Laughter Yoga Blog By Dan & Jill Johnson

Laughter Yoga is a unique idea where anyone can laugh for no reason! In fact, Laughter Yoga is a form of integrative therapy. By using simple laughter exercises in a group, and as we maintain eye-contact and cultivate childlike playfulness, the laughter quickly becomes genuine and spontaneous.

We call it Laughter Yoga because we combine the laughter exercises with gentle yoga breathing, pranayama, as a form of stress management and physical fitness. As we breath and laugh deeply we increase our supply of oxygen bringing all the health benefits to our body and mind. It's a scientific fact that the body doesn't know the difference between a real laugh or a fake laugh, so whether your laugh is real or simulated you receive the same health benefits.

Laughter Yoga was developed in 1995 by a medical doctor in India, Dr. Madan Kataria and his wife Madhuri, a yoga teacher. It was started in a park with only 5 people and in 13 short years has grown to over 6,000 laughter clubs in over 60 countries. We want you to know that whenever, and where ever you're laughing, someone on the other end of the planet is laughing too. It's truly a global movement of peace, joy and good health.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

Laughter Court Is Now In Session!!

Jill & Dan Johnson Imagine sitting in a courtroom every day and being responsible for taking down what everybody says. That's what court reporters do. And do you think they need some stress management from their job? That's an understatement!

We laughed with court reporters at their annual conference in Sioux Falls, SD, in June and had a great time introducing them to a new way to release stress in their day - laughter! Not only did they lighten up and have fun - but after listening to judges and lawyers all day they were very good at taking instructions! Hahaha!

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Laughter Buddy Surprise!

Surprise Visit From Wisconsin Laughter Leader Mike

Jill & Dan Johnson, Laughter Yoga Teachers What a surprise we had at Laughter Club last week. A newcomer joined us a few minutes after we had started, but once he said, “Hi! My name’s Mike - hahaha! And I’m from Madison, Wisconsin - hahaha!” we knew immediately we had a fellow laughter colleague in our midst. We were overjoyed to be joined by a new laughter buddy!

Mike was visiting his parents in Sioux City, Iowa, and drove the ninety miles to Sioux Falls just to laugh with us at Laughter Club. We felt so honored to have him there and ‘tossed’ the leader role to him a few times to see what they do in Wisconsin to laugh for no reason.

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National Magazine Publishes Article on Laughter Yoga

Giggle Your Way to Health with Laughter Yoga!

By Jill Johnson

Dan and I were thrilled to get a Laughter Yoga article published in the June issue of "Massage" Magazine, a national magazine for massage therapists. The article was for their "Living in Balance" department where they offer ways that complimentary health professionals can take care of their own overall health and well-being. The issue is on newstands now, or you can read the full article below!

As complementary health professionals, we know mindful breathing can make a difference in how we feel and react to everyday stress – but did you know laughter can have the same simple, yet profound effect on our overall health and well-being?

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The Power of Laughter Club!

'Ya Never Know!

Dan and Jill Johnson, Laughter Yoga Trainers Just about the time you think there will be a small crowd at Laughter Club everyone brings their friends, their relatives and their co-workers! Laughter Club this week was just like that. There were 19 of us ranging in age from 6 to 60 having a ball laughing for no reason. Hahaha!!! We even had a 13 year-old boy, Colin, who did a great job, and we all know how tough 13 can be. Especially when you're asked to laugh at nothing! But all the newcomers were amazing and we really felt some shifts that night.

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Congrats New Laughter Leaders!

Spreading Laughter Seeds Throughout South Dakota!

Dan and Jill are thrilled to introduce their new laughter leaders: Wayne, Laura, Connie, Bobbie, Kim, Vicki, Julie and Annora. Very good, very good, yay!!

Despite a weekend of snow and bad roads, everyone made it to the training and we made up for the gloomy weather with plenty of laughter and learning. This was a group that was overall new to laughter yoga, so it was fun leading them through their first, ever, laughter yoga session and then watching them embody and 'be' laughter by the end of the weekend. Yippee!

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