Laughter

Laughter Yoga is an up and coming new craze that was originally created in India with only five people. Dr. Madan Katarian was the one who takes the credit for beginning the new fad that even got Oprahs Winfreys attention.

The entire point behind laughter yoga is that laughter is the best medicine. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/04/07/health/webmd/main1481492.shtml

It all started when Dr. Katarian took five people that stood in a circle and one by one would step to the center and tell a joke. Everyone soon realized that laughing made them feel better about them selves.

So, Dr Katarian took this laughter approach and improved it, linking it with yoga.

You are now including laughing with the yoga poses.You could do a downward dog and laugh. The point behind it is to make you smile and make you feel better about yourself.

I asked Jordan Hoffer a 22, year old male student at Oregon State University who partakes in yoga classes at the YMCA. He is a huge fan of yoga and has had the opportunity to try laughter yoga.

He said “I love the energy and the laughing, even though at first there was nothing funny to laugh about and I did feel weird about it. I just put on a smile and it came naturally. I guess you fake it till you make it."

Melissa Dickson at Linn Benton did not share the same feelings as Hoffer. She is a huge fan of yoga but thinks that adding fake laughter is pointless.

"I feel to have true happiness is not something you fake with a cheesy giggle or laughter."

I asked a yoga instructor what she though of the new craze Aurore Morley who teaches at Linn Benton. "I have never tried this kind of yoga it’s something that is more practised in bigger cities. I would love to have the opportunity to try such a happy version of yoga."

Weather you are a believer or a non believer it’s a new experience that everyone should be open to trying after all no one has ever died from laughter. Namaste.