Laughter yoga is a series of movements and breathing exercises that encourage deliberate laughter. Laughter can lift your mood, reduce stress, strengthen your immune system, expand energy levels and improve your quality of life. Since 1995, laughter yoga has helped people with physical, psychological, and spiritual ailments. Laughter promotes optimism and positivity, which helps you handle stressful situations.

External influences cannot always be relied upon to stimulate laughter. Therefore, learning to laugh on your own is a valuable tool. Laughing yoga is designed to teach people to laugh on cue. Coaches conduct laughing yoga workshops for college campuses, workplaces and senior living facilities. Laughing yoga is also becoming increasingly popular online.

The Benefits of Laughter Yoga

There are many benefits to laughter. Some benefits are instant, while others, like any other exercise, are gained through repeated practice. Here are five benefits:

• Good mood. Laughter yoga can alter your mood quickly by releasing endorphins from your brain cells. You will remain in a good mood for the remainder of the day and probably laugh more than usual.
• Beat stress. Laughter yoga increases your heart rate and blood circulation, relaxing your muscles.
• Health benefits. Laughing reduces stress and strengthens your immune system. If you have a chronic condition, it will help you heal faster.
• Social connection. Quality of life depends on the value of relationships. Laughter is excellent at bringing people together.
• Positive attitude. Laughter helps you develop a positive mental attitude to deal with negative situations and people. It brings optimism and hope during difficult times.

How to Practice Laughter Yoga

Laughing yoga is typically practiced in group settings. Trained coaches lead attendees through various exercises that promote enjoyment and laughter. A typical session begins with breathing techniques, clapping and chanting for relaxation. The intent is to remove any internal judgment you have and to leave your ego at the door.

A yoga session can include improv exercises, citing positive affirmations, gentle stretching, breath work and meditation. Together, these help you laugh, let loose, and view yourself much less seriously. If you want to get started with laughter yoga, here are some exercises to get you on your way:

• Greeting laughter. Walk around to different people, shake hands and laugh. You must look the other person in the eyes as you laugh.
• Lion laughter. Thrust your tongue, widen your eyes, and stretch your hands like claws as you laugh.
• Humming laughter. Laugh with your mouth closed and hum to yourself.
• Silent laughter. Try to open your mouth wide and laugh without making a sound. Look into other people’s eyes while making funny gestures.
• Gradient laughter. Smile and slowly begin to laugh with a gentle chuckle. Continue to increase the intensity of the laugh until you achieve a big laugh. Gradually bring the big laughter down to a smile again.
• Heart-to-heart laughter. Move close to a person, hold hands and laugh.

Laughter does wonders for your physical and mental well-being. Perhaps a new job would pep things up a bit as well? Let the professional recruiters at Exact Staff help you land a terrific job.