The best medicine
By Kim Lamb Gregory (Contact)
The candle-scented, meditative Camarillo Yoga Center bursts into what sounds more like a toddler's birthday party on Saturday mornings as yoga instructor Roni Tagliaferri leads a group of adults practicing a modern twist on an ancient practice.
It's called laughter yoga.
"Laughter yoga is a combination of playful laughter exercises and yoga-style breathing, which, in combination, produces laughter," Tagliaferri explained. "We don't use laughter as an emotion; we use laughter as a motion — a physical exercise. And when we do that, real laughter happens spontaneously."
This month marks a year since the Camarillo Yoga Center began offering the free class. It seems to be going well. Bright and early on Saturday mornings — at 7:15 — anywhere from a dozen to two dozen adults ranging in age from 20 to nearly 90 leave their shoes and their inhibitions at the door, then pad onto the polished wood floor intending to act as goofy as possible for the next hour.
There are no neatly spaced yoga mats. Instead, the participants move around the room clapping, breathing deeply and erupting with rhythmic, purposeful belly laughs.
"Ho ho ha-ha-ha!" Tagliaferri led the class in the first chant, instructing them to breathe from the sheet of muscle below the lungs called the diaphragm.
After some clapping and laughing, Tagliaferri had everybody clap and chant a congratulatory, "Veddy good, veddy good!" followed by a "Yay!" as everybody shot both arms in the air and grinned at the ceiling.
At first, the laughter in the group was simulated, with Tagliaferri leading. After about 10 minutes of watching one another march around the room "ho-ho-ha-ha"-ing, the laughter began to bloom into genuine mirth ranging from cascading giggles to throaty guffaws.
"When you do these laughter exercises and you're looking at each other, we wind up laughing our heads off," Tagliaferri said. "There's something contagiously funny about watching adults shedding their inhibitions."
"I thought it would be a little bit hokey at first, but about halfway through the class I'm realizing, Hey, I'm ready to go now,'" said laughter yoga student Andy Barton of Camarillo. "I could now go do a 15-mile bike ride or go for a hike. I was pretty amazed."
The benefits of a belly laugh
The beauty of laughter yoga, Tagliaferri said, is that participants reap the physiological and psychological benefits of laughter, regardless of whether it's real or simulated.
"Your body cannot tell the difference; your body reacts as if it's real," confirmed Dr. Madan Kataria, a physician from India who co-founded the practice of laughter yoga in 1995 with his wife, yoga instructor Madhuri Kataria.
Laughter yoga was born out of his own stress, he said. Between editing a magazine and his work as a doctor in Mumbai, India, he wasn't laughing much.
"In my quest for dollars and name fame, I was almost drained out," Kataria said in a telephone interview from San Jose, where he was visiting this month. "In March of 1995, I started writing an article for my magazine about laughter as the best medicine. I thought, Hey, this is what is missing in my life.'"
Kataria remembers exactly when his epiphany struck. "An idea flashed in my mind at 4 a.m. on March 13, 1995," he said. "I could hardly wait for three hours for 7 a.m."
At 7 every morning, Kataria and hundreds of others walk in local parks, which, like yoga, is a mainstream activity in India, he explained. He thought that social venue would be the perfect place to start a spontaneous "laughter club."
"At first people said: It's not a good idea to laugh in a public park. People will call you mad,'" Kataria said. "I got all of five people. We started telling jokes and laughing. In one week we were 55 people."
After a while the group ran out of jokes, and some of the humor took a negative and salty turn. The casual group seemed destined to disband until Kataria got a second epiphany after reading a book on emotions and health.
"There I read something profound about laughter," he said. "If you can't make it, fake it. If you can't laugh, pretend laugh."
It was, he realized, very much like yoga. Just as the physical poses in yoga are designed to pave the way to a deeper sense of spiritual connectedness, the physical act of laughing could lead the way to an improved mental and physical state.
"So, with about 50 people we started Hahahahahaha,' and people started cracking up for real," he said.
The behavior of laughing — without the jokes or humor catalyst — still resulted in an attitude change.
Laughter yoga had begun. Today, more than 6,000 laughter clubs have sprung up in 60 countries around the world. There are centers, such as the American School of Laughter Yoga in Pasadena, that certify instructors in laughter yoga.
