Yoga Field

a girl does a weird yoga session.

“Most people think they have to feel good first in order to laugh. But you can start from nothing, you can even start feeling unhappy and just laugh as a form of exercise, and happy feelings follow.” — Jeffrey Briar, Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher

In 1995 an Indian family physician, Doctor Madan Kataria, started the first Laughter Club in a park in Bombay, India to put into practice what he aptly named Hasya or Laughter Yoga (“Hasya” means laughter in Sanskrit). Dr. Kataria was conducting research on the effects of laughter on health and was amazed by the number of studies showing the profound physiological and psychological benefits of laughter. Armed with determination and a wish to help others improve their health and feelings of wellbeing through laughter, he went to a public park near his home and convinced four other people to start a Laughter Club there. This action was at first considered a bit bizarre by his friends and colleagues. However, little by little, more and more people joined in. Today, his friends aren’t laughing at him anymore, now they’re laughing with him: laughter is contagious, and Laughter Yoga has swept the globe. Since the beginnings of Laughter Yoga in that park in Bombay, Dr. Kataria has taken Laughter Yoga to schools and orphanages, prisons, hospitals, senior homes, institutions for people with disabilities, and corporations. In addition, Laughter Clubs have sprung up all over the world.

- There are currently more than 6,000 Laughter Clubs worldwide

- Laughter Clubs exist in over 50 countries, in 5 continents

- There are more than 250,000 people who participate in Laughter Clubs

Benefits of Laughter

Some of the many benefits of laughter are the following:

1. It oxygenates cell tissues.

2. Laughter helps to relieve stress and decreases stress hormones in the body such as cortisol and adrenaline.

3. Laughter strengthens the immune system.

4. When we laugh our bodies release hormones and chemicals that have positive effects on our system. One of these chemicals is endorphins, the feel-good hormone. Because laughter increases the level of endorphins in the body, it’s a natural pain killer.

5. One minute of laughing burns the same number of calories as 6 to 10 minutes on a treadmill. So go ahead and laugh off those extra pounds. In addition, laughter is gentle exercise. It fills your lungs and body with oxygen, deep-clears your breathing passages and exercises your lungs.

6. Laughing raises your mood; joyfulness through laughter is the fastest way to create a positive state of mind. Laughter also helps to combat depression.

7. Laughing is good for the heart and improves blood circulation.

8. Laughter is anti-aging! It tones facial muscles and increases blood supply to the face, which nourishes the skin and gives it a healthy glow.

9. Internal organs are stimulated when you laugh which enhances efficiency of vital organs and improves digestion and bowel movement.

10. Because laughter increases the secretion of endorphins, it can help reduce cravings for chocolate and other comfort foods.

Laughter Yoga Sessions

Laughter Yoga does not use humor to invoke laughter; you won’t find people sitting in a circle taking turns telling jokes or using humor to make each other laugh. Instead, a Laughter Yoga session consists of a series of exercises which include simulated laughter, yoga techniques, funny gestures, systematic giggling and guffawing, and improv-like activities. You don’t have to be happy to laugh and you don’t need a reason to laugh: scientists and doctors agree that fake or simulated laughter has the same physiological effects as spontaneous laughter. That is, fake it until you make it.

Also, you won’t be asked to go into “Downward Dog Position” or the “Triangle Pose” during Laughter Yoga. Some simple Yoga techniques are incorporated into Laughter Yoga sessions, such as deep breathing with inhalation through the nose and prolonged exhalation, as well as shoulder, neck and stretching exercises. However, the word “Yoga” means union–it can be understood as integration of body with mind and soul–and this is the main reason why it’s called Laughter Yoga.

As you can see from the list of “requirements” below, Laughter Yoga is for everyone:

- Laughter Yoga can be done indoors or outside.

- Some Laughter Clubs meet at the beach or in public parks while others meet in conference rooms, classrooms, hospitals, and so on.

- No equipment or props are required.

- There’s no special clothing that you need to wear.

- Laughter Yoga can be practiced by people of all ages and fitness levels. Basically, you can practice Laughter Yoga whether you’re young or old; fit or unfit; flexible or stiff.

- Laughter Clubs are led by Certified Laughter Yoga Leaders.

- Most Laughter Clubs are free, although some charge a small fee to cover costs or ask for a small donation.

- A session usually lasts from 20 to 30 minutes.

Laughter Yoga is easy to do and can help improve your health and increase your sense of wellbeing. So look for a Laughter Club in your area and join in!

Note: The quote by Jeffrey Briar was taken from Alternative Medicine-Live! “Laughter Yoga Trend No Joke in California” by Derrick Walker, February 17, 2008.

About the Author

For more information on Laughter Yoga visit http://www.squidoo.com/laughter-meets-yoga .

From Marelisa Fabrega, Founder and CEO of http://www.marelisa-online.com.

If you are interested in starting Yoga, a Yoga Mat is one of your essential first purchases. At many yoga studios you should be able to rent a yoga mat, or they may supply them for free, but having your own mat has several advantages. These would include allowing you to practice while at home, be more hygienic and in general should help enhance your yoga practice. If you look around there are various types of mats available, including ones specifically designed for Ashtanga Yoga, mats that have extra length or mats that roll up small and are easier to travel with. Hopefully the rest of this article will help you decide what type of yoga mat to buy.

Why Should I have a Yoga Mat

A mat will provide a soft surface for you to sit on rather than the hard floors you will find in studios and gyms. They also provide grip for your hands and feet while in a pose.

