The history of laughter yoga
Dr. Madan Kataria (Indian doctor) and his wife Maduri (yoga teacher) met with 5 other people in a park on March 23, 1995 to laugh together. They told each other jokes and the group grew bigger day by day. Dr. Kataria was totally enthusiastic because he knew that daily laughter was good for people. However, the group ran out of jokes after a while, so the project threatened to fail. Dr. Kataria retreated to his books and read there that our body does not notice whether we are laughing genuinely or faking it. Based on this, the idea was born to develop a program of clapping and breathing exercises to keep people well. No joke, comedy, good weather or good humor is needed. There is laughter for no reason, such as after a training program in sports.
The motto is: Fake it until you make it.
The only prerequisites are: Letting go of thoughts, looking at the other people laughing with you and getting involved in being curious and playful like a child again. (Children laugh up to 500 times and adults 12 times a day).
Is laughter healthy? Laughter Research
Even the vernacular knows that laughter is healthy. But is that really true? Is it possible to have a healthy laugh?
Around the 1960s, scientists – and medical professionals – began to look at the therapeutic effects of laughter. They made test subjects laugh and examined blood levels before, during and after laughter. They noticed amazing reactions of the immune system. Laughter seemed to affect people so positively that they responded with increased production of their defenses. The decisive prerequisite for scientific research was thus given: It was possible to measure the effects of laughter on the immune system.
Laughter research – the so-called gelotology – was born. Many more insights into the effects of laughter followed.
The currently available findings are encouraging more and more researchers to study the influence of laughter and cheerfulness on various diseases. Especially in Japan and the U.S., there has been an increase in recent authors who have studied the effect of laughter on immune functions, pain management, or the course of disease in specific illnesses.
Laughter is actually very healthy for people!
Source: https://www.lachverband.org/lachforschung-die-gelotologie.html
The effects of laughter yoga
Since the laughter yoga classes teach how to positively influence one’s own mood through simple methods, an increase in self-efficacy can also be expected. The experience of self-efficacy, i.e. the feeling of being able to change something oneself with a good chance of success, is the best protection against stress, anxiety and depression and even seems to have a positive influence on our immune system, in addition to building optimism and good feelings.
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Stress is relieved
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the immune system can be strengthened
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Ability to concentrate and vitality can improve
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Pain can be reduced
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has a calming effect on the cardiovascular system
Conclusion
