American LY Conference – A Great Success

The 4th All American Laughter Yoga Conference was a great success and truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. It was held at the Roadway Inn at Estes Park, a little town nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Several members experienced altitude sickness, but the breath taking view of snow-capped peaks, lakes and birds from the rooms coupled with more laughter was an instant cure.

Dr. Kataria has been talking about Laughter Yoga in prisons, schools, elderly homes, and the likes. But, the presenters at the conference really had a surprise for all. Laughter Yoga in End of Life Facilities for Children was amazing. It is a laughter club which operates every day on a beach in Laguna. Then there is a Laughter Yoga phone line that operates 11 times a day, every day, throughout the country and a Laughter Yoga Radio Show that airs in Jamaica. But, the highlight was when a disabled person stood up and told everyone how he was presenting Laughter Yoga to the disabled.

Launching Laughter Club Exchange Program At Bangalore Conference

Australian couple Carolyn Nicholson and her husband Des enjoyed the hospitality of Madan and Madhuri Kataria as they stayed with them in Mumbai and Bangalore under the aegis of our new Laughter Club Exchange Program. For many people around the world it is a dream to come and visit India and see the incredible Laughter Yoga clubs happening every single day. So, if you want to visit the land of laughter clubs, pack your bags as we have officially launched the interclub exchange program. Now, Laughter club members from one country can visit and stay with families of laughter club members in other countries.

At the onset, we invite 25 members of laughter clubs from anywhere in the world to come and attend the All India Laughter Yoga Conference to be held between December 4th – 6th, 2009 in Bangalore. We already have the host families ready to receive them. They can stay with them and visit laughter clubs, and participate in the conference which will be attended by almost 1100 people from all over India.

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Upcoming Australasian Conference In Sydney

Join us for the 4th Australasian LY Conference on 14th and 15th November in Sydney, Australia. Dr. Madan Kataria, founder of Laughter Yoga movement and Laughter Yoga Teachers Sebastian Gendry and Merv Neal will present workshops on different aspects of Laughter Yoga. We also have special presenters from New Zealand who will share how Laughter Yoga is making a difference to the lives of people in New Zealand. You will meet people from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and several other Asian countries.

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New Laughter Yoga Research Studies

Germany

A TV film in Germany showed one group of people doing laughter exercises and another group doing callisthenics. The objective was to do a comparative study about the impact of Laughter Yoga on the muscles of the belly. The study was conducted by Professor Dr. Heiko Wagener of University of Münster. And guess what? The laughter group showed greater mobilization of the low lying muscles than the group doing callisthenic exercises. The participants of the laughter group belonged to the Laughter club of Neuss (near Düsseldorf) and were led by laughter leaders Veronica and Gisela Dombrowsky.

We are trying to get the permission to post the video on You Tube and also the results of the study which will be published soon.

South Africa

Laughter may not be the most scientific counter to ailments, but a UKZN academic Dr. Gita Suraj Narayan, senior lecturer at the School of Social Work and Community Development and a certified Laughter Yoga Leader recently proved that “laughter is the best medicine” through her research and a series of community outreach projects.

She carried out a research study in 2008 exploring the Bio Psycho-Social Impact of Laughter Therapy on stroke patients and to empower rural communities using Laughter Yoga with cognitive restructuring as an alternate form of therapy. The study comprised 120 laughter therapy sessions using various laughter techniques, pranayama (deep yogic breathing exercises) and cognitive restructuring conducted on stroke patients between the ages of 40 to 90.

Significant findings of the study included a reduction in post-stroke depression, enhanced mobility and the ability to walk without walking aids, endorphins released as a result of laughter helped in reducing the intensity of pain. In some cases laughter therapy helped patients recover from cognitive deficits resulting from stroke including perceptual disorders, speech problems, and problems with attention and memory. The findings also showed improved communication and relations between the patient and significant others.

In another study Dr. Narayan combined Laughter Yoga with cognitive restructuring with patients suffering from stress, sugar diabetics, asthma, depression and high blood pressure. The results showed a reduction in stress levels, depression, sugar diabetes and blood pressure among some of the participants. Because laughter improves the lung capacity and oxygen levels in the blood some of the participants reported a reduced frequency of asthmatic attacks and in the use of nebulisers.

Laughter Yoga International and Dr. Kataria School of Laughter Yoga
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