relate to stress. However, in the past few years, most people have had an added element with the Covid Virus. Stress is noted to affect people physically, mentally, socially, and overall wellbeing. Working in cardiac rehabilitation, and having a family history of heart disease, I decided to start
Laughter Yoga
taking action. I needed to aid and slow down the risk for myself and my family. Through my research, I discovered that stress was a risk factor for heart disease itself. Stress can even start doing damage at a young age. If you
Laughter is the best medicine. You may recognize this
had a traumatic childhood, plaque can build up on the side
famous quote. I discovered how true this is in my own life.
of your vessels. Even the thought of stress can raise your
While working and presenting a video about different stress
blood pressure. When stressed, do quick shallow breaths
management skills to my cardiac rehabilitation patients, they
which in turn they don't get as much oxygen in as possible.
mentioned laughter yoga. To say I was intrigued was a mild
These are only a few examples of how stress can play a part
statement. In my life, I knew that I often used laughter to help
in heart disease.
myself cope… but I had no idea there was truly a practice!
Then, we have to take a look at the mental effects of stress.
I embarked on the best journey of my life: learning the
From mental concentration to anger and frustration, stress
practice of laughter. It has so many benefits to assist our
takes a toll. Socially, it can increase family disharmony and
bodies and minds. Actually, it is two-fold in helping both our
absenteeism from social activities.
bodies and our minds. Laughter Yoga was started by Dr. Madan Kataria and his wife Madhuri in 1995 in a park with a few friends; it is now practiced in over 100 countries around the world. It is a practice that involves a slow warm-up to our bodies, including movement and clapping. Directly following, we incorporate laughter, play, and deep breathing practices.
Decreased self-esteem and anxiety are other ways a person’s well-being can be involved. These side effects are not pleasant to deal with, and often overlooked as we survey our long-term health. Over time, this wears us down, and we struggle to be our best selves.
All three of these components bring benefits to our bodies
When I first learned about laughter yoga, I was amazed
individually but done in the right combination, you reap the
that it hits all the points of helping stress in a person over
best benefits.
all. Laughter can aid in physical symptoms by the activity
There is no age or physical limitation to prevent someone from partaking in Laughter Yoga. I have given classes to people from one- to one hundred and one years old. Babies' first reaction is to laugh or smile. We all know their laughter is contagious! Have you ever been in your car stopped at a red
of laughing with the physical activity releasing endorphins. They are known to decrease blood pressure and even provide pain control. In addition, laugher releases oxytocin – the love hormone—making us feel more well and harmonious.
light with your windows rolled up, then, you look over and
Serotonin—the mood stabilizer—assists with our mental
the person in the car next to you is laughing? You may know
health. Every time we laugh, we release these hormones in
what they are laughing about, but you probably smile at the
a rush to our body, instantly helping us to feel happier.
possibilities.
Last but not least, Laughter releases Dopamine, aiding in
Laughter Yoga has been an unexpected, interesting piece in
concentration and motivation. These four chemicals create
my life. Looking back, I’ve always used laughter to lighten my
the perfect chemical cocktail to ensure that we feel happy,
mood, not even realizing what I was using it for. Stress is a big
healthy, and whole as we laugh.
part of our lives. Even babies have stress! They need to find a way to get their diaper changed and get food and make sure their overall needs are taken care of.
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Stress is essentially anything real or perceived that is an interruption to our normal pattern or activity. All of us can
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