Laughter yoga: No laughing matter

MANILA, Philippines – A Laughter Yoga session was held recently at the Golds’ Gym in Glorietta 3, Makati City. About 50 persons attended the event to quench their curiosity as to what it was all about. Among them were Medicard EVP Luis Montoya, his wife, and staff members; Dr. Winnie Pernia and two colleagues from the Philippine Society of Pathologists.

At the start, some participants worried they may not be able to laugh, so I told them to just open their minds, drop their inhibitions, relax, and be ready to laugh, as there are warm-up exercises to make them laugh like they had never laughed before.

Unlike watching a comic movie or reading a funny story where the mind still has to process what it is watching or reading before a person can laugh (or sometimes the person is simply not in the mood to laugh), in laughter yoga, laughter serves as a body exercise that can therefore be done regardless of the person’s mood. In fact, it sets the person the right, positive, happy mood. A person need not be happy to be able to laugh — for basically, laughter yoga is to laugh for no reason at all.

A person can, with regular practice, train the body and mind to laugh at will and make laughter second nature.

In this hi-tech, fast-paced, dizzying world, most people are so busy that they almost have no time to exercise. Stanford University’s Dr. William Fry has proven that 10 minutes of laughing heartily is equivalent to 30 minutes of cardio-pulmonary endurance workout on a rowing machine.

Laughter yoga is a unique well-being workout that combines fun and easy-to-do aerobic exercise with physiological and emotional benefits and stress reduction such as:

• No postures, no skills to learn, or special clothes or equipment required.

• Provides a fast, powerful, no-sweat cardiovascular workout

• Reduces stress level quickly by as much as 75 percent or more.

• Blood pressure and pulse rate drop as blood circulation improves.

• The lungs are well exercised and cleansed of stale residual air.

• Healthier deep breathing is learned and adopted.

• The blood and major organs get fully oxygenated, leaving one bursting with energy.

• Hearty laughter improves mood within minutes by releasing endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers, and mood enhancer.

• Lifts depression — even chronic depression may be cured.

• Boosts self-confidence, creativity, and improves a person’s communication skills.

Made fully aware of the multi-dimensional healthful benefits that laughter yoga brings about, the highly motivated and challenged participants gave their all. Everyone gamely and actively participated.

What ensued was a highly energized, hilariously inspiring Laughter Yoga session.

Janet Santos, a participant, expected jokes to be cracked, only to find out laughter yoga is vastly different from what she earlier envisioned.

Pleasantly surprised was she at the many kinds of laughter introduced, the healing mantras and affirmation, and her newly discovered spontaneous laughing ability. In fact, for Janet’s birthday bash next month, she wants laughter yoga to be the centerpiece of her unusual celebration to make it truly memorable.

A laughter yoga enthusiast, who has attended four sessions is Jane Denosta, whose sister is suffering from cancer. She was very happy to know that, according to the research done by Dr. Madan Kataria, a typical Laughter Yoga session releases endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers, that relieve cancer and other sick patients of pain for at least two hours.

Amused and surprised were the participants to know that by clapping the laughter yoga way, some acupressure points are touch, increasing energy flow to the body. The ladies, were all eyes and ears when I mentioned the anti-aging, anti-wrinkle effect, as well as the benefits on the throat and thyroid gland that Lion Laughter brings about.

They went agog when I demonstrated the Lion Laughter — one of the over 30 kinds of laughter that Dr. Madan Katria has introduced.

Dr. Winnie Pernia, who could not contain his amazement, has included Laughter Yoga for the 58th annual convention of the Philippine Society for Pathologists (PSP) slated on April 24 at the Diamond Hotel. She asked me to share, in addition to the regular Laughter Yoga session, some eye therapy exercises that help me got back my normal vision for five years now with the 250 doctors attending PSP’s fellowship night.

Since its inception last year, Laughter Yoga has gone a long way, and intends to put up as many Laughter Yogas all over the country. People with the same mindset, who love to laugh freely and unconditionally and help others, are invited. In these stressful times, Laughter Yoga is the most convenient and cheapest vehicle to ease one’s burdens in the most positive way.