Laughter Yoga with Merrie Maggie

When was the last time you enjoyed a deep ‘belly’ laugh? The kind that leaves you helpless, big grin on you face and full of joy. Isn’t that the kind of laughter that brings you closer to your friends and helps you make new ones. When it is done as a physical exercise combined with deep breathing techniques it becomes ‘Laughter Yoga’. Too often we are afraid to step out of our comfort zones to stretch our ‘chuckle muscles’ but the wellbeing effects are enormous.

Laughter Yoga is not a comedy act – in fact it doesn’t rely on humour, jokes or comedy at all.

Instead, it enables people to use aerobic, playful exercises that stimulates unconditional laughter by means of role-playing everyday activities – as children would. The exercises bring out the child in participants where it has laid dormant through years of statements that inhibit their exuberance.

Along with energising hand-claps and uplifting chants between the exercises along with deep breathing techniques known from Yoga, a session of Laughter Yoga will connect participants in a caring and sharing environment, creating and building on existing friendships. Their mood will be uplifted, chemical changes will take place in their bodies where Endorphins will be released from the brain and flow around their bodies, improving their immune system. It can help to reduce stress and strengthen resilience by using Laughter Yoga as a wellbeing tool.

It never ceases to warm my heart when I see people trying it for the first time and joy totally envelopes them.