Laughter blog - why laughter really is the best medicine

Harnessing the Power of Laughter Yoga for Effective Team Building

team of people doing laughter yoga, yellow smiley ball in foreground

Team building activities are essential for nurturing a positive and cohesive work environment. While traditional team building exercises have their merits, incorporating innovative and unique approaches can take team bonding to a whole new level. Laughter Yoga, a practice that combines laughter exercises with deep breathing, offers a refreshing and effective way to boost team morale, improve communication, and strengthen interpersonal relationships. In this article, we explore how Laughter Yoga can be used as a powerful tool for team building.

Icebreaking and Energizing:

Need an ice-breaker? Well Laughter Yoga serves as an excellent icebreaker activity, breaking down barriers and creating an atmosphere of positivity and camaraderie. Laughter is contagious, and engaging in laughter exercises together helps team members let go of inhibitions, connect on a deeper level, and release stress and tension. Laughter Yoga energizes the team, setting a vibrant tone for the rest of the team building activities.

Strengthening Communication:

Effective communication is vital for successful teamwork. Laughter Yoga promotes non-verbal communication, as participants engage in laughter without the need for words. This shared experience helps team members develop a sense of understanding and empathy, enhancing their ability to communicate effectively. Laughter Yoga exercises also improve active listening skills, as participants must pay attention to each other’s laughter cues and respond accordingly.

Building Trust and Collaboration:

Trust is the foundation of any high-performing team. Laughter Yoga fosters trust by creating a safe and non-judgmental space for team members to let loose and be vulnerable. Through shared laughter, team members develop a sense of camaraderie, building trust and rapport. As participants engage in laughter exercises together, they learn to collaborate, synchronize their laughter, and create a collective experience that strengthens the bonds between team members.

Stress Reduction and Resilience:

Workplace stress can take a toll on team members’ well-being and productivity. Laughter Yoga is an effective stress management tool, as it releases endorphins and reduces cortisol levels, promoting a sense of relaxation and rejuvenation. By incorporating regular laughter exercises, teams can reduce stress levels, increase resilience, and create a positive work environment. Laughter acts as a natural stress reliever, helping team members cope with challenging situations and bounce back quickly.

Enhancing Creativity and Innovation:

Laughter Yoga stimulates creativity and innovative thinking. When individuals are in a relaxed and joyful state, their minds are more receptive to new ideas and alternative perspectives. Engaging in laughter exercises during team building sessions sparks creativity, encourages brainstorming, and promotes a playful mindset. This creative energy can lead to fresh insights, innovative problem-solving, and a more dynamic and productive team.

Improving Morale and Motivation:

High team morale and motivation are crucial for sustained team success. Laughter Yoga uplifts team spirit and boosts morale by creating a positive and joyful atmosphere. Laughing together creates a shared experience of happiness and optimism, fostering a sense of belonging and team pride. As team members feel motivated and valued, their enthusiasm and dedication to their work increase, resulting in enhanced productivity and overall team performance.

Enhancing Emotional Intelligence:

Laughter Yoga helps develop emotional intelligence among team members. As participants engage in laughter exercises, they become more attuned to their own emotions and those of their teammates. This heightened emotional awareness promotes empathy, understanding, and the ability to respond sensitively to others. Improved emotional intelligence strengthens interpersonal relationships and enhances collaboration within the team.

Long-lasting Positive Impact:

One of the remarkable aspects of Laughter Yoga is its long-lasting effects. The positive emotions and connections created during laughter sessions extend beyond the activity itself. Team members carry the sense of joy, unity, and positivity into their daily interactions, resulting in improved teamwork, increased job satisfaction, and a supportive work culture.

Laughter Yoga builds great teams, in summary:

Laughter Yoga can be a unique and effective tool for team building, helping to improve team dynamics and performance. By incorporating laughter exercises into team building activities, organizations can create a positive and cohesive work environment, fostering communication, trust, creativity, and resilience among team members. Embracing the power of laughter ensures that team building becomes a fun and memorable experience that positively impacts the overall success of the team.

If you’ve not tried Laughter Yoga before for your team, then get in touch and ask about it. As well as being a powerful team-building took – it’s a laugh!

Featured in the Sunday Times

Getting the Laughter Yoga message out, thanks to the Sunday Times.

I’m so delighted to have been featured in a Sunday Times article in the main paper this year.

