Laughter Yoga
Laughter yoga was created by Dr. Madan Kataria in 1995 in Mumbai, India. The idea came to him at a time he was writing an article ‘Laughter- The Best Medicine’. It originated as a ‘Laughter Club’. After two weeks of telling the same jokes, the participants became bored. Dr. Kataria’s wife is a yoga instructor. He consulted with her in further developing the ‘Laughter Club’. They discovered that there were a lot of similarities between laughing and pranayama exercises. Laughter yoga was born, resulting in a blend of Yogic Deep Breathing, Stretching, and Laughter Exercises that cultivate child-like playfulness. Dr. Kataria came to the realization that the body cannot tell the difference between real and pretend laughter.
I took my very first Laughter Yoga class at Open Door Yoga on Commercial Drive. I have to say, there were a lot of times when I thought to myself, what the heck am I doing. However, the laughter was contagious. I left the class feeling happier and lighter.
Give Laughter Yoga a try. Go with an open mind and an open heart.
Namaste.
