Laughter makes you happy and healthy. I'll show you the best laughter yoga exercises and tell you why you should smile every day! This will get you off to a happy start!
Have you had a really good laugh today? Probably not. Or have you? And adults often lose their laughter in everyday life. Yet it's so healthy for us! Just on 15 laughs per day we come. Children make it up to 400 x per day.
We can really learn something from the little ones. Because laughter is super healthy. We can improve our quality of life enormously with a simple smile. Smiling attracts positive energy and can dispel negative thoughts.
The best thing: Laughter is the No. 1 stress killer! 😯
Easy to say, isn't it? For anyone whose smile is a little rusty at the moment, there's Laughter yoga exercises. It's a lot of fun and dispels sorrow and worries within a very short time.
Doing laughter yoga exercises means nothing else than smiling for no reason. They help us to get in the mood and thus cause a real laugh.
The exercises can often be initially somewhat artificial and stiff work. But it gets much better and looser with time.
Let's take a look together at the benefits of laughter and how you can get started with laughter yoga exercises! 🤡
Table of contents
How does laughter yoga work?
If you have committed yourself to laughter yoga (Hasya Yoga), there is one thing above all else on your to-do list: Laugh. As many as possible. Unlike in funny situations, however, you trigger laughter on a motor level. In other words, deliberately and artificially. This artificial laughter then turns into natural laughter.
You may know the saying: Fact it 'til you make it. 😁
The same principle is followed in Hasya Yoga, which has only been around since 1995. It was invented by Dr. Madan Kataria in India. When he discovered the many health benefits of laughter, he founded the first laughter club in Mumbai.
Initially, this yoga discipline was ridiculed. Today, you can even register for courses with us or join one of the 1300 laughter clubs worldwide. Or you can simply try out laughter yoga exercises at home.
You don't need any previous knowledge. The only thing that matters is that you want to laugh. Then "self inducing laughter" is guaranteed to work.
From artificial laughter to real laughter
All laughter yoga exercises always begin with an artificial laugh. Our brain can hardly distinguish it from real laughter - so we become looser and more relaxed.
Now it won't be long before we're laughing for no reason and for real.
What are the benefits of laughter yoga exercises?
Laughter is the best medicine and on top of that it's free, my grandma used to say. And you know what? She was right.
Yes, everyone has days when they really don't feel like laughing. But it's on days like these that we should really try. Because you release happiness hormones in your body.
And it doesn't even make a difference whether you're smiling because you find something really funny or because you're faking it and just smiling for the sake of it. So we can simply trick our bodies - the processes in the body are the same. We should take advantage of this knowledge on not-so-sunny days.
That speaks for laughter yoga:
- Reduces stress
- strengthens the immune system
- Helps with concentration
- Relieves pain
Laughter reduces stress
In a good mood? Then just smile. Every time you laugh, your body releases a whole lot of happy hormones. These endorphins ensure that stress hormones are reduced.
So if you're having a very stressful day, try to find a little time to smile in between. You should laugh a lot on bad days.
Laughter yoga exercises strengthen your immune system
At the latest at the first cold and dark fall days many people lose their laughter. Our immune system is particularly in demand right now.
The good news is that you can not only improve your health with diet and exercise. Strengthen immune systembut with a simple smile. When we laugh, our body activates immune cells.
The stronger our immune system is the less susceptible we are to colds, infections and diseases.
Higher oxygen uptake - better concentration
Do you remember the last time you laughed from the heart? The tears roll down and we gasp for air when we've really got it. When we laugh, we breathe very deeply into our lungs, which means we take in more oxygen, which our body is particularly happy about.
As a result, we can concentrate better, are less tired and groggy and generally fitter.
It can also lower your blood pressure. On the one hand because you have more oxygen available and on the other because you reduce stress.
Laughing is a good workout
Because we were just on the last laughing fit. You're also doing something good for your body. In fact, you can even call it a little workout. Because when you laugh, you are 17 facial muscles and 80 body muscles in the game.
Laughter yoga exercises relieve pain
Whether you do laughter yoga exercises or just laugh enough, both relieve pain. You can even raise your pain threshold.
Especially for headaches, scientists have been able to achieve good research results. Just look for some videos with little clumsy kittens. They're sure to make you laugh.
These 8 anti-stress exercises work immediately!
You can watch a great video on the topic here:
You can implement these 7 laughter yoga exercises immediately
Had a bad day? In a bad mood? Then you'll find exercises here that you can do right away. They're guaranteed to work if you put your mind to it.
1. smile at your reflection
Perfect for a good start to the morning. Also suitable for morning grouches!
Smile at your reflection in the mirror. Ideally while combing your hair and brushing your teeth. Instead of staring into the air or at the floor. Smile at yourself consciously. You can also flirt or hearty laugh. Give it a try! Good mood guaranteed. 😁
But it also works during the day. If you go to the toilet and wax your hands afterwards, you're guaranteed to find a mirror. However, I wouldn't laugh out loud at work, as it could come across a bit strange 😅
2. the ho-ha-ha exercise
Definitely one of the laughter yoga exercises better done at home and not at work.
You say "Ho Ha Ha" and clap your hands. It is important that the hands are completely open and that you clap loudly.
You are stimulating the Acupressure points on the palms of your hands and get a warming and pleasant feeling.
