Yoga class offers large doses of guffaws

If laughter is the best medicine, this club is the cure for the conventional

Clint Stubblebine roared like a lion as he moved in circles around the room. As instructed, he thrust out his tongue, stretched his hands out like claws, all the while, laughing wholeheartedly.

Later, he swayed side to side while lying on his back, grabbing his big toes to portray a "laughing Buddha baby."

A lot of happy people, anyway, as laughter yoga's popularity rises Ginny Budd has found a way to deal with "CNN" -- what she refers to as "chronic negative news." She laughs her way to joyfulness and teaches others to do the same. Budd's laughter yoga classes began last fall and have been gaining popularity ever since. "It is all about getting back to childhood playfulness," Budd said. "It helps people to be in the present, to forget about outside troubles and work. If laughter is the best medicine, Budd is definitely on to something. Her twice-monthly classes give participants a reason to laugh for no reason at all. And why not? She says laughter releases tension, relieves stress, improves blood flow and digestion, and strengthens the immune system.

Stubblebine was attending his first laughter yoga class but said it would definitely not be his last.

"It was a really good time -- laughter never hurt anyone," he said. "I wasn't expecting to laugh a real belly laugh. I've only done that a handful of times during my life. This was the best comedy show in town."

Ginny Budd is accustomed to this type of response. "When we experience pure joy, laughter flows through the body like a fountain," she said. "We take ourselves so seriously. This helps us to be less serious."

About 45 people participated in the class, where there was no lack of interaction.

"My throat was so dry from laughing, I had to stop and get a cough drop," said Linda Yuen, who came from Lanikai into town for the class and said it left her feeling relaxed, happy and free. "It was definitely worth the drive."

Dr. Madan Kataria started the first laughter yoga club in 1995 in Mumbai, India. His efforts have evolved into more than 5,000 Laughter Clubs in 40 countries. The classes, which normally last about 30 minutes, are nonreligious, nonsectarian and nonpolitical. They use gentle yoga breathing and stretching exercises, accompanied by rhythmic clapping and chanting of "ho ho ha ha ha" in unison. Fake or forced laughter turns into the real deal.

Kataria's classes use laughter as a way to improve health, increase well-being and promote peace in the world through personal transformation. Laughing is used as a tool, not an emotion.

Kataria, Budd's mentor, proclaimed the first Sunday of May as "World Laughter Day." Celebrations are held worldwide, with record attendance in 2000 in Copenhagen, Denmark, when 10,000 participants showed up for a "laugh-in."

More traditional yoga teachers caution that yoga is an ancient philosophical system that quiets the mind and leads to an understanding of how an individual relates to the universe. Breathing and stretching are only part of a disciplined yogic approach. These days, the word yoga is often used casually, without an understanding of deeper aims and practices.

Laughter yoga might not be a traditional method, but Budd believes that similar results can be achieved.

"The main thing is the mind-body connection," she said. "The laughter helps expel residual air from the lungs. So much air is left in the lungs and needs to come out so we can take in more oxygen."

In yoga practices the connection to the breath helps people focus on the present moment. "The laughter meditation is probably one of the easiest forms of meditation since the mind tends to wander so much."

Budd's Wednesday-evening class begins with a "greeting laughter" exercise and ends with meditation, and not the type you would expect from a traditional yoga class. Everyone is lying quietly on the floor when chuckles and giggles arise -- leading to all-out laughter.

Colin Kurata, another first-timer, said it was easy to see that everyone was having a good time. "As we grow older, we lose this childlike behavior."

10 Good Reasons To Laugh 1. Laughter is a stress buster. It reduces the levels of stress hormones epinephrine and cortisol. 2. Laughter strengthens the immune system. Research has shown that laughter increases NK cells, a type of white cells and antibodies in the mucous of the nose and respiratory passages. 3. Laughter is anti-aging. It tones facial muscles and expressions and increases blood supply to the face, nourishing the skin and making it glow. 4. Laughter is aerobic exercise. Laughter stimulates the heart and blood circulation and is equivalent to any other standard aerobic exercise. 5. Laughter is internal jogging. It massages the internal organs by enhancing the blood supply and increasing their efficiency. 6. Laughter is a natural painkiller. Laughter increases the level of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers. 7. Laughter can control high blood pressure. 8. Laughter can help curb depression and anxiety, and can promote better sleep. 9. Laughter alleviates bronchitis and asthma. Laughter improves lung capacity and oxygen levels in the blood. 10. Laughter just makes you feel good. Laugh and the world laughs with you. Source: www.laughteryoga.org