Laughter Yoga With: Veena Mondays (12.30 - 1.15pm)
Cost: $100
Laughter Yoga, also known as Hasya Yoga, is a series of movement and breathing (pranayama) exercises designed to stimulate laughter and cultivate an inner spirit of joy. At the beginning of a Laughter Yoga session, laughter is simulated as a group exercise with eye contact and childlike playfulness, but this quickly turns into genuine, contagious laughter. Laughter Yoga offers the perfect blend of playful, tension-releasing exercises, gentle breathing, stretching and relaxation, leaving you energised, motivated, inspired and wanting more.
Laughter Yoga is fun and easy and aims to develop joyfulness rather than happiness. Joyfulness is the unconditional commitment to have fun despite all of the problems we are faced with in life. Joyfulness is primarily a physical phenomenon: “you fake it until you get it”. When you “do good” you “feel good” and being joyful or “doing good” changes the body chemistry and fosters a healthier state of being. Laughter yoga represents a complete package of physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being.
Health Benefits of Laughter Yoga include:
· releases endorphins, giving us the 'feel good factor'
· acts as aerobic exercise and is like ‘internal jogging’
· helps boost our immune system
· tones muscles and improves quality of respiration and circulation
· relaxes the whole body by reducing stress and tension
· encourages positive thinking and creativity
· exercises facial muscles, helping us to look younger
· releases negative emotions, such as anger and sadness
Veena Dansinghani
Veena was born in India, but raised and educated in Hong Kong where she has lived for 30 years. She is a Certified Laughter Yoga Instructor, trained by Dr Madan Kataria in Hong Kong in October 2007. Dr Madan Kataria is the Founder of the Laughter Yoga Clubs which started as a 5 person club in Bombay in 1995. There are now over 6000 Laughter Clubs in over 60 countries around the world. In fact, 3 May was World Laughter Day, celebrated worldwide to promote world peace through Laughter.
Veena together with her team of passionate and joyful friends, Honey and Mahesh Pamnani, started a Laughter Yoga Club in Hong Kong in February 2009, with only 7 people and today they have spread Laughter across the community. The Hong Kong Social Welfare Department and companies like the MTR have used Laughter Yoga Hong Kong's Team Services for stress managment and work-life balance workshops.
