Article Sources: Dr. Madan Kataria, Laughteryoga.org

Scientific research shows that laughter can help to resolve many major workplace issues, but until now there has been no reliable and effective system to deliver laughter. Humor was the only tool available, and it is not reliable and seldom leads to continuous hearty laughter.

Laughter Yoga is a breakthrough laughter delivery system that can enable a person to laugh continuously for 15 to 20 minutes with short breaks of yogic breathing.

Factors of work stress and how Laughter Yoga helps to reduce workplace stress

Occupational stress is the most rapidly growing global phenomenon. People are succumbing to work pressure and its damaging effects are being felt in almost all the countries and among all levels of the workforce.

This rise in unhealthy levels of stress leads a broad range of pathological consequences ranging from chronic fatigue to depression, insomnia, anxiety, migraine, emotional upsets, allergies, hypertension, heart disease, peptic ulcers and stomach disorders. It can also alter immune functions, which may in turn lead to the development of cancer. Taken together, these disorders are responsible for a majority of disease, death and disability.

Physical stress: This results from working beyond one’s physical capacity. Working continuously without sufficient rest or recharge makes one physically tired and exhausted.

An extended hearty laughter is the safest and the easiest exercise which massages the entire body, oxygenates the blood and other organs leaving one bursting with energy. Blood pressure and pulse rates decrease and there is an increase in creative thinking, productivity and memory.

Mental stress: This stems largely from heavy workloads with tight deadlines, from fear of losing one’s job or pushing too hard to fulfill basic needs. Competing with others or competing with yourself to improve your performance also leads to mental stress.

Laugher has the ability to reduce stress by reducing stress hormones. It also boosts self confidence and communication skills that enables one to peak performance at work. Deep breathing exercises eases physical pain and reduces mental tension.

Emotional stress: This is deep-rooted and caused by bad relationships at home or at the workplace. Even highly talented and skilled employees cannot perform well if they are emotionally disturbed. Emotional problems at home reflect at work and vice versa.

Extended hearty laughter helps to develop emotional expression through physical playfulness and a playful mental attitude. This physical playfulness helps to shed these masks and enables the free expression of emotions without fear. Laughter Yoga provides a simple, painless and effective release mechanism to help rid the subconscious mind of pent-up emotions through catharsis during intense laughter. Such release helps builds performance and improves one’s emotional intelligence and communication skills.

Decline in teamwork: Competitiveness leads to an aggressive work atmosphere in which team work suffers. People develop a selfish and self promoting attitude.

A hearty laughter session creates a positive work environment. People become better as they drop the ‘I’ for a ‘We’. They learn to compliment and practice other values based supportive social behavior that helps in good team building and ensures better productivity.

Insomnia: Sleep is nature’s best mechanism to recharge so that one can work day after day. But, long hours of work coupled with intense work pressure and tensions take its toll on one’s sleep pattern, which is a cause of many heath related problems.

A good hearty laughter helps improve the sleep pattern and relaxes both the body and the mind.

Stagnation and boredom: The level of job satisfaction and fulfillment falls, leaving a person frustrated and tense. This is a major cause for job hopping as people feel they might have made a wrong choice of a career. They start striving towards a new set of goals which may be unrealistic. This further leads to a dip in performance and self esteem thus keeping them away from happiness.

Extended hearty laughter develops playfulness and new insights that helps one to revive lost creativity. It also helps one to find the source of joy and happiness within, irrespective of the turmoil in business and personal life. It helps people to develop emotional intelligence to connect with others and strengthen their social life.

Anxiety and depression: Business people are more prone to anxiety attacks and depression as they are often highly stressed.

Laughter exercises and deep breathing is a great way to eliminate the physical and the mental symptoms of depression and reduce anxiety. Deep diaphragmatic breathing helps to flush the lungs of stale residual air replacing it with rich oxygenated air. Laughter Yoga has the power to raise the spirit and change the mood instantaneously. It releases natural opiates or ‘feel good’ hormones called endorphins which ‘kick start’ good feelings and also alleviate pain.

