Laughter Yoga

Description:

Laughter Yoga provides people with a list of Laughter Clubs around Aotearoa / New Zealand.

At the clubs people gather together in groups to laugh for no reason; no jokes, no comedy, no humour. The result is a disconnection from needing something ‘out there’ to laugh at; instead, we learn to internalise our ability to laugh so it is available whenever we need it. We engage in simple, playful exercises, making eye contact. The laughter exercises are interspersed with deep breathing (this is the Yoga bit).

Medical research has found that our bodies cannot tell the difference between real and willingly simulated laughter. We get the same health benefits as if the laughter was real. What is important is to laugh energetically (belly-laugh) for about 20 to 30 minutes at a time. This is why we have the Laughter Clubs, as natural laughter comes for only a few seconds here and there, so is not enough to bring about physiological and biochemical changes in our bodies. Laughter is one of our best defenses against stress, and it is important that we find ways to laugh more to cope with stress and remain healthy in the modern world. Laughter Yoga is a perfect way to laugh and get exercise at the same time. It approaches laughter as a body exercise so it’s easy to laugh even if you’re depressed or in a bad mood.

Most Laughter Yoga NZ clubs require a small donation/Koha to attend.

When we learn to make our laughter from inside, rather than being dependent on events outside, we find ourselves becoming more cheerful. Indeed you become a nicer person, less likely to get stressed or depressed, more fun to be around.

Services:

Laughter Yoga Clubs: http://laughteryoga.org.nz/club-details/

Locations: