to cloud my life with negative thoughts as well as depression. Having a daily laughter practice has alleviated my depression, strengthened my immune system, regulated my blood pressure, alleviated my pain, brought peace and joy to my daily life and an overall feeling of unity and community with others that I had once lost.

Pain can take our minds to a dark place, but Laughter can most certainly bring us out of it and truly heal us simultaneously. "More than 80 % of all doctors' visits and medications prescribed today are for stress-related illnesses", that my friends is a huge indicator that our society needs more laughter in it. In fact, Laughter is nature's counter to stress.

Laughter is not only just good medicine for the body either but each part of our mind, body, soul connection. While laughter yoga is non-religious it IS spiritual. Meaning we can be healed of many mental maladies by simply laughing them off daily.

Several benefits of a daily Laughter practice Include:

• Anti-Stress and the Release of "Feel-good Hormones"
•  Strengthened and Improved Immune system function
• Increased Circulation
• Oxygen & Aerobic Exercise
• Increased Emotional Intelligence
• Improved Social Connections and Group Dynamics
• Cathartic and Anti-Aging

Motion creates emotion.
Thoughts create feelings & we can decide which ones to entertain.
Laughter yoga teaches us to laugh at life and ourselves more.
Letting go of ego is just a positive by product of a daily laughter practice.

So Laughter yoga as a daily practice for me has truly impacted and made changes on every facet of my life: mind, body & soul.
Joyfulness is a daily by product of my practice and when you become so full of joy it overflows, joy is spread through-out everyone's lives you touch.
Therefore spreading laughter and joy for world peace is now my daily practice as well.

Side effects of laughing everyday are: joy,more feelings of unity and connection with others, being more present/ aware daily, feeling more peaceful and happy.