Laughter Yoga Classes Offered in Cullman
CULLMAN – We have all heard the phrase “laughter is the best medicine”, but a new sensation has been sweeping around the globe that takes that phrase to a new level. Laughter Yoga was developed by Dr. Madan Kataria in India and has swept the globe and is now taught in 72 countries.
The idea is simple, but can have significant effects on your health and well being. The core concept of the program is to teach people breathing and laughter techniques that will help you to better oxygenate your brain, and in turn, make you feel healthier and more energetic. Sandy Seibert, instructor for the class, talked about the benefits of her class.
“Laughter Yoga has been has been around for about 19 years now,” she said. “And I think the thing that is so great about it is that laughter really is very beneficial to our bodies, and it has good healing qualities.”
Over the years, many studies have been performed to study the effect that laughter has on the body. The findings have shown that laughter can lower blood pressure, help with sleep, pain relief and many more benefits.
“We combine yoga breathing and laughter techniques, and people really do come out of it feeling revived and energetic. It’s been one of the best things I’ve ever personally experienced,” Seibert said.
The premise behind the laughter techniques is that we do not need comedy to laugh and reap the benefits from laughter. In fact, studies have shown that you receive the same benefits from “fake” laughter that you would if you were genuinely laughing at something humorous shown to you.
“It’s based on the idea that we don’t have to have comedy or humor, that we naturally know how to laugh and it’s an innate instinct. What happens is, we’re born knowing how to laugh and somehow we lose it,” said Seibert. “I mean children do it all the time, they do not need to be shown something funny to just laugh.”
While the concept may seem strange to some, the idea and science behind the practice shows that this class is beneficial to both body and mind. In fact, Seibert has even started classes with the elderly in local nursing homes and has seen impressive results.
“Laughter Yoga is dependable,” Seibert said. “Just going through everyday life, you don’t know where the next laugh is coming from and you might go a whole week without having any deep laughter. With laughter yoga, it’s a dependable place to go and have it happen.”
The class is held at the Cullman Civic Center on Saturdays and is funded on a donation basis, and any amount of donation is welcome. The classes will be starting up again on August 2 at 10 a.m. For more information, please call the Cullman Civic Center at 256-734-9157.
