Over the summer I was interviewed by the New Jersey Life Health & Beauty Magazine on Laughter Yoga (Hasya Yoga) and it’s finally published in their holiday 2010 issue. Click on the image to the right to read the article, however, disregard that first sentence about “my studio”…HA! Although I don’t teach Laughter Yoga classes (but am a Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher), I do feel very strongly towards it and its many health benefits. I encourage you to google a Laughter Yoga class near you and give it a try. They are a blast!!
About Laughter Yoga (By: Sebastien Gendry, who certified me!)
Laughter Yoga is a deceptively simple, yet very powerful and potentially life-changing, form of exercise that anybody can do — anytime, anywhere. Its core premise is that your body can and knows how to laugh, regardless of what your mind has to say; Laughter Yoga is a body-mind approach to laughter, not something mind-body. The distinction is very important. Here you do not need to have a sense of humor, know jokes, or even be happy. Laughter Yoga invites you to fake it until it becomes real.
Laughter Yoga is non-political, non-religious, non-racial, non-threatening, and non-competitive. It comes with no strings attached. There are no jokes or comedy, and there is no judging. Because there is no mind, there is also no ego, and no room for conflict or power struggle. Laughter is a universal language that transcends all barriers: language, age, gender, race, and social background. It improves interpersonal relationships and enhances communication. It interrupts the power struggle and breaks down the instinctive barriers between people.At a deeper level it proves that pain can be overcome and also that we can all live in peace together. It is now indisputable that laughter plays a role in healing, staying healthy, controlling stress reactions, and maintaining emotional balance. Laughter has been rediscovered as a powerful tool in the battle against many mental and physical diseases.
Laughter Yoga also teaches you emotional resilience: how to make happiness a choice and not a consequence, and how to respond positively even in the face of adversity.
Should you laugh every day? Only if you want to feel good.
Click here for some example Laughter Yoga exercises to help get an idea of what it’s like. It’s very silly, but SO much fun! Poke around that site for videos of exercises to try. =)