Speaking out loud comes from yoga. And encourages you to breathe in and out deeply. Do this exercise at least 7 times in a row.
By the way, some yogis call this exercise "Santa Claus exercise". 🎅🤣
The book "Laughter Without a Cause" by Dr. Madan Kataria at Amazon can help you understand how laughter yoga works, where it comes from and what exactly it does.
3. hang smileys
Especially on stressful days, we forget to laugh. We simply have too much to do. Yet a smile would do us good right now. This is one of those Laughter therapy exerciseswhich always works.
You can help out a little. Get some funny post-its or design them yourself. The important thing is: they must smile at.
Even if it's just a note smiling at you, our brain interprets it as a positive experience and we automatically smile back. You immediately feel better.
You can also very funny photos of friends print out and hang up. Places that you also visit on stressful days are particularly suitable for this. For example, the toilet, the mirror, doors or a cupboard in the kitchen.
How about a photo shoot together where you take really silly pictures? This may sound strange, but you will really enjoy it. do good. 🥰
4. hearty rising laughter
Now it's getting really funny and a little bizarre. But don't let that put you off. 😅
Swing your arms in the air and let them fall again. Give them a good shake. Do this 3-4 times.
Then clap your hands and shout Ho Ho Ha Ha. Try to smile or laugh as much as you can. Do this 5-6 times.
Now follow with two very deep breaths.
By the way: it can help if you do this exercise in front of the mirror. You're guaranteed to laugh automatically because it looks so silly 🤣.
Do you already know these finger yoga exercises against pain and stress?
5. deep breathing as part of laughter yoga exercises
When we Stress have, we tend to be very flat at breathe. Our body gets too little oxygen and this reduces the Concentration. You may be familiar with this from work, when you sit tensely and for a long time on a task.
Conscious, deep breathing can help.
Breathe in deeply through your nose while raising your arms to the sky. This allows extra air to enter the lungs.
Hold your breath for 2-3 seconds and then exhale deeply through your mouth. 🌬️
Where is the laughter? There's actually no laughter in this exercise. But it helps you to feel better and have more energy.
6. pull up the corners of the mouth for laughter training
There are laughter yoga exercises that help even on days when we don't feel like smiling. This is a very good example.
Just pull the corners of your mouth outward and upward. Put on a smile and leave it for a few minutes.
You can work, clean, go for a walk or do whatever else you have to do on the side.
This exercise is very simple, but already helps our brain to be in a more positive mood.
When you go for a walk, you'll get a few confused looks and a few smiles in return - both of which can be equally funny and lift your spirits.
7. the book of life
Hold your hands folded in front of your chest.
Open it slowly and flip it open like a book.
Can you read what it says? "Smile for once!"
Well then, smile and close the book again. You can do this exercise wonderfully at work.
Tips for everyday life that will give you more to laugh about
A little smile never hurt anyone. On the contrary, it does the person smiled at an indescribable amount of good and doesn't even cost anything.
That's why I'd like to give you two more tips that will sweeten your everyday life and that of others.
Smile at people on the street
I don't mean laughing out loud or laughing heartily, which could be a bit disturbing. A slight smile on the lips is very good for many people 🙂
We automatically laugh back. And next time, you'll be the one to return the smile. Positive charisma is namely contagious.
Get a friend on board
You must have a favorite colleague at work, right? Tell her that you're trying to smile more.
You can introduce a joke of the day. It has to be so stupid that you can't help but laugh. 🤣
Watch videos of clumsy animals
Even a slight smile helps us to feel better. What could be funnier than watching clumsy kittens or puppies going about their daily lives?
I'm also a big fan of videos with alpacas, capybaras, chickens and ducks.
If things get really stressful, you can be sure that I'll watch two or three of these videos and then relax again. 😅
How a typical laughter yoga class is structured
Laughter yoga can be practiced not only at home. For those who want to learn more about the topic or find it difficult to smile themselves, they can also attend a yoga class.
Laughter yoga classes are very popular and are offered in many cities. Just Google "laughter yoga Berlin" or any other city.
You can't imagine a laughter yoga class at all? This is roughly how it works
- Warm upMostly this happens through rhythmic clapping. This activates the enthusiasm center in the brain, which reduces inhibitions. This is extremely important, because simply laughing off the cuff in front of a group of people is anything but easy.
- Breathing exercisesThey help us to switch off. By consciously breathing in and out deeply, we can lower our stress levels. And we can all really use that, can't we? If you already feel ready, you can start with laughter yoga exercises during or after the breathing exercises.
- GiggleIf you don't feel ready yet, start with a gentle form of laughter - giggling. We are already starting to release the first endorphins here and it should be easier for us to switch to laughter with playful giggles.
- Laughter Yoga ExercisesAfter you have warmed up and feel a little more confident in the group, you can get started. There are lots of exercises. We've already told you a few. But because every yoga teacher and every group is different, it's difficult to compare the exercises with each other.
- MeditationAnd then we finish with a round of meditation. This doesn't have to be the case in every laughter yoga class either.
5 reasons why sport helps against stress!
Our conclusion
For many, laughter yoga exercises sound very strange at first. We are simply not used to laughing a lot. But it's super healthy and we should all smile much more often. Don't let your laughter get the better of you, even on stressful days! Have fun and enjoy trying out the exercises! 😁
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