There are many benefits to be gained from Laughter Yoga sessions. The acronym below (quoted from The Laughter Network – see: http://laughternetwork.wordpress.com) describes some of them:
L Laughter releases endorphins, giving us the ‘feel good factor’
A Acts as aerobic exercise and is like ‘internal jogging’
U Unleashes inhibitions, breaks down barriers
G Great team building tool encourages better communication
H Helps boost our immune system, which helps us resist disease
T Tones muscles, improves respiration and circulation
E Encourages positive thinking and creativity
R Relaxes the whole body by reducing stress and tension
I delivered a 1:1 session successfully where the participant gained a lot of satisfaction from the Pranayama breathing between the laughter routines. At the other extreme, I delivered a 20-minute ‘taster’ at a conference with over 100 delegates and the effect was electric!
I have used a very useful tool to measure the feelings and thoughts of people devised through Laughter Yoga International that explores the feelings of a participant before starting a Laughter Yoga session and again after the session has taken place. The results clearly show evidence that the participants emotional feelings have been uplifted, their energy levels have risen, they have awareness of their breathing and they feel more relaxed. There is also a bonding between those who have shared the experience of the Laughter Yoga session.
See Evidence of Benefits page