Yoga- The first thought that comes to our mind is of a sage sitting in a remote location in the distant Himalayas. But not so, any more. Today Yoga has attained new tangents in our minds and lives. The word “Yoga” is derived from a Sanskrit word ‘yuj’, which means integrity and harmony, of our body