Laughter Yoga really is getting mainstream! And for more information about the benefits of Laughter Yoga, and how it can be used in your business, or indeed to help you set up your own business… then give me a ring or email via the contact page.

We’ve often said that “Laughter Yoga is your golden ticket” and yet again it has delivered. Everyone wants more laughter in their lives. See how yours can be transformed after training as a Laughter Yoga Leader, just by using the Laughter Yoga words on your CV or profile.

Laughter Yoga Poem

The brilliantly poetic and creative Sharon Nott attended a recent Laughter Yoga training. Here’s the poem she wrote and sent to me shortly afterwards. Thanks Sharon 🙂

.

Laughing yoga, no not me.

Wouldn’t want anyone to see.

What if I couldn’t summon a laugh.

What if I they felt that I was daft.

.

But then I met Sue

With her cheery disposition

And decided there and then

That I was on a mission.

.

I would step out of my comfort zone

And join in all the fun

I would laugh and learn the exercise

And not hide away or run.

.

The group were so amazing

We had such a giggle

Throughout the whole weekend

Negativity! – not a niggle!

.

We got to talk all  gibberish

With our childlike minds

We practised meditation

Imagery, breathing, all different kinds

.

So I am now a Laughter Yoga Leader

And will share this with all

If its something your considering

Definitely give sue a call

Laughter Yoga Session Planner – the BIG PICTURE

Congratulations – you’ve trained with us as a Laughter Yoga Leader.  I thought it would be good to have a big picture session planner condensed to one sheet.  So here it is.

Complete it in no particular order – it all depends on whether this is your session, or one you are delivering for a client.
You can download this as a PDF, or use it from the website.

Laughter Yoga BIG PICTURE Session Planner

Laughter Yoga BIG PICTURE Session Planner

 

Eight ways to boost your mood in 15 minutes

The Mood Boosting Plan

By Positivity Psychologist, Miriam Akhtar

Try these tips to give yourself a lift when life is getting you down. Happiness is something we do rather than something that just happens so build some of these practices into your day to #GetMoreGood into life. Start with the ideas below, which are all known to grow happiness, and then plan your own playlist of mood boosters and do one thing from it every day, whether that’s going for coffee with a friend, or having a treat like a massage.

(Left to right) Miriam Akhtar, Rob Hobson, Davina McCall, Jackie Wren, Alyson Walsh and Kathryn Burrington. Photo credit: David Parry/PA Wire

Three good things

What’s good in your life? What’s gone well? What are you grateful for? Just before bedtime sit down and write a list of your three good things for the day. Counting your blessings focuses your attention on the positives in life, which lifts the mood. We are wired to notice what’s wrong before we notice what’s right, so practicing gratitude helps you tune in to appreciate the good things you have.

Slow down and smell the roses

A powerful mood booster is to savour positive experiences so that you squeeze all the juice out of them. Bask, marvel, relish, feast and luxuriate to maximise your enjoyment. First up you need to slow down and put your full attention on whatever you’re savouring so stop multi-tasking and switch the phone off. Then use all your senses to turn the volume up on the experience. In workshops I teach people how to savour with fruit – noticing the colour of a strawberry, its sweet smell, the crunch as you bite into it, the texture on your tongue and the full flavour of its delicious taste. You can savour the past – reminiscing over a happy memory or the future – relishing the excitement of something you’re looking forward to like a holiday. Ask yourself what is good about it?

Be a good friend

The number one source of happiness is other people so you can get an instant mood boost by reaching out to someone. Pick up the phone and speak to a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while. Write someone a thank you letter. Help someone out. Acts of kindness help both givers and recipients feel good, so you get positivity bouncing back and forth between you. It’s also a useful distraction from your own troubles.

Get into nature

Green exercise is physical activity in a natural environment. It only takes a few minutes of walking in the woods or wild swimming to start generating positive emotions. Doing it by water has extra calming benefits for the mood. Find your nearest patch of green and get physical – go for a walk or do a few yoga stretches.

Play to your strengths

Your strengths are your positive qualities, such as courage or kindness, and your talents – the things you’re naturally good at. What are you doing when you’re at your best? What do you have a gift for? Finding ways to use your strengths can help you perform better at work and grow your well-being. Your strengths are like levers that you can pull to help you reach goals and resolve issues eg. how can your strength in perseverance help you reach the goal of running 5k?