The Mats Thickness

The comfort of the mat is based on a mat’s thickness and firmness. Many of today mats are too thin and provide little if any cushioning, and the last thing you want to be thinking about while practicing is how hard the floor is. Other mats are to thick and this could cause them to be too soft to provide enough you with enough support. What you should be looking for is a mat that is thick enough and soft enough to provide a good grip, yet firm enough to provide enough support and cushion you.

It should feel sticky

Grip is usually referred to as the stickiness of the mat. A quality mat will conform around your hands and feet to provide a secure grip. It should not slide around the floor, remain flat and no matter how much you sweat should provide you with the same amount of grip. Initially a new mat may not be that sticky as it should be, this can improve with use, but if it doesn’t, try washing it as this can help speed up the process.

If you are prone to sweat a lot you may want to use chalk similar to that used by gymnasts and rock climbers on your hands, the chalk is designed to absorb the sweat, and stop you from slipping.

How to care for your Mat

You can get special hygienic sprays for cleaning your mat, that may be handy if you have to share your mat, but caring for your mat should consist of nothing more than occasionally wiping it down with clean cloth dampened with warm water. It is also a good idea to get a yoga mat bag to help protect your mat while carrying to and from a class. The mat bags usually have enough room to carry other belongings to and from your class, and they also usually have a strap so you can easily carry it over your shoulder.

About the Author

Gavin Dye is author & webmaster at Yoga Supplies 4u where you can learn more about the benefits of yoga or more about Yoga Mats

By practicing a ‘Rolling Namaste’ in gridlock and traffic jams, you’ll leave road rage behind and benefit from a more healthy lifestyle free yourself of back pain.

Low back pain exercises can also relieve passengers with back problems during stressful driving times. Deepak Chopra has written that ‘the body is like a river’ and with Drivetime Yoga that river keeps flowing.

Drivetime Yoga books, audio and other media, feature simple series of yoga exercises and adjustments that can be done easily, practicing yoga in your car and everywhere.

Drivetime Yoga helps to tone, energize and relax drivers so that they become more centered and focused on driving safely.

Is your car right for you? The driver should place both hands together, pointing forwards. If the steering wheel is not offset then the driver is pointing straight at the centre of the wheel. The danger of having an offset wheel is that most drivers end to rotate the middle of the spine to compensate for its position, producing long term back strain and back pain.

Two major contributors of neck pain while driving are insufficient headroom and inadequate seat positioning. Compact vehicles are notorious for poorly accommodating tall individuals.

If the ceiling is too low for an erect seated position the driver is forced to crunch down in the seat with a forward head posture. This is sure to elicit neck and upper back pain. Short drivers must be able to slide the seat forward to the extent that they do not have to lean forward and place the head in a forward position.

It is common for drivers to lean forward in the seat in order to comfortably reach the controls while driving. The result is not only strain and fatigue to spinal muscles but this creates a significant gap between the head and headrest.

In the event of a rear-end collision the head and neck are vulnerable to whiplash injury because the gap allows the head to go backward into hyperextension. The research on whiplash indicates that the greater the gap between the head and the headrest the greater the injury.

There are add-on headrest supports that close the gap between the head and headrest. One study found that 97% of the existing car headrests provided inadequate neck support and only 3% were rated as good.

About the Author

Glen Wood – The Yoga Teacher, dedicated to unlocking the Real Secrets of Back and Shoulder Pain.

To help you further with your shoulder/back pain you need to sign up for “Yoga and You” at http://www.YogaTeachingwithGlen.com

Several studies have shown a relationship between driving and low back pain. Risks of both low back and neck pain tend to increase as daily driving time increases.

For example, a French study found that low back pain was found to be a significant problem for men who drove at least 4 hours per day. If you drive a lot and suffer from chronic back pain, or even if you wish to forestall the onset of back pain, the application of a little common sense can help. For instance, try to avoid driving for more than two hours without taking a break to stretch your legs.

This will help to prevent fatigue, and relax your back. Secondly, try to change your driving position by adjusting the seat from time to time-providing you can still handle the controls safely. Various seat cushions and back supports can be purchased from independent suppliers and one of these may help.

Short drivers can purchase pedal extensions from some car manufacturers. On the highways, cruise control can be a useful option. His bad habits developed gradually due to lack of attention to his driving whilst pre-occupied with other matters and developed back pain. He had never been a passenger to observe how other people drive. The mechanic could not identify the root of the problem by just looking at the car – he had to observe the driver and car in action to diagnose the cause.

Fitness of Race Car Drivers: Typical problems encountered by race car drivers due to their enduring sport are muscle fatigue, dehydration and cramps. Fitness of these sportsmen is a requirement that needs to be carefully evaluated.

There are electronic sensing devices that serve to improve visibility to areas normally out of the drivers view. Rapid turns of the neck, to see traffic behind or to the side is avoided by utilizing this technology.

The driver should have immediate input of information so as to make quick responses to traffic situations without taking time to move out of a neutral driving position. Many whiplash accidents take place when the driver is out of his normal driving position thereby increasing the severity of injury.

About the Author

Glen Wood – The Yoga Teacher, dedicated to unlocking the Real Secrets of Back and Shoulder Pain.

To help you further with your shoulder/back pain you need to sign up for “Yoga and You” at http://www.YogaTeachingwithGlen.com