Laughter yoga had begun. Today, more than 6,000 laughter clubs have sprung up in 60 countries around the world. There are centers, such as the American School of Laughter Yoga in Pasadena, that certify instructors in laughter yoga.
"(For) people who want to train as certified laughter leaders, there are no requirements except the need to bring a big smile," said founder Sebastien Gendry, who opened his school three years ago.
Gendry said certified laughter yoga instructors train for a total of about 12 hours over two days. Since he opened three years ago, Gendry has trained about 500 people from all over the world.
A physiological boost?
Among the students in Tagliaferri's Saturday class is Marilyn May, 65, of Ventura, who is fighting metastasized bone cancer.
"I came because I realized that my life was way too serious; I wasn't laughing enough," she said.
She found a listing for the laughter yoga class and decided to try it.
"I'm finding more humor in life. I feel more able to play, like a child. I had forgotten how," she said.
She said she believes that an improved attitude may help her both physically and mentally as she engages in the fight of her life. Heck, she figures, it can't hurt.
Tagliaferri had breast cancer 12 years ago and is convinced laughter yoga has helped keep her healthy.
"Cancer survivors need it more than anybody," she said.
There are studies to support the concept that laughter is indeed good medicine.
A 2007 study by cardiologists at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore showed that people with heart disease were 40 percent less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared to people of the same age without heart disease.
Kataria is in the process of publishing the results of a study he conducted in Bangalore, India, last year among 50 professionals in high-stress jobs.
After they participated in seven 20-minute laughter yoga sessions over 18 days, Kataria saw the participants' average blood pressure drop by 6 percent and the cortisol level in their saliva reduce by about 8 percent. Coritisol, he explained, is a hormone released when the body is under stress.
Told he had little chance of surviving his degenerative heart disease and a destructive form of arthritis, Cousins developed a recovery program based, in part, on a steady diet of Marx Brothers movies. He documented his journey in a book and movie both called "Anatomy of an Illness."
Told he had little chance of surviving his degenerative heart disease and a destructive form of arthritis, Cousins developed a recovery program based, in part, on a steady diet of Marx Brothers movies. He documented his journey in a book and movie both called "Anatomy of an Illness."
"I made the joyous discovery that 10 minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep," he reported. "When the pain-killing effect of the laughter wore off, we would switch on the motion picture projector again and, not infrequently, it would lead to another pain-free interval."
Cousins died of heart failure Nov. 30, 1990, in Los Angeles years after his doctors predicted. It had been 26 years since his heart disease diagnosis and 16 years since his arthritis diagnosis.
From left to right
The childlike behavior at the root of laughter yoga, Tagliaferri explained, is designed to get responsibility-laden adults in touch with the right hemisphere of the brain, which houses creativity, imagination and a sense of invention. Paying the bills, getting to work on time and other adult tasks tend to fall to the left hemisphere of the brain, which is where functions such as mathematics, reasoning, problem-solving and language are rooted.
One way laughter yoga ignites the right hemisphere of the brain is by speaking gibberish, she said. At one point in the session, Tagliaferri encourages everyone to walk around the room yakking away as loudly and expressively as they can, using any phonetic jumble that drops onto their tongues.
"Ge-DEE-be-duh-dum-doo-bee-blah?" One participant cocks her head at another, obviously expecting an answer.
The other smiles in mock understanding and nods, gushing: "FLAY-boo, wishee kadoom gadohdohdoh!"
"We don't talk real language, because if we talk real language, we're right back in the left brain," Tagliaferri said.
Psychological benefits
English teacher Anne Frankl drives from her Simi Valley home to Camarillo on Saturdays because laughter yoga has changed the way she does her job.
"I had been known probably due to stress as the angry teacher,'" she said. "Now the kids were killing each other to try to get into my classes."
Camarillo clinical psychologist Barbara Morris-Jensen, who also is a regular at laughter yoga classes, says laughter is not a cure for psychological ailments such as depression, but it can certainly help discharge festering emotions which can worsen depression.
"Laughter is the opposite side of anger. If you're someone who yells a lot, laughing can help you release those same emotions and you can find yourself moving out of anger and into happiness."
