Healthcare Traveler - May 2008 - (Page 53)

Good for You Laughter yoga S E L F - C A R E S T R AT E G I E S Shopping Cart Books Laugh for No Reason, by Dr. Madan Kataria $19.95 Jennifer Samuels A low-impact exercise trend, laughter yoga has been sweeping across the nation since 1995. Starting with forced giggles, and quickly developing into genuine amusement, a 20- to 30-minute workout combines laughing exercises with yoga breathing techniques. You can practice laughter yoga in group or individual sessions. And although the method allows for creative flexibility, the practice typically consists of clapping, breathing deeply, and laughter meditation. Mastering the three stages Most sessions start with clapping and chanting, “ho, ho, ha, ha, ha.” When Travel Resources Good for You… Tax Facts… Big Deals… 52 Healthcare Traveler May 2008 52 55 56 you begin, keep your hands parallel to one another and make full contact—from fingertips to palms—when you bring them together. As you chant, maintain a smile, focus on your navel, and feel your abdominal muscles moving. You’ll soon notice that clapping stimulates acupressure points on your palms and improves blood circulation throughout your body. The next phase of laughter yoga is deep breathing. Fill your lungs with air and release. Stretch your arms upward as you breathe in, and lower your arms as you breathe out through pursed lips, ending with a big laugh. Arm, neck, and shoulder stretching may be incorporated during the deep breathing stage. Remember when you’re laughing that it’s okay to fake it. You can simulate laughter until it naturally starts to flow. Laughter meditation, which is performed sitting or lying down, is the final stage. It is comprised of three types of laughing exercises: yogic, playful, and value-based. Developed from yoga postures, yogic laughter includes lion laughter—practiced with the tongue thrust out, the eyes widened, and hands out like claws; humming laughter, which is performed with the mouth closed; and gradient laughter, gradually increasing and then decreasing the intensity of the laugh. Playful laughter aims to convert forced laughter into spontaneous laughter. Techniques include shy laughter, mobile phone laughter, milkshake laughter—opening a phantom milkshake of chuckles—and more. Valuebased laughter involves attaching special Reprinted in 2007, it contains the history, new theory and philosophy, scientific and yogic aspects of laughter, and more. Pages: 240. The book is available for purchase at www.laughteryoga.org. Photo: Getty Images/Marcy Maloy From Zero to Laughter in 0.5 Seconds: Everything You Need to Know to Never Get Bored of Laughing as a Form of Exercise, by Sebastien Gendry $29.95 This unique reference manual is a great resource for anyone who wants to do laughter yoga—alone or in a group— and/or start a laughter club. Pages: 60. Visit www.laughangeles.com to purchase your copy. Yoga Mats From $13.95 You will find a variety— from lightweight travel mats to eco-friendly yoga mats—to suit every need and budget at the Barefoot Yoga Co. To buy one, go to www.barefootyoga.com. Instructional DVD Laughter Friends: A Laughter Yoga Workout for Kids, by Laura Gentry $14.95 Specifically developed for children, the program contains a high-impact laughter yoga workout, complete with a warm-up, deep breathing techniques, and 27 unique exercises. Run time: 36 minutes. This and other DVDs can be found at www.penfield books.com/category.php?category=4. www.healthcaretraveler.com http://www.laughteryoga.org/calendar-view.php http://www.procareone.com http://www.meridianmedicalstaffing.com http://www.procareone.com http://www.meridianmedicalstaffing.com http://www.healthcaretraveler.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Healthcare Traveler - May 2008

Healthcare Traveler - May 2008 Editor's Desk Contents In a Flash Paws for Thought Field Notes Cardiac Care at the Heart of Many Travelers Careers The Current Economy Clinical Tips Drug Update On Assignment Name It When In Advertisers' Index Good for You Tax Facts Big Deals Contest Rules Starter's Kit Going the Distance Tales from the Road Allied Corner Classifieds

Healthcare Traveler - May 2008

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