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Lynne West knows a belly laugh can be a refreshing stress reliever.
Laughter may be the best medicine
Imagine an exercise that leaves
you laughing. Lynne West is proof that such a workout exists. She’s a certified laughter yoga coach, trained by famed laughter yoga founder Dr. Madan Kataria of Mumbai, India. West holds free yoga sessions at 6 p.m. the first and third Thursdays of each month at Henry Ford Hospital West Bloomfield. We caught up with her and to ask about this increasingly popular form of yoga.
When people try yoga for the first time and attempt to flex their body into position, they might burst out laughing. Is this what you mean by laughter yoga?
For some reason people hear yoga and think human pretzel. But what’s unique to laughter yoga is that it combines laughter with yogic breathing. There are exercises for all abilities, with some as simple as clapping your hands and chanting HA-HA HO-HO-HO. Laughter yoga consists of childlike play, lots of laughter, and eye contact that triggers the mirror neurons, making it easier to laugh more as you connect with others.
If someone has never done yoga before, what can they expect at their first class?
In general, laughter yoga has these four basic steps: 1) Clapping and chanting, 2) Breathing—full belly laughs using the diaphragm, 3) Play that includes lifting the arms into the air which helps lift mood and triggers happy thoughts or memories, and 4) laughter yoga exercises. A typical class starts with some socializing and conversations about laughter. Then the group warms up with some stretching and breathing exercises. Next, the laughter games begin. Sessions usually end with silent meditation.
Give a taste of the holidays
the expert
If you’re a senior living alone, the holidays can be tough. While happy wishes come via TV specials, advertising, and an occasional greeting card, as holidays arrive many seniors are on their own.
If family or friends aren’t around, Holiday Meals on Wheels can help bring some of the joy of the holidays back again.
Who wouldn’t look forward to
a visit from a volunteer who has become a friend as he or she delivers other Meals on Wheels the rest of the year? This way, the senior can look forward to a visitor and a delicious meal, instead of celebrating alone.
However, Holiday Meals on Wheels is not funded like the daily meals that are delivered. That’s why the Area Agency on Aging 1-B depends on donations from people like you to help make this program available. Over 8,000 meals will be needed this holiday season. Donations help ensure that homebound seniors in Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair and Washtenaw Counties enjoy a nutritious meal and a visit from a volunteer on holidays like Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s Day, Passover and Easter.
Do participants need to bring a mat
with them?
No yoga mat or special equipment is required. Just come and expect to enjoy the endorphin rush of laughter.
Are there levels of laughter yoga? Can someone with a physical challenge take the class?
Variations of laughter yoga are always offered within the same session. We can always adapt by incorporating a chair or more movement. I’ve done bedside laughter yoga with cancer warriors and Alzheimer’s patients. It seems no one forgets how to smile and laugh. More active groups do expansive dance and movement, while laughter yoga with the use of a chair typically puts students in closer proximity to one another in order
to benefit from eye contact and shared giggles.
What are the benefits of participating
in this program?
Laughter yoga boosts immunity, lowers stress hormones, decreases pain, relaxes muscles, and helps prevent heart disease and high blood pressure. It can ease anxiety, relieve stress, improve mood and enhance resilience. There are also social benefits, like strengthening relationships and enhancing team work. Plus, anyone can do it.
Are there any studies that prove
the benefits of laughter yoga?
Yes, in 2014 study conducted in North Carolina by Miles, Tait, Schure & Hollis found that 356 older adult laughter yoga participants showed significant health improvements and signs of disease prevention as they participated in these classes. The other (control) group showed no significant improvement. The study proved that the laughter yoga met the criteria for an evidence- based disease prevention and health promotion program.
How can people find out more about laughter yoga and classes?
Visit www.happylaughteryoga.com for more information.
If you are homebound and interested in the program, there’s a laughter yoga by Phone. Call (712) 432-3900 and enter code # 6071292. (These sessions are free, however, check your long distance provider coverage first. You can find out more about these classes at http://www.laughteryogaonthephone. com/about-us.html.
The annual fall fundraiser for Holidays Meals on Wheels has already begun. If you'd like to donate to this special program to help bring a volunteer like Rob (See story on front page) make a senior’s holidays brighter, visit: www.aaa1b.org/donate/general- donation-page/ or mail your check to:
Area Agency on Aging 1-B PO Box 776319
Chicago IL 60677-6319
Your donation will be like sharing
a little of your holiday celebration with a senior near you.
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