Health Benefits of Yoga - Reducing Stress and More With Laughter Yoga

There are different kinds of health benefits of yoga. Usually, the benefits received from a type of yoga depend on the kind of yoga a person is practicing. One of the kinds of yoga that is gaining in popularity thanks to its health benefits is laughter yoga.

It is said that children laugh around 400 times each day. Anybody who has been around children know they are typically carefree and full of energy. On the other hand, studies have shown that adults laugh only about 15 times a day on average.

Because adults must deal with more stress, it is understandable that they laugh less. However, one of the key points of laughter yoga is that the more a person laughs, the better they will be able to reduce the stress they feel.

In addition to reducing stress, laughter yoga is also said to be able to boost a person's immune system, strengthen his or her heart and improve overall circulation. A person who wants to try out this kind of yoga to improve his or her health can try the following:

• Find a class - Laughter yoga is usually most effective when it is done as part of a group, rather than a person doing it on her own. Because laughter yoga includes more than just laughing, an experienced yogi can help a person get the most health benefits.
  
  

• Get ready - Just like any other form of yoga, a person who hopes to truly be able to receive some health benefits of yoga that focuses on laughing must be able to take the time to warm up. When warming up, a person should clap twice, saying "Ho, Ho." Then, he or she should clap three times while saying, "Ha, Ha, Ha."
  
  

• Breathing is important - Breathing is important in any kind of yoga. In laugh yoga, a person can breathe deeply by drawing in a large breath through his or her nose that immerses his or her lungs. Hold the breath for about 10 seconds, and then slowly exhale. Pay attention to the way the air leaves the lungs. This process should be repeated three times.
  
  

• Laugh - This is easier said than done. The fact is that a person who is not comfortable acting "silly" in a group may need some time to get used to this kind of yoga. The best way to get used to doing this yoga is to realize that everybody else looks just as silly. A person should start the laughing by raising his or her arms in the air and laughing heartily as he or she throws his or head back. Use the other people in the group. People can shake hands, nod, wave and laugh at each other.
  
  

• Learn to laugh silently - Laugh yoga does not simply focus on the noises a person makes. Rather, it focuses on the way a body functions as it laughs. Laughing silently can allow a person to get a good abdominal workout, It can also allow a person to work out his or her facial muscles.
  

If a person has participated in yoga for years, he or she must remember that laughing yoga does not replace all of the health benefits of yoga that has been previously been practiced. A person who is looking to stay flexible will likely want to continue to do other types of yoga.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for Web sites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background also includes teaching, gardening, and fashion. For more of her useful articles on yoga and Pilates, please visit Yoga Supplies, home to many useful articles about health and fitness.

Yoga for Mind and Body

Life today for many people is a stressful situation. We have worries of making enough money to pay for the ever rising cost of housing, food, clothing and other bills. Many deal with work that they do not really enjoy. It seems we are usually in a rush to get to jobs, finish projects and chores, and get children to school or their other activities. As we are trying to do these things we find ourselves faced with traffic and crowds. All while we are trying to find quality time to spend with our families and friends. All of this puts a lot of stress on us, draining a large amount of our energy.

Research has shown that the mind and body are interconnected. What effects us on a mental and emotional level will also effects us on a physical level. People who have emotional problems are usually found to have physical ailments, ranging from headaches to much more series diseases. If we do not deal with our mental and emotional stress, the physical ailments will manifest and get worse.

This is where yoga can be a tremendous asset for us to practice regularly. Yoga helps us connect our mind to our body's movements and rhythms. It teaches us to relax and be at ease. Our bodies become more toned and flexible. Our minds become more clear. We find an inner balance and peace that leads to a healthier life.

Yoga teaches us to be at ease so that when these challenging life situations arise we can deal with them constructively. If we are not relaxed and do not have inner harmony we tend to deal with such circumstances by creating anxiety. It is not the events that bring distress on us, but how we react to them. When we come to this realization it should be easy to see that the power to find happiness is also within each of us. We each have the power to make ourselves more harmonious, and in turn the world a better place.

We find this inner peace by practicing yoga poses, also called asanas, and through breathing. Asana is the Sanskrit word for the poses and positions you practice in yoga. These include many different twisting, standing, back bending, and balancing positions of different parts of the body. This all helps with alignment and balance, making the mind and body stronger. Anyone of any age or ability can practice yoga, though some positions require more skill than others to perform. Breathing awareness and control is also important. It helps strength the mind and body connection while also helping us to slow down and relax.

With how most of our lives are today and the benefits yoga brings, it seems like the two should be brought together. Many people are coming to this realization. Yoga has been gaining in popularity in the West for many years. It has become very common to see its influence very day. Even small towns have been known to be home to a yoga studio.

Chad Lynch has been practicing yoga for several years and wishes to share the benefits it brings. You can learn more by visiting my blog, Spirit Yoga

http://spirityoga.taoreview.com