I'm at a week long Laughter Yoga Teacher Training here at Harbin Hot Springs in northern California! I feel so lucky to be here studying directly with the guru of laughter yoga direct from Bombay India, Dr. Madan Kataria.
It has been an intense but deeply powerful week so far. We awake every morning and begin practice at 6:30am, running through an hour to hour and a half long session. We go until about 830 or 9pm, with breaks for meals and a bit of downtime. Some is seated lecture and much is actual practice sessions.
I am learning wonderful methods by which to create my own daily laughter practice as a personal spiritual practice to cultivate joy. It is amazing and the methods are so easy and effective. While I originally thought I would attend just to gain insights into developing my own personal practice and perhaps some new hooping warm ups, I now realize that i must also practice this beautiful work in a group. I know that holding space for this will be a wonderful way to help me maintain my own practice and deepen it. I plan on setting up a laughter club in San Francisco when I return where i can hold free weekly sessions as my way of giving back to the community while we all bask in the joy of laughter. Where it may go and grow from there, i do not know, but i simply can't resist creating this same blissful synergy at home.
Laughter yoga is an intense physical and emotional workout and the beauty of it is that you learn how to laugh for absoluetly no reason whatsoever. We are learning all the techniques of warmups, class transitions, many many pranayama breathing exercises, laughter exercise drills, theories on the medical and physiological health benefits of laughter, and so much more. All 27 students have to take turns facilitating the entire group through all parts of the laughter yoga session, so I am really absorbing a lot of information just by watching all the drills happen and partaking in them.
What I really can't say enough about is how GOOD I feel! The diaphram exercies are helping me to identify weak points in my core which can be strengthened by Pranayamaic breathing coupled with laughter. We do the exercises and then suddenly real, genuine, leg smacking laughter is erupting from me non stop and it is such a wonderful euphoric feeling of wonder and joy. I am learning to laugh from all different parts of my torso and lungs, accessing a fountain of laughter which at times feels non stop. It is pouring out of me easier and faster and faster, and now even when we are in between training sessions, I find myself easily slipping into giggles and laughs.
Laughter is so deep. Being around Dr. Kateria, I am learning so much. There is a spiritual quality to laughter which he is imparting to us which relates to creating world peace and a sense of one-ness through inner joy, bliss from being alive (as opposed to happiness generated from outside situations and circumstances which we need to be aligned in a certain way to be "happy). The work is deep. And Dr. Kateria's sophisticated vocabulary of laughter sounds and textures is amazing to behold... from soft gentle baby type laughs to deep belly shaking buddha style laughter... every time he laughs, no matter at what or how, it all has a certain sweetness .. a joyful vibration which is wonderful to be near. He radiates grace when he laughs. Every student has their own laughter vocabulary and ways and habits, and it is wonderful to sit or stand next to different people and try on their style of laughter for a while to see how it resonates the body differently.
Imediately afterwards, there is an "afterglow". Kind of like the power of "wow". Sometimes it is so rich, we just sit in silence after a non stop 20 minute session and just soak in the different air quality, the vibrations which seem to still be in the room, and the smiles. lots more i want to share... but i got to run, our short break is about over.
Love from Harbin hot springs,
Christabel