Reframe

When something goes wrong, try to find the positive in the negative. A Sunday walk that’s rained off becomes an opportunity to linger over the Sunday papers or curl up on the sofa with a box set. Look for the positive in what happens. On the other side of a negative is an opportunity to prioritise your needs, pamper yourself and have total control over the remote!

Get into flow

What puts you ‘in the zone’? Flow is that state where you’re so completely absorbed in what you’re doing that you might lose track of time. People get into flow through hobbies like crafting or baking, doing something physical like gardening or jogging or creative like painting or jewellery-making. Try to set aside a couple of hours a week where you lose yourself completely in a flow activity. It’s a very satisfying experience.  (Remember Laughter Yoga is a great way to get into flow – take it up as a hobby or as a new career)

Something to look forward to

Make a list of 3 positive things that you expect to happen tomorrow and then relish the anticipation of them coming up. What is there to look forward to? Indulge in some day-dreaming and spend a few moments anticipating the positive feelings that you will get from it. By doing this practice regularly you’ll start to feel more optimistic and excited about what’s ahead.

 

Ryvita has teamed up with Miriam Akhtar, Positivity Psychologist, to be part of their Positivity Panel alongside Davina McCall. The panellists were handpicked to help inspire women across the nation to feel confident and happy, whatever their age, through advice, tips and tricks. Head to https://www.ryvita.co.uk/living-well/ to find out more.

 

Laughing Yoga

Laughing Yoga or Laughter Yoga – what’s the difference?

I often hear people call Laughter Yoga, “Laughing Yoga”.  In fact one man has just phoned me, keen to find out how to become qualified in “Laughing Yoga”  in Devon. It was his phone call that prompted this post.

I asked him, “Do you want to become a Yoga expert that laughs, or would you like to learn Laughter Yoga?”.  Of course we had a good laugh about it, and he’s decided he would definitely like to learn Laughter Yoga.  However there is a serious point to this. Becoming a Yoga Teacher (in one of the more traditional forms of Yoga) takes many years.  It’s a complex business, understanding both their own inner experience and helping to guide others.  They are often working with people in a physical, physiological and emotional/spiritual/meditative way, and they are showing people how to bend into challenging shapes, Downward Dogs, Upward Suns and everything in between.

I consider these traditional Yoga teachers to be experts in their subject, and because they have undertaken such a rigorous training.  I delight in hearing  about different types of Yoga – for example, hot yoga, Kundalini Yoga.  Or my most recent favourite – Aerial Yoga!  WOW – these people are swinging from folds of fabric, held in harnesses, doing gravity-challenging stretches and moves.  It’s gracious – and isn’t all Yoga gracious?

neon lights "all you need is LOL" Laughing Yoga

Photo by Kah Lok Leong on Unsplash

Laughter or Laughing Yoga holds many similarities with the traditional yoga’s in the world, but one thing it probably isn’t is gracious!

Here are some of the similarities and differences:

Name: should Laughing Yoga or Laughter Yoga even be called “Yoga”?  Yoga – the word means “yoke” or join.  With Laughter Yoga, the yoga creates the join between Laughter and deep Yogic breathing.   It isn’t the serious sort of word that some people consider it to be.

Exercise: Laughter Yoga offers a series of movements, but these are much more relaxed than a traditional Yoga session.  They may even include lying on the floor – however that is often accompanied with snorting, giggling and guffawing.

Laughter Yoga or Laughing Yoga is available and brilliant for people of all ages and levels of ability. 

With Laughter Yoga, nobody will be telling anyone to “make a certain position”.  The person doing Laughter Yoga has the choice to participate or not – and they are always advised not  to push it. If they feel uncomfortable or any unusual pains, then the advice is ALWAYS to stop!

Meditation:  Laughter Yoga sessions usually end with a Laughter Meditation – which is a way to allow yourself to laugh freely and with conscious awareness.

Guided meditation: Laughing Yoga sessions often also finish up with a Guided Meditation or a mindfulness moment, where people are gradually brought back into their own awareness.  This session can be the most deep and delightful experienced (many people report that finding to me) because so much adrenalin and stress hormones have been dispersed, people find they can gain true inner peace.

Equipment:  Laughter Yoga can be done with absolutely no equipment, not even a yoga mat.  Often Laughing Yoga Leaders will run a Laughter Yoga session outdoors in a park, with nothing but their own sense of fun and joy.

So – as Laughing Yoga, or Laughter Yoga,  includes movement, meditation, conscious use of laughter to make ourselves feel great and to connect with others around us. Perhaps the only difference between Laughter Yoga and traditional yoga is in the body stretches and the requirements of physiological training.

Perhaps it’s grace and silence that differentiate yoga from Laughing Yoga?

I was also going to suggest that the graceful movements and often silent tradition of traditional yoga might be another difference, but a friend has just phoned me.  She’s just come home from her Kundalini Yoga class, and apparently tonight her lentil curry wasn’t fully digested before she attempted a complex stretch.  The resultant breaking wind meant the whole class erupted in laughter.  So it seems even traditional Yoga is not without its laughter… nor is it always totally refined and graceful, which is precisely when it becomes Laughing Yoga.

Perhaps the only true difference is that Laughter Yoga or Laughing Yoga is about consciously creating laughter, and encouraging, not suppressing, any urge to laugh.

Tips for reading Guided Meditations

Woman meditating in guided meditationAfter a Laughter Yoga session, there are a number of ways to conclude and bring people back down from the euphoria of laughing.   One way is to ask them to settle, relax and notice their breath as it flows in and out.  Just bringing their attention back to the breath. Another is a reading guided meditations.   This is brilliant in a group when you know you have the time, and you can choose an appropriate meditation for the group.  Here are some tips on reading guided meditations

Before you start reading Guided Meditations:

Ensure you are familiar with the meditation.  Read it to yourself.  How does it flow? Are there errors in it, or elements that you think you might stumble over reading the guided meditation? If so, change the meditation so it is more appropriate to your style.

It might surprise you to know that for many people, their first time listening to a meditation can cause them concerns – they may be questioning “am I doing this right?”, or “does everyone have their eyes closed?” or even “what if I fall asleep and start snoring”.

For these reasons it’s important to have adequate pre-meditation setup.  Address these issues with this script if you like:

“It is normal if your mind wanders during meditation. This happens even in experienced meditators.   If this happens to you, just notice it, and then bring your attention back to my voice, or the meditation or whatever you are visualizing. Do this kindly and gently, as if you are guiding a small child.   

“Some people might nod off for a few seconds during a meditation.  Again, this is normal, so if you fall asleep for seconds, then just notice it, and kindly and gently bring your attention back to the meditation.

“External noises, shuffling, traffic, whatever noises you may notice, are fine.   And it is also fine, if you need to move at all to make yourself comfortable, that you can do this. Please do it mindfully and with minimal disruption to other”.

Then, as you are reading Guided Meditations…

Make sure you are in a calm and peaceful state.  Pay attention to your own state, whilst people are settling themselves, lying down, etc.

First breathe slowly and deeply, into your stomach and let people hear these long breaths, so they will also naturally slow their own breathing. Don’t do this to excess

When you start your meditation, start it with the phrase:  “take two deep  breaths” – and take two yourself, slowly and audibly.

Breathe in, slowly, and only speak on the out-breath.  This may mean splitting sentences.  That’s fine.

Use your own voice (don’t try to make it low or hypnotic) just speak with your own voice, but slower.

Enjoy reading the meditation.  Take real pleasure in it.  Whilst you need to be more alert than the meditators, you too can start to visualize.

After reading Guided Meditations

Make sure you give clear instructions for them to get up off the floor “Roll over to your side and slowly sit up, in your own time”.

Now give a little more time for people to “come round”, gently.  Don’t rush this.  Take time, scan the room.

Once everyone is seated and alert again, it can be useful to discuss the meditation experience. Remember the likely concerns – “am I doing this right?” – this discussion can give new-time meditators an opportunity to discover that everyone is having similar experiences.  That other people had the same concerns, perhaps.  This discussion can help to identify the benefits of meditation and encourage people to take their learning further:

Ask questions like: “how was that for you?”” How are you feeling right now?” “What are you experiencing in your body now” What has changed for you”?

Laughter Training for business

Laughter Training for business

We offer a full service in Laughter Yoga training for business.  Our training is flexible and designed around your needs. It includes visiting your organisation to provide regular Laughter Yoga sessions right through to training your staff to provide your own Laughter sessions.

