By:
Mandie Navarro
I first became
intrigued with the possibility of using laughter as a healing therapy for my MS
in the summer of 2008. I had stumbled across several articles reporting on how
beneficial laughter is to our well-being. Digging deeper, I discovered an
exercise regimen called Laughter Yoga. The premise was this: One could attend a
laughter class and after laughing for one hour, emerge feeling euphoric.
It made sense
to me. Why wouldn’t I feel fantastic after an hour of laughing? That fall, I
attended Laughter Yoga classes regularly at a nearby yoga studio. The classes
were a lot of fun and I always felt extremely blissful afterward. It became
clear to me that laughter is a powerful force, simple yet profound, and I
wanted to share this gift with others. So I received my certification as a
Laughter Yoga teacher. As a teacher, I am able to train and certify future
Laughter Yoga leaders.
What is
Laughter Yoga?
Laughter Yoga
combines laughter with yogic breathing exercises. A revolutionary idea that has
spread globally at an astounding speed, it is the brainchild of Dr. Madan
Kataria, a doctor and visionary inMumbai,India.
Dr. Kataria
devised simple exercises using child-like playfulness, eye contact, and
chanting “ho-ho-ha-ha-ha.” A session begins with simulated laughter which soon
turns into real laughter. Through Laughter Yoga there is no need to rely on
comedy, jokes, or sense of humor to reap the benefits of laughter. It is based
on the theory that our bodies can’t differentiate between real and fake
laughter; just performing the physical act of laughing is enough to send our
healing hormones into maximum overdrive.
Dr. Kataria
launched the first laughter club with only five people on March 13, 1995. It is
now a worldwide movement. Today, Laughter Yoga is practiced in more than 65
countries at thousands of Laughter Clubs. Laughter Yoga is an enabler and can
be done sitting or standing. It allows people of all ages and physical
abilities to laugh and play together. It is being used in cancer centers, MS
support groups and camps, senior centers, schools, prisons, nursing homes,
business corporations, and any place where people wish to gather and experience
the benefits of laughter.
Laughter
Yoga and My MS
During my time
as a Laughter Yoga leader and teacher, I’ve had the enormous pleasure of seeing
and experiencing some pretty amazing things come from laughing. I have
connected with people suffering from Alzheimer’s and other diseases, and
witnessed smiles spread across faces that had been void of expression other
than a scowl.
MS entered my
life in 1997. I deal with spasticity, balance, fatigue, and heaviness in my
legs. Recently I had the opportunity to put my knowledge and training in
laughter to the test when I experienced an exacerbation of my symptoms. I had
many stress factors in my life at the time and had fallen behind several weeks with
my weekly injection of Avonex®. My usual symptoms amplified, my legs became
numb from the waist down, and I intermittently experienced days of feeling
fatigued and depressed.
I had to take
action. I removed all stress from my life and began laughing – all the time.
That meant plenty of rest, watching numerous comedy shows, nixing all
depressing news and dramas and leading a Laughter Yoga class. The exacerbation
quickly retreated, hastening my recovery.
These days, I
laugh much more and a lot louder than I used to. The most incredible benefit of
laughter is that the more often we laugh, the greater developed our sense of
humor becomes. And when we carry a lot of humor in our hearts, we become more
outgoing, tolerant, caring, and loving.
How to
Find Ways to Laugh More in Your Life
There are many
ways to bring more laughter and joy into your life. Start by spending more time
doing the things that make you laugh and feel happy. Limit the amount of
negative influences coming into your head.
I encourage you
to try an experiment: put on a laughter filter for two days. Allow only
positive upbeat influences – watch comedies, read humorous stories or comics,
listen to music and sing, play with a pet or child. Laugh off moments of stress
by simply saying, “ha, ha, ha” at things that make you upset. It may be fake
laughter at the time and seem absurd, but it has the amazing ability to
de-stress the moment. After two days, evaluate how you are feeling. Has
laughter made a difference for you?
There are also
many Laughter Yoga videos available on YouTube. You can elevate your mood by
simply watching others laugh. To find a Laughter Yoga class near you go to www.laughteryoga.org.
But you don’t have to wait until you find a group to get started. It’s as easy
as “ho-ho-ha-ha-ha!”
Mandie
Navarro is the proud mother of two college students. She is the owner of
Universal Laughter Yoga, providing laughter therapy for anyone who wants to
experience more joy in their life. You can visit her website to find out more
about the benefits of laughter at: www.universallaughteryoga.com.
(Last reviewed
7/2011)
Thank you
Stu’s Views & MS News, is a publication of:
