Happiness is contagious, and laughter is the best medicine for a good mood. That’s why every workplace should have a feel-good atmosphere.Â
There are many ways to make your employees smile, but laughter yoga might be one of the most fun and effective methods. It’s also one of the easiest ways to add a sense of well-being to the work environment.
During laughter yoga, participants are encouraged to be silly. There are no judgments, no rules, and definitely no pressure. The only thing that matters is having a good time!Â
What Is Laughter Yoga?
Laughter yoga, also called laughter meditation, is a healthy way of reducing stress and tension and increasing feelings of happiness. It is suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels.
Madan Kataria, the founder of Laughter Yoga, believes that laughter originates from two separate places in the body. He says that adults laugh from their minds, which is a rational response to specific situations.Â
On the other hand, children tend to laugh from their bodies. The goal of laughter yoga is to allow adults to sink into child-like energy.Â
Laughter yoga sessions consist of laughter exercises interspersed with deep breathing. The exercises are designed to produce a lot of physical laughter, which gives a wonderful feeling of freedom and well-being. This can be done in groups or individually (in private), although it is most effective when done in groups.
Laughter yoga can also help boost performance by increasing diaphragmatic breathing, a surefire win for employers looking to better engage their teams.Â
What Are the Health Benefits of Laughter Yoga?
People of all ages, fitness levels, and abilities can enjoy a wonderful physical and mental with laughter yoga. The practice brings together the best of yoga’s physical benefits with the healing powers of laughter.
Here are the four most common health benefits you might experience when you try laughter yoga.Â
Decreases Depression
People who practice laughter yoga have reported feeling happier and more positive about life, having better relationships, and being less stressed. They also find it easier to cope with difficult situations in their lives.
Release Endorphins
Laughter yoga is designed to improve overall health and well-being while helping people cope with stress. The science behind this form of exercise is simple: Laughter helps the body release endorphins, which act on the nervous system to produce positive feelings.Â
Lowers Blood Pressure
Endorphins also cause physical changes in the body, including increased heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration. Since blood pressure rises quite easily, especially during the workday, laughter yoga is a way to quickly improve rates during the session. It has been shown to increase energy and lower stress levels.
Increases Lung Capacity
Essentially, laughter yoga is just a simple breathing exercise that helps you become aware of your breath and how it feels going in and out of your body. Since laughter yoga is based on diaphragmatic breathing, establishing a regular practice can help increase lung capacity.
The exercises may seem strange at first, but they are easy to do and effective in releasing the tensions which cause so many of us to have headaches and pain in our bodies.Â
Laughter Yoga in the Workplace
The best teams conquer chaos with good communication and lots of laughter. Team members are more likely to communicate openly and honestly when they feel comfortable with each other.Â
Laughter exercises are great for bringing more positivity into the workplace. Work can be stressful but having a sense of humor about it can help relieve some of the tension and can help you bond with people around you.Â
Laughter yoga is a great way to get people together to have fun and share experiences while strengthening relationships at the same time.
Using laughter yoga in the workplace can help improve communication and collaboration between employees. This will not only bring them closer as individuals, but it will also allow them to bond as a team.
Being able to squeeze a laughter yoga session into one hour of the week is an excellent way to wind down, encourage positive relationships, and show that you care about your team’s mental well-being. Since it doesn’t take a lot of time or money to host a session, this is an easy way to show your team that you care.Â
TeamBonding’s Virtual Laughter Yoga
Tried and true, laughter yoga has become an international phenomenon. People are drawn to its secular nature and the fact that it requires no special skills.Â
TeamBonding has a virtual Laughter Yoga team building activity that will help you easily bring laughter yoga to your workplace, even if your team is remote.Â
We believe that laughter is the best medicine for all of us, and there are huge benefits to weaving it into your company culture.Â
There’s no need for you to worry about planning or facilitating; our highly skilled and trained facilitators will take care of everything for you. You don’t need experience to take part because you will be led by a certified laughter yoga instructor.Â
Laughter is a powerful tool for not just stress management but overall well-being. Laughter yoga brings together the power of laughter with the practice of yoga. Some companies have already incorporated it into their employee wellness programs to help boost morale.Â
The best part about laughter yoga is that it’s easy to implement and doesn’t cost much—which means you can explore its benefits without breaking the bank.
Check out TeamBonding’s Virtual Laughter Yoga as a way to help your team let loose, form stronger bonds, and build a positive team relationship.