What Is Laughter Yoga? Benefits and How Does It Work?

Regular yoga practice comes with a plethora of physical and mental health benefits. While there are several forms of yoga and many types of asanas and poses, there is also a branch called laughter yoga or laughing yoga, which you may have definitely seen people practice in groups or parks.

But what exactly is laughter yoga and how does it work? Let’s discover.

What is laughter yoga?

Laughing yoga basically involves a series of breathing and movement exercises and promotes deliberate laughter.

It helps cultivate happiness and brings out your inner child. Along with this, laughing yoga is also believed to help reduce stress through controlled and deep breathing, which allows for greater consumption of oxygen. Moreover, it activates your body’s natural relaxation system, the parasympathetic nervous system and uplifts your mood.

How does laughing yoga work?

Laughter yoga is typically practiced in a group setting, such as a park or workshop, and led by a yoga instructor that guides attendees through different exercises to promote laughter, enjoyment and happiness. The session mostly begins with simple breathing techniques, chanting and clapping to help people relax.

These sessions don’t include any traditional yoga poses that you may be familiar with. Instead, it might include something like this:

Chanting and clapping

The session begins with a few minutes of clapping and chanting to warm up. You may start the class by clapping rhythmically 1-2, 1-2-3 and chanting “ha-ha-ha, ho-ho”. It might seem funny at first, but the intention is to let go of your ego.

Breathing exercises and stretching

In between laughter, you’d be asked to stretch your body while practicing deep breathing.

Enjoyable movements

This includes any carefree exercise or playful movement combined with childlike laughter and cheers.

Laughter yoga moves

While laughter exercises can vary, they usually include lighthearted movements, slow and controlled breathing, voluntary laughter, silent laughter, gradient laughter, lion laughter, and so on.

Meditation

Any typical laughing yoga class ends with laughter meditation that involves voluntary laughing leading up to genuine laughing.

Collectively, all these practices are only intended to help you laugh, relax and let go of all your tensions. Any typical laughter yoga class lasts between half an hour and 1 minute, however, just like in any traditional yoga session, the specifics depend on the instructor.

Benefits of laughing yoga

Though laughter yoga is a comparatively new practice and research is still in the early stages, initial studies show that some potential benefits of this type of yoga include:

Increases feel-good chemicals

Laughing yoga increases the feel-good chemicals in the brain and boosts bonding. Plus, it also works as a great stress buster. According to one study, a 30-minute laughter yoga session helped decrease stress hormones in healthy adults.

Uplifts the mood

Laughing can also offer quick advantages like improved mood and happiness. It releases endorphins and other happy hormones like serotonin and dopamine while reducing cortisol, the stress hormone. All of these are linked to less tension, better mood, controlled blood pressure, reduced body pain, lower rates of depression and anxiety, and a stronger immune system.

Improves sleep quality

Less anxiety and tension mean better sleep. A laughter yoga study on people with Parkinson’s disease showed that the participants experienced less anxiety and improved sleep quality after 8 weeks.

Enhances social connectedness

Laughing increases bonding and is linked with a feeling of safety, making one feel more secure, happy and relaxed.

Controls blood pressure

Practicing this form of yoga may be one way to attain the heart-healthy advantage of laughter. In one study, seniors who practiced laughing yoga for 5-6 weeks had a controlled blood pressure level, along with a reduction in body pain.

It is also important to note that your body can’t differentiate between real and fake laughter, and hence, your body can benefit by simply laughing, be it intentional or unintentional.

Bottom line

While laughter yoga is a great option for everyone with different abilities and ages, this joyous practice may be particularly useful for seniors who are looking to improve their social, mental and physical well-being.

Given that this form of yoga is relatively new, research is limited, however, initial studies suggest that laughing yoga may offer some great physical and mental advantages when practiced daily. So, if you take your life way too seriously and don’t laugh often, these benefits might be some good reason to chill and start laughing.