Whether you’re a yoga devotee or not, you will  probably know about traditional forms such as hatha yoga or ashtanga vinyasa yoga.  If your mat is always rolled out ready, and namaste trips off your tongue on a regular basis, then probably you’ve come across aerial yoga and hot yoga (yes, it’s very hot in the studio for that one…)

But now the in-crowd has moved on.  This season it’s all about laughing yoga.

The idea draws on the deep psychological and physiological benefits from laughing.  When we laugh the body takes in more oxygen, releases feel-good endorphins and lowers blood pressure.

Even if it’s not a real laugh-out-loud response to what is happening around you, advocates argue simulated laughter easily turns into the real thing, bringing decreased stress hormones, a boost to the immune system and improved mood.

The laughing yoga practice involves a combination of deep breathing techniques and playful exercises intended to get the chuckles going.

So it’s less downward dog, more Muttley, the chortling canine partner of Dick Dastardly in the old cartoon Wacky Races.

Namaste!

 

If you’d like to read more about this, the Guardian published an interesting article where they interviewed some of the lead practitioners

stress yoga