Laughter yoga enthusiast Raye Gabriel of Camarillo will celebrate her 90th birthday in November. She doesn't know why laughter yoga works, she said; it just does.
"It just opens up my heart really. It makes me feel good," she said. "Brings in the day in a beautiful way."
Source: venturacountystar.com
Monday, October 15, 2007
Friday, October 12, 2007
The 3 step approach to a positive attitude
By Arun Goel
The essence of yoga is to be positive in any situation that we find ourselves in.
When we are positive, we find that our interactions with the world and ourselves become brighter, more productive and perpetuate the ‘feel good’ factor. This in turn makes us healthier and more peaceful.
But how do we develop this positivism. The answer can be found in ‘Attitudinal’ Yoga.
According to this concept of yoga, the path to a positive attitude can be found through a 3-step approach, namely,
Awareness
Acceptance; and
Attitude
Let us examine these three components:
Awareness:
The first step is to be aware of what and how we are thinking. We must train ourselves to be aware at all times of how our mind is working – the thoughts, thinking patterns and tendencies. Make this a habit. If it is difficult, the meditation technique of antar mouna and Yoga Nidra are methods which help us do this. These techniques help in the withdrawing of our senses to introspect.
Acceptance:
Awareness, however, brings about a heightened sensitivity to the issues. We tend to become judgemental and critical of ourselves or of others. This has the danger of sending us into a vicious cycle of negativity UNLESS we learn to accept what we see and understand.
Have an attitude that “it is ok” to think how we are. Just be a witness to this fact and believe that God likes us for what we are. This acceptance leads to a genuine love and compassion, which forms the bedrock of positive thinking.
For example, if you are angry with your partner for not doing something as per your wishes, accept that it is natural for you to face such emotions. Accept that it is because of certain archetypes or ‘samskaras’ that lie embedded in your subconscious. Likewise, accept that it is okay for your partner to behave that way, which is based on his perception and the elements embedded in his subconscious.
With practice, you will find that this helps in surmounting negativity to a large extent.
Attitude:
Once we have accepted what lies within our thoughts, we can actually start working upon how we ‘want’ to look at that particular person, situation or thing. Yoga techniques assist us in changing our attitude. The ‘Sankalpa’ or resolve that we set in Yoga Nidra helps in shaping our mind. This resolve in yoga is always in the nature of a positive statement – such as “I am becoming more positive every day”. Such inputs fed into the mind help in shaping our attitude into one of positivism.
Let us look at changing attitude with the following example. Suppose you have a negative attitude toward someone. So much so that he puts you in a bad mood the moment you see him. For a moment, find just one small thing or quality in him that you do like. Now remember that one positive thing whenever you meet or interact with him. Gradually, you will see that your feelings towards him will become more positive and things start looking up.
Following these three guidelines and you will find yourself becoming more positive. Remember that every thought generated in the mind is also experienced by every cell in the body. That is why on a ‘good’ day you feel yourself exercising better with more flexibility, while on a ‘bad’ day you feel stiff and lethargic.
Ultimately, positive thinking affects the body vibrations in a positive manner. This in turn, affects the vibrations around us, which, in turn, affect the situations around us. This helps in relieving our suffering and leading a harmonious life.
Courtesy: http://www.healthandyoga.com
A popular website that helps you find natural solutions for complete health and detoxification.
Discover health and beauty…. Naturally!!
Understanding the Power of Mantras
EVERY matter - from the tiniest DNA strand in us to the largest of continents - is in a state of constant vibration resulting in the emission of subtle sounds.
The great teachers of ancient times had the power to listen to the subtlest of these sounds. They discovered that specific sounds energized specific portions of the brain thereby awakening extraordinary powers (Siddhis). They used these sounds to form sacred words that are called Mantras.
Mantras have a profound impact upon us due to two reasons:
- The vibration effect of the sound; and
- The effect of the collective emotional energy behind that word due to constant repetition over time.
Benefits of Mantras
Mantras act upon our bodies by reprogramming the vibrations of the cells that have somehow gone askew. They restore the pattern of sounds at the heart of each and every cell, thus pushing the cells toward harmonious health.
