Laugher is the best medicine

I personally was not aware of this, but did you know that laughter yoga is a ‘thing’.

When I discovered this, I was curious. I did a bit of scrolling around and found that the definition of this type of yoga is treated as therapy and is a type of exercise that helps ‘relieve pain and stress and improve a person’s sense of wellbeing’ through a combination of laughter-based activities.

You can read more at laughteryoga-australia.org

Wow! I do often say in my classes that if we can’t laugh at ourselves from time to time then we are not really doing yoga. This has always made sense to me as laughing releases endorphins, the feel-good hormones and when we do yoga we want to maintain a relaxed state even though we may be experiencing some challenging moments.

Just like in life, we may be severely stressed or dealing with some heavy shit, but we can still find space to laugh.

 Laugh and play is a necessary part of being human and makes our life more fulfilling, yet adults can be stuck in rut of being serious leading to an unhealthy overdrive of rigidity and structure.

 The benefits of play are widely researched and has led to a universal prescription that laughter really is the best medicine.

Children a naturally playful, living in the present moment exploring ways to make themselves laugh and become excited about the what the day has to offer them.

As we age and become adults, we tend to lose this connection to play, becoming increasingly rigid and structured with our approach to life.

This is not the way things are meant to be. Humans are actually beings of love and play.

We need playfulness in our existence as a way to relieve stress, improve brain function, boost our creativity and to heal any emotional trauma and wounds.

Laughter and play is the common thread in the huge blanket of love that envelopes our relationship with self and others. It can not only improve the quality of our relationships, but positively alters the way we perceive ourselves.

This week, on the home practice platform we explore the theme of ‘playfulness’ in our classes. Join me in setting an intention to find more playfulness in life. Here is how we can do it:

 Practice laughter in yoga

Actually, laugh at yourself if you start taking yourself to seriously during yoga class? Find the pose difficult for your body, just smile and have a chuckle to yourself. Think about a child learning to walk for the first time. Do they nail it perfectly? No! Remind yourself you are doing a practice not a performance.

Do the positive mindset challenge

Try the positive mindset challenge. This challenge requires you to nip any negative thought or behaviour in the bud. We place a bracelet or wrist band on, the aim is to try and keep it on the same wrist for as long as possible as a reminder to operate from a positive mindset rather than a negative one. As soon as you have negative thought, and have failed to transmute into a positive perspective, aka you act out, you need to switch it to the other wrist and start again from Day 1.

You may not actually realise it... as ridiculous as this sounds, this challenge is actually exercise for the brain. Over time with commitment, we can actually 'rewire' the brain to operate from a positive mindset. Incredible! Want more on this topic, I highly recommend to follow Rick Hanson, this Ted Talk is a great start.

Try listening to or chanting mantra

Ever tried mantra before? Chanting mantras from the vedic texts is a traditional aspect of yoga practice that has been ‘left behind’ since yoga has been commercialised by the west. Chanting deepens our yoga practice and elevates our consciousness, it actually helps calm the mind. There has even been scientific studies done to observe the meditative effects on the body.

Whatsmore Sanskrit, is an ancient language that is thought to be the mother of all languages including English. You are not singing another cultures language, if you think this is Indian for example – Sanskrit is a universal language, a language for all mankind.

“Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu” (लोकः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु),

May everyone in the world be free and happy

 This may be totally foreign and might sound weird or uncomfortable for you, but give it a go for 7 days and see how you go. Each morning or night, listen to this chant while you sit down silently. Put the earphones in for extra affect, and if you wish to follow along, sing until your hearts content