Physical illness: lack of exercise and mental tensions and stressful breathing patterns lead to many physical illnesses.

Extended laughter practice reduces irritability, insomnia, anxiety, depression, allergic disorders, asthma, bronchitis, tension and pains and aches due to arthritis. Boosts the immune system which is the key to good health – reduces absenteeism. It can prevent cardiac diseases as it is the fastest and the best workout regime which benefits both the body and the mind. Laughter is equivalent to aerobic exercise in terms of cardio-pulmonary endurance. According Dr William Fry, 10 minutes of laughter is equivalent to 30 minutes on a rowing machine.

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The Benefits Of Laughter

• Reduction of Stress Hormones
• Improves Mood
• Muscle Relaxation
• Immune System Enhancement
• Pain Reduction
• Cardiac Exercise
• Reduces Blood Pressure
• Respiration
• Boosts Immunity
• Helps Prevent Heart Disease
• Adds Joy To Life
• Eases Anxiety & Fear
• Relieves Stress
• Increases Focus
• Enhances Motivation
• Helps To Perform At Peak Performance
• Positive Frame Of Mind
• Enhances Resilience
• Improves Productivity
• Strengthens Relationships
• Enhances Teamwork
• Helps Defuse Conflict
• Promotes Group Bonding
• Dissolves Distressing Emotions.
• Relaxing
• Recharging
• Shifts Perspectives
• Be More Spontaneous
• Let Go Of Defensiveness
• Release Inhibitions
• Express Your True Feelings
• Physical Release
• Live Longer
• Fight Illness Better

Kids get it! Kids can laugh 300-400 times in a day! Adults generally laugh 15 times a day at best!

Want to laugh more? Learn about Laughter Yoga.

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The Science Behind The Benefits of Laughter

The American Physiological Society found that the hormones beta-endorphins (which elevate mood) and human growth hormone (which builds immunity) increased significantly in patients exposed to laughter. Another study by the same doctors found that laughter reduced three key stress hormones — cortisol, epinephrine and dopac — by 38 percent to 70 percent. High levels of those three hormones have long been linked to compromised immune systems.

Laughter Fills Our Lungs With Oxygen
Two-thirds of our lung capacity requires abdominal breathing to activate. This means most of us carry stale air in two-thirds of our lungs. This reduces our ability to fend of illnesses, including cancer. To increase the exchange of stale air for fresh air we need to learn and practice exhaling more forcefully. The more stale air we expel, the more fresh air we can inhale. Think about the act of laughing – HO, HO, HA HA HA. It is all about expelling air from our lungs.

Laughter repeatedly flushes our lungs to their full capacity, bringing more oxygen into our blood system. Oxygen is a major source of energy for our body. The more we have, the better and more energized we feel, and the more efficiently all our bodily systems operate.

The Importance of Oxygen
“Deep breathing techniques increase oxygen to the cells and are the most important factors in living a disease-free and energetic life. When cells get enough oxygen, cancer will not and cannot occur.” -Dr. Otto Warburg, President, Institute of Cell Physiology, Nobel Prize Winner.

“Breathing correctly is the key to better fitness, muscle strength, stamina and athletic endurance.” -Dr. Michael Yessis, Ph.D., President Sports Training Institute.

“Oxygenation through deep breathing boosts the immune system and can rid the body of chronic illnesses.” -Dr. Sheldon Hender, MD, Medical Researcher Cell Oxygenation.

“Deep diaphragmatic breathing stimulates the cleansing of the lymph system by creating a vacuum effect which pulls the lymph through the bloodstream. This increase the rate of toxic elimination by as much as 15 times the normal rate.” -Dr. J.W. Shields, MD, Lymph, Lymph Glands, and Homeostasis.

“Oxygen plays a pivotal role in the proper functioning of the immune system. We can look at oxygen deficiency as the single greatest cause of all diseases.” -Stephen Levine, a respected molecular biologist and geneticist, and Dr. Paris M. Kidd, Ph.D., Antioxidant Adaptation.

Want to laugh more? Learn about Laughter Yoga.

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