Mantras affect not only our physical body but also our subtle body - our emotions, intellect and soul. They positively affect our aura - the energy shields surrounding our body.
Energy of a Mantra
We hear any word and have an emotional reaction to it. This is because we are conditioned by OUR experiences connected to that word AND the collective emotions that people have towards that word.
As an example, the word "mother" when spoken with deliberation, evokes an emotional energy realignment. Just imagine the power of sounds repeated billions of times, with great collective devotion and over centuries!
These sounds form the heart of Mantras and deeply influence the energy alignment within us.
Mantra Meditation
Repetition of a Mantra is a powerful way of keeping us in the Present and stilling our "monkey mind", which is forever jumping uncontrollably from one thought to another.
The moment we inculcate the practice of being "intensely" present - with neither any 'baggage' of the subconscious past nor the remotest anxiety of the future - we, then, automatically experience great peace, profound silence and supreme joy!
This, in fact, is the process and goal of meditation and using mantras is a very effective way to achieve it!
Using Japa Malas for Meditation
Repetition of a mantra is called Japa and a Japa Mala is a string of beads used to count the repetition of a mantra.
The act of turning the beads while recitation of the mantra is extremely effective in keeping you in the present. Equally important is that it keeps you 'grounded' as you advance in meditation and helps you continually gain from the material properties of the beads.
As you do Japa, you will invariably encounter wandering thoughts even as you repeat the Mantra mechanically. In such a case, gently refocus without getting agitated. The beauty of a Mantra is that EVEN a mechanical repetition exposes you to the benefits of the sacred sounds.
There are various Mantras and Japa mala beads that you can use to make your meditative journey relatively smooth. These mantras and malas depend upon your individual mind and body type. They are either provided by a Guru or can be selected by yourself depending upon your intuitive sense of what 'feels right' for you - which is often the best way.
To read more on various mantras and mala types, Click here
In conclusion, Mantras are one of the most effective ways to experience supreme bliss and freedom from the bondage of the uncontrolled mind.
Warm wishes,
Ankita
http://www.healthandyoga.com
Courtesy: http://www.healthandyoga.com
A popular website that helps you find natural solutions for complete health and detoxification.
Discover health and beauty…. Naturally!!
The great teachers of ancient times had the power to listen to the subtlest of these sounds. They discovered that specific sounds energized specific portions of the brain thereby awakening extraordinary powers (Siddhis). They used these sounds to form sacred words that are called Mantras.
Mantras have a profound impact upon us due to two reasons:
- The vibration effect of the sound; and
- The effect of the collective emotional energy behind that word due to constant repetition over time.
Benefits of Mantras
Mantras act upon our bodies by reprogramming the vibrations of the cells that have somehow gone askew. They restore the pattern of sounds at the heart of each and every cell, thus pushing the cells toward harmonious health.
Mantras affect not only our physical body but also our subtle body - our emotions, intellect and soul. They positively affect our aura - the energy shields surrounding our body.
Energy of a Mantra
We hear any word and have an emotional reaction to it. This is because we are conditioned by OUR experiences connected to that word AND the collective emotions that people have towards that word.
As an example, the word "mother" when spoken with deliberation, evokes an emotional energy realignment. Just imagine the power of sounds repeated billions of times, with great collective devotion and over centuries!
These sounds form the heart of Mantras and deeply influence the energy alignment within us.
Mantra Meditation
Repetition of a Mantra is a powerful way of keeping us in the Present and stilling our "monkey mind", which is forever jumping uncontrollably from one thought to another.
The moment we inculcate the practice of being "intensely" present - with neither any 'baggage' of the subconscious past nor the remotest anxiety of the future - we, then, automatically experience great peace, profound silence and supreme joy!
This, in fact, is the process and goal of meditation and using mantras is a very effective way to achieve it!
Using Japa Malas for Meditation
Repetition of a mantra is called Japa and a Japa Mala is a string of beads used to count the repetition of a mantra.
The act of turning the beads while recitation of the mantra is extremely effective in keeping you in the present. Equally important is that it keeps you 'grounded' as you advance in meditation and helps you continually gain from the material properties of the beads.
