Laughter yoga, adapted for folks with limited range capacity, is back on my "gotta master" goal list. Because it totally rocks! The benefits for all ages are over the top.
My introduction was through the awesome Elizabeth Venart, of The Resiliency Center in Flourtown. Although thoughts of getting certified in Laughter Yoga have percolated in the back of my mind, the more I am around friends in a local senior community's personal care unit, the clearer the NEED for it becomes.
All of the advantages older people find in laughter yoga applies to all ages:
- Resiliency - laughter helps boosts a positive attitude at the same time it reduces stress. It helps bolster a person's sense of self-esteem & even overcome insecurity.
- Bonding - smiling, just imagining a gathering of my older friends in the Activity Room, circled together in comfortable chairs, running through a series of Laughter Yoga exercises, their eyes locking as they chortle gaffaw howl. There's power in shared laughter.
- A body in motion... - Laughter Yoga combines deep diaphragmatic breathing with hand & body motion, providing a terrific yet low stress aerobic workout. It gets the muscles moving, increases mobility, releases endorphins (natural chemicals in our bodies that make us feel good), boosts our immune system, even increases disease fighting cells & proteins! All from a good laugh!
- Aid cognitive abilities - many people facing declining conditions like Alzheimer's & other forms of dementia have increasing problems comprehending humor, which can be too complex & nuanced for them to grasp. Laughter yoga bypasses those barriers & lets even the seriously cognitively challenged experience the joy of a hearty guffaw, doing wonders for the mind emotions spirit.
- Ease depression - laughter has been shown to reduce depression. Nuff said!
- Transcends reason - so many of my older friends feel they have no reason to laugh. Too many feel that life has passed them by, their happy years are behind them, their capacity to feel joy is what I call meagerized. There's no reasoning behind laughter yoga, just the exuberance of the silly. The look on the face of someone who hasn't experienced a good belly laugh for years - priceless!
- Big benefits with small time investment - I was horrified to read an article that states, "A few hours of laughter every day will..." Seriously?! "A few hours every day"? That would be a total turn off for me. The great news is I've seen people perk up - then stay in better spirits, return to better spirits - after a fairly short weekly session.
- Aerate instead of hibernate - As we age, changes in our bones & muscles can wield a 2-edged sword, lowering the oxygen level in our bodies while reducing how much carbon dioxide we're removing from it, resulting in increased weariness & shortness of breath. Praise be, Laughter Yoga increases the oxygen supply to our bodies.
- Reduce or vanquish some health problems - Many laughter yogis find that health problems - from headaches & asthma to high blood pressure & muscular problems & much more - significantly decline with regular practice.
I love this paragraph from Laughter Yoga - health & fitness craze sweeping the world. It deserves to be shared verbatim:
The session with seniors is not just
about laughter. It entails creating a connection with them, building a
rapport by talking, listening and physical touch. A smile goes a long
way to establish a bond with seniors who are in need of care and
empathy. It creates an ambience of belonging and generates the much
needed feeling of closeness and fraternity. Laughter sessions help them
to share similar interests and instill familiarity and intimacy. It
gives them the opportunity to confide their emotions and express
themselves freely.
AMEN! And may that serve as a swift - and comical - kick to my butt to find out how to get certified in Laughter Yoga so I can stop just writing about its benefits & start providing them!
Caution - Laughter Yoga is terrific, but don't fool around. Check with your physician before starting, since it can have serious consequences for people with a range of medical problems.
Credits:
reuters.com
laughteryoga.org
lolheals.com
aplaceformom.com
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