Laughter Yoga

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.

An article by Sebastien Gendry, C.E.O. of the American School Of Laughter YogaLaughter 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.
Read More

Yoga explained

Yoga Deep Breathing Exercises

Aside from traditional breathing exercises, we also have th Yoga.Additional benefits include opening of one's energy while doing the exercise as well as the following.

Benefits of Yoga Deep Breathing Exercise:

Primary:

    * Rapidly oxygenates your blood, thus helping the body heal, detoxify and remove waste more effectively.
    * Increases the amount of Prana (life-force) you are bringing into your system.
    * Improves the elasticity of the lungs and increases respiratory capacity.
    * Activates the energy flows in your body.

Cautions for Practicing Yoga Deep Breathing Exercise:

    * If you feel dizzy when practicing this breathing technique, you should stop and substitute normal breathing.  If you suffer from vertigo, you should use caution in practicing this breathing exercise.
    * You should be careful practicing this pranayama if you have high blood pressure, heart disease or suffer from stroke or epilepsy.

Step-by-step Instructions for Yoga Deep Breathing Exercise:

    * To practice this breathing exercise sit up in a comfortable position.
    * Elongate your spine upwards, lengthen your neck and subtly bring your chin back and in like a soldier at attention.  This will align the spine with the back of your head.
    * Close your eyes.
    * Bring the palms of your hands together at sternum level (like when you pray), but have them 2-4 inches away from your chest.  Your elbows should be up such that your forearms are parallel to the ground.
    * Press the palms of your hands together applying equal pressure to both sides.  The pressure should be firm but not excessive.
    * Relax your diaphragm and stomach muscles.
    * Now inhale in 4 sniffs and exhale in 4 sniffs.  So you are breaking up 1 inhalation into 4 equal parts and breaking up 1 exhalation into 4 equal parts.  By the fourth sniff, during the inhalation, you should have completed filled your lungs with air and by the fourth sniff, during the exhalation, you should have completely expelled all the air.  Completely inhaling and exhaling by the last sniff is a key part of this breathing technique.  That’s it, continue for 1-5 minutes.