AWCB MEMBER MEETING
Welcome to our last member meeting of 2020! Join us online as we experiment with Laugh Yoga and get updates on club happenings before the holidays start. More info below.
This meeting will be held via Zoom. A link will be provided by email reminder a day or two before the meeting, so don't forget to register!
Agenda
10:30 -- Meeting opens (Log in up to 15 minutes early to test connectivity)
10:40 -- Laugh Yoga session featuring AWC The Hague member Celeste Brown.
11:00 -- Welcome to new members and updates on club happenings
11:15 -- Q&A
What is Laugh Yoga?
Is it laughing while holding a yoga position? Do I need a yoga mat?
Not at all. Laugh Yoga is a yoga form because it uses “pranayama”, the practice of yogic breath control. After all, you need a lot of breath to laugh, just as yoga. But that’s where the comparison ends.
Laugh Yoga consists of easy-to-do and playful exercises that stimulate laughter. It might feel strange at the start, but the concepts of “intentional laughter” or “conscious laughter” are rooted in scientific research. You don’t need to wait to hear a joke or watch a comedy to increase your feel-good hormones, endorphins. A good belly laugh is documented not only to boost your feel-good hormones but also to decrease cortisol, a hormone well-documented to raise blood pressure and heart rate. What is most fascinating is that your body doesn’t recognize the difference between an intentional/conscious/fake laugh and a real one. Your body responds exactly the same … cortisol decreases and endorphins increase.
So why is Laugh Yoga so popular? Because it’s good for your health AND it’s so much fun. Exercises are creative, imaginative, and playful. Be ready to let go of your inhibitions and enjoy the fun!
While the physical benefits of laughter have been known for decades, Dr. Madan Kataria, a physician in Mumbai, India is considered the modern-day father of Laugh Yoga (laughteryoga.org). It is a world-wide phenomenon with over 20,000 clubs worldwide in 110 countries.
Celeste Brown is an experienced trainer who first heard of Laugh Yoga following a cancer recurrence. After years of sales presentations, non-profit organizational work, and professional speech coaching, she added Laugh Yoga instructor to her resume in 2018. It fills her life with laughter and joy.
