Monday, March 8, 2010

WHAT IS LAUGHTER YOGA ?

Laughter Yoga is a deceptively simple yet very powerful and potentially even life-changing form of exercise that anybody can do, anytime, anywhere. Its core premise is that your body can and knows how to laugh, regardless of what your mind has to say. In short: Laughter Yoga is a body-mind approach to laughter, not something mind-body. The distinction is very important. Here you do not need to have a sense of humor, know jokes or even be happy. Laughter Yoga invites you to "fake it" until it becomes real (it is important to understand that this is not comedy. Thinking will dramatically sabotage your laughter dynamic because it will force you back into the box of your own inhibitions and limitations. You will benefit most if you don't even try to be or look funny.

Laughter Yoga is non-political, non religious, non-racial, non-threatening, non-competitive. It comes with no strings attached. There are no jokes or comedy, therefore there is no judging. No mind = no ego, no room for conflict or power struggle. Laughter is a universal language that transcends all barriers: language, age, gender, social or racial background. It improves inter-personal relationships and enhances communication. It interrupts the power struggle and breaks down the instinctive barriers between people. At a deeper level it proves that pain can be overcome and also that we can all live at peace together no matter what. It teaches you to make happiness a choice and not a consequence. Yes, you can.

-Sebastien Gendry
American School of Laughter

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