Our Laughter Yoga Training can be in-house or at an open course. We often run courses for both the Midlands and the South West.  Our partners also offer Laughter Yoga Training in the North West and North East. Please contact us for more information.

 

BENEFITS OF LAUGHTER IN BUSINESS

Laughter is a proven means of stress-release, it’s great for helping people to connect with others, and it can really take people out of their comfort zones.

Try Laughter Yoga for:
– stress management

-creativity training

-team away days

-dealing with change and learning curves

-supporting new teams

-re-energising old teams

-just doing something new, out of the ordinary, and fun.

OPEN LAUGHTER COURSES FOR COMPANIES

Please register your interest by emailing us or using our contact form, and we will let you know as soon as the Open Course is available in your area.

BESPOKE COURSE FOR YOUR ORGANISATION

Please contact us to discuss your requirements in full. We have an extensive fact-find in order to create the perfect Laughter Yoga course for your business

WANT TO HOST?

We can offer preferential rates for organisations that may wish to host an Open Course at their company.  In these situations, the course would still be open to people from outside the company, subject to your approval. Please contact us to discuss.

 

 

Laughter Yoga in Schools

Whether your pupils are 4 or 18, our Laughter Yoga in Schools service is centred around stress management and Laughter Yoga.  Laughter Yoga is an excellent addition to any school curriculum, offering support in learning,  as well as bringing greater confidence, self-esteem and resilience to pupils.

Make things happen and laugh!

Our Laughter in Schools offering, means we can create a bespoke and tailored approach to suit your school, whether you would like a laughter “taster session”, a one-day laughter event, or a full integration into your curriculum across the year.

Laughter can support pupils at all stages of their learning, and whilst it needs to be tailoredLaughter Yoga perspective and pencils to suit different ages and requirements, the principles are the same – using the beneficial psychology and physiology of Laughter training to bring about positive and deep-seated effects.

Choose from:

  • Laughter Yoga sessions in school
  • Laughter Yoga for assemblies and events
  • Laughter Yoga training for staff and parents
  • Laughter facilitation training for events and activities
  • Laughter Yoga products, including DVDs
  • Laughter Yoga CPD
  • Our activities and services in schools are not just in-school! We offer a selection of training and Laughter support, that can be used for parents, after-school and even holiday care.

Learn to be a Laughter Leader!

And – we are fully trained to train you! If YOU would like to deliver Laughter Yoga sessions in your school, then we can train and certify you officially to become a certified Laughter Yoga Leader, an internationally recognised certification with Laughter Yoga International.

Listen out for Laughter Yoga Radio 4…

Tim Vine Laughter Yoga

Laughter Yoga Radio 4 with Tim Vine

Sue Haswell recently lead an on-air Laughter Yoga Radio 4 session with Tim Vine at the Babbacombe Theatre, Torquay, Devon with an audience of 600.  The session was recorded and will be played back on Radio 4 on the Tim Vine show.

We’ll post a link to the podcast as soon as it becomes available.

Tim Vine and Sue Haswell Laughter Yoga Radio 4Sue said: “Tim Vine is one of my favourite comedians so I was delighted when he came to our area to record a show for Radio 4.  I had a bit of a cold, but thought I would still put my name down as a potential guest… and then as my cold took effect throughout the evening, I was beginning to regret that decision.   Fortunately adrenalin really kicked in when I actually got invited on stage to talk about Laughter Yoga, and when I realised the PR opportunity I decided to offer Tim and the audience a quick Laughter Yoga session.

“I got fabulous feedback after the show, and a number of people asked to talk with me about using Laughter Yoga in their businesses and lives.

“This was a brilliant experience and I’m still buzzing after the show.  Proud to have promoted Laughter Yoga on the national stage via Radio 4.  The more people who know about the power of laughter the better.

Laughter yoga on the Radio – it’s no turkey farm (we hope!)

Laughter Yoga is both a visible and audible experience, and as so much Laughter Yoga has been on the TV, it will be interesting to notice how the experience evolves on radio.  Certainly in past audible recordings, I’ve heard a small group of laughter yogi’s described as “sounding like a turkey farm”, which was quite funny in iteself.  However this may be a very different sound with 600 people in the audience.

Looking forward to hearing the final broadcast, and hoping that Sue doesn’t sound too Brummy or bunged up, and that any Torquay turkeys weren’t too close to the microphones.

 

Tim Vine show link to series 1