Finding Balance Through Laughter
Join us at Lila for a Laughter Yoga donation class on Saturday, April 16th from 2-3pm with Liz Reed. As the practice of yoga teaches us, there is brilliance in the way we intentionally place our bodies and minds. Come find out how this translates into smiling and laughing. Liz Reed is a Laughter Yoga instructor with training from The Levity Institute and the Dr. Kataria School of Laughter Yoga. Liz has experience first hand the physical and emotional benefits of laughing on purpose, and believes that giggle fits might just save the world (or at least makes things a lot more fun)! Below is an interview with Liz discussing the benefits of the Laughter Yoga Practice.
Interested in joining us, sign up for this donation class online by clicking here and logging in.
Who can benefit from laughter yoga? The short answer--everyone! Young in age or young at heart, we all need more laughter in our lives.
What do you see as the benefits of laughter yoga? The practice of laughter has a multitude of physical and emotional benefits including: lower blood pressure; increased cardiovascular health; improved digestion; increased oxygenation of the blood stream; decreased levels of cortisol--the stress hormone; increased endorphins--the list goes on! When you combine the benefits of laughter with the power of deep yogic breathing, gentle stretching, and meditation, the outcome is fantastic.
Do you have to be outgoing and funny to enjoy laughter yoga? All you have to be is willing to give it a shot! The idea of laughing on purpose (without funny jokes or silly costumes) can seem off-putting to many people. In actuality many people are quite nervous to laugh with strangers. But if you just try one class you'll feel so great that all of you apprehension fades away. Trust me--I'm quite a shy person! If I can do it and have a blast, so can you.
What makes laughter yoga different from a traditional vinyasa flow class? First off, laughter yoga doesn't incorporate the postures that are typically associated with vinyasa, such as warrior or downward-facing dog. Instead, I lead participants through a series of exercises where we intentionally laugh. An common 'pose' for laughter yoga would be to pretend you're holding a phone and it's the funniest conversation you've ever been on. It can feel odd at first, but soon everyone is genuinely laughing because it really is a hysterical situation.
Laughter yoga is also usually done standing and moving around the room. An important component is making eye contact with others in the class while you're laughing. This simple gesture is my favorite part as it allows the class to build an instant connection and relate as a community. The founder of laughter yoga, Dr. Madan Kataria, envisions laughter as a bridge towards peace in times of conflict. As he likes to say, "We can't be shooting each other if we're laughing together." I find that image so powerful.
Why do you like teaching laughter yoga? It's incredible to watch the transformation that happens to people during a class. They often arrive feeling stressed, anxious, nervous, and unsure of what to expect. They leave the class relaxed, energized, calm, and joyful. I also think the people who practice laughter yoga place a real value on laughing and joy as part of their daily life--and sharing this value I hold so dear with my students is fantastic.
What has laughter yoga brought to your personal life? Laughter yoga has really helped me to break out of my comfort zone. I used to be a person who was pretty determined to be accepted by others and I followed the status quo. By practicing laughter yoga I've come to realize that life is just too short to feel burdened. I want to live my life in a joyful way! If that means dancing down the sidewalk while I'm cranking my ipod, so be it. I've even been known to bounce on a hippity hop ball and hula hoop in public. It's just FUN. And I'm pretty sure we all could use more good, clean fun in our lives.
Anything else? Sure, the practice of laughter yoga may seem pretty crazy to a lot of people. I urge you to give it a shot--just one time--and experience it for yourself. I know it's scary and intimidating but I'll be by your side laughing you through it. I promise, you won't regret it! :)