It was my pleasure a wee while ago to run a six week course for the Kapiti Women’s Centre in Paraparaumu. We met on a Friday morning for a couple of hours and I had some very enthusiastic participants! Every week we looked at a different aspect of laughter. We understood the scientifically proven health benefits of heartily laughing for an extended time. We developed our Inner Spirits of Joy. We found out how to laugh alone. We learnt all about the relationship of oxygen and health. Everyone participated and received their Certificates in Comprehensive Laughter First Aid. And finally, we had a great time with Laughter Meditation and Relaxing together… yum!
I was very fortunate in having a participant write a small article for another group she is involved in describing her experience of Laughter Yoga. She has captured the spirit of what happens when we laugh together and has very kindly given her permission for me to re-print it here, for you all to enjoy!
Laughter, Joy and all that stuff by Shiloh
“If you laugh, you change and when you change, the world changes.” Dr Kataria
Just lately I have had the opportunity to experience a mad, wacky, yet absolutely delightful short course. I was unsure at first whether the course was for me but I wanted to shake off my winter coat and welcome in the new season with a spring in my step. So I joined and with the other ten or twelve women and started with the first hoho hahaha. Now if you recognise that, you will know where I’m going.
Looking in through the windows of this fairly public building you could be forgiven for thinking we were all mad. Walking around waving arms, puffing up cheeks, blowing up invisible balloons and riding pretend bikes upside down were just a couple of the things we did. Creating joy balloons and drawing hearts in the air full of kisses and gold sprinkles then sending them to family, friends and the world, just a few more. Interwoven amongst all the funny stuff was hoho hahaha, clapping and… oh the best of all, laughter. So much laughter it made your sides ache and your face wide with smiles.
Laughter Yoga is a series of exercises that are designed to lift the spirit, energise the body and connect you with universal love. It is free flowing laughter and it enables you to be fully present in the moment as your consciousness expands and you are filled with a ‘joy cocktail’. It allows you to be alert and awake, yet calm and connected and in a State of Being.
There are many physical reasons why these exercises are beneficial to you. Such as relieving muscle tension, slowing your heart rate, reducing blood pressure and allowing you to increase your depth of breath. Yoga teaches that the energy of life or the life force energy or chi, flows from the universal energy through our breath.
Then there’s laughter meditation. Using techniques to relax, revitalize and rejuvenate it creates a vibrational force in the body that when suddenly stilled brings you to a State of Being outside of yourself. In the same way as shamanic dance creates a gateway to experience spirit, laughter yoga allows for heightened awareness.
So, you can understand what I got out of the course, laughter and joy and all that stuff. But the true intention of Laughter Yoga is to spread joy, love and laughter to the world.
So laugh and as they say at Laughter Yoga…“You have done well! Let your Bodies, your Minds, your Hearts and your Souls dance with Joy at this moment”.
By the end of the six weeks, the women were keen to meet together for a monthly laugh and hug in the local shopping mall, and gave themselves the name of Laughter Huggies. And so, the laughter community expands and who knows what will happen next on our journey of Love, Laughter and Joy together……
To find out where you can laugh with others on purpose for more health and happiness in New Zealand.
Contact Lynda Andrews
Phone: 04 299 3066
Email: nzwildwoman@gmail.com
Website: www.laughterpower.com
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