Laughter Yoga

First we do 3 minutes long warm up clapping.

Step by Step Implementation
- Most laughter yoga sessions begin with warm-up exercises that involve clapping and synchronizing your movements.
- Begin by clapping with your hands parallel to each other, which will stimulate the acupressure points on your hands and increase your energy level.
- Continue to clap with a 1-2, 1-2-3 rhythm, moving your hands up and down and swinging them from side to side as you clap.
- You can then try your first chant, in rhythm with your hands. Say “ho ho, ha-ha-ha”, breathing from your belly with deep inhales and exhalations.
- You can continue clapping and chanting as you move around the room in a circle or from side to side. Make sure you are breathing from your diaphragm with deep inhales and exhales as you clap and chant.

Than we do concrete exercise - Laughter yoga.
Duration of it is 20 minutes.

Step by Step Implementation:
a) Instructions:
- first group leader shows the exercise with a volunteering person in the group, participants are only watching
- Participants repeat the exercise and interact with as many participants as possible

b) Examples of exercises:
Do lion laughter exercise which is derived from the Lion posture. Stick your tongue out fully and keep your mouth open. Stretch your hands out like the paws of a lion and roar, then laugh from your belly. You should feel a nice stretch in your facial muscles, your tongue and your throat. It will also help you to loosen up and play around.
Try the electric shock laughter exercise by pretending that hands of other people gives you a shock of static electricity, from touching their fingers. Jump back every time you touch someone’s hand, smiling and laughing as you do this.
Practice a good job laughter exercise. This is a good exercise to end a laughter yoga session. Have everyone sit or stand in a circle and make eye contact as they give each other a “high fives”, say “good job” and laughs. This will reinforce the positive aspects of the session and function as a way for the group to bond with each other.

For more laughter yoga exercises visit: https://www.laughteronlineuniversity.com/laughing-exercise-101/

Debrief:
Duration of it is 10 minutes.

Questions you prepared for your debriefing session related to topic:
1. What just happened?
2. How did you feel?
3. How can you connect activity to every day experience?

Inputs that you want to mention in Abstract Conceptualism phase of the workshop:
You’ve probably noticed that laughing can provide immediate benefits, such as improved mood. However, more attention is being placed on the long-term benefits of regular, daily laughing.
Laughing releases endorphins and “happy” hormones like dopamine and serotonin.
It suppresses stress-hormones like cortisol. Laughing with other people can increase social connectedness and bonding, as well as strengthen relationships.
The laughter exercises don’t rely on subjective humor, meaning most people can easily participate.