As you do Japa, you will invariably encounter wandering thoughts even as you repeat the Mantra mechanically. In such a case, gently refocus without getting agitated. The beauty of a Mantra is that EVEN a mechanical repetition exposes you to the benefits of the sacred sounds.
There are various Mantras and Japa mala beads that you can use to make your meditative journey relatively smooth. These mantras and malas depend upon your individual mind and body type. They are either provided by a Guru or can be selected by yourself depending upon your intuitive sense of what 'feels right' for you - which is often the best way.
To read more on various mantras and mala types, Click here
In conclusion, Mantras are one of the most effective ways to experience supreme bliss and freedom from the bondage of the uncontrolled mind.
Warm wishes,
Ankita
http://www.healthandyoga.com
Courtesy: http://www.healthandyoga.com
A popular website that helps you find natural solutions for complete health and detoxification.
Discover health and beauty…. Naturally!!
Yoga For Pain in Neck And Back
By Ankita Goel
Neck aches and back aches seem to have become the norm for us urbanites. Due to our hectic schedules long hours of sitting in the office, wrong postures or simply stress can lead to chronic neck and back ache.
Yoga can come to rescue in such situations. You can try some of these exercises (yoga poses) for your neck and back. Also don't forget to do deep breathing to release stress, which is sometimes the main cause of all the aches.
Yoga Asans (pose) relieve Back Ache are:
Locust pose- 3 times, Cobra pose- 2 times , Aeroplane pose- 3 times , Half wind releasing pose (twice each side), Wind releasing pose(full once) ,Roll your body left and right side in full wind releasing pose but head should be touching the floor(Do this 10 times), Child pose (sitting)-1 min ,Cat pose- twice both dynamically and statically.
Yoga Asans (pose) relieve Neck Ache are:
Preparation:
Sit in the chair with back-straight and feet firm on the floor and hands on thighs or knees.
Exercises for neck:
Bend your neck, backward and look towards the roof/sky. Hold the neck for count of 5 and bring the neck & head in normal\starting position .This exercise can be done 10 times.
Inhale, Bend your head left, try to touch ear with shoulder, hold for 5 counts and exhale, take the head in normal starting position. Practice this exercise for 5 times in left side and 5 times in left side.
Inhale, turn the head left, hold for 5 count and during hold try to look as balanced as possible. Practice this exercise for 5 times left and 5 times right side.
Half backward rotation of head clockwise and anti-clockwise with eyes open (for 10 times).
Source: healthandyoga.com
Courtesy: http://www.healthandyoga.com A popular website that helps you find natural solutions for complete health and detoxification. Discover health and beauty?. Naturally!!
Neck aches and back aches seem to have become the norm for us urbanites. Due to our hectic schedules long hours of sitting in the office, wrong postures or simply stress can lead to chronic neck and back ache.
Yoga can come to rescue in such situations. You can try some of these exercises (yoga poses) for your neck and back. Also don't forget to do deep breathing to release stress, which is sometimes the main cause of all the aches.
Yoga Asans (pose) relieve Back Ache are:
Locust pose- 3 times, Cobra pose- 2 times , Aeroplane pose- 3 times , Half wind releasing pose (twice each side), Wind releasing pose(full once) ,Roll your body left and right side in full wind releasing pose but head should be touching the floor(Do this 10 times), Child pose (sitting)-1 min ,Cat pose- twice both dynamically and statically.
Yoga Asans (pose) relieve Neck Ache are:
Preparation:
Sit in the chair with back-straight and feet firm on the floor and hands on thighs or knees.
Exercises for neck:
Bend your neck, backward and look towards the roof/sky. Hold the neck for count of 5 and bring the neck & head in normal\starting position .This exercise can be done 10 times.
Inhale, Bend your head left, try to touch ear with shoulder, hold for 5 counts and exhale, take the head in normal starting position. Practice this exercise for 5 times in left side and 5 times in left side.
Inhale, turn the head left, hold for 5 count and during hold try to look as balanced as possible. Practice this exercise for 5 times left and 5 times right side.
Half backward rotation of head clockwise and anti-clockwise with eyes open (for 10 times).
Source: healthandyoga.com
Courtesy: http://www.healthandyoga.com A popular website that helps you find natural solutions for complete health and detoxification. Discover health and beauty?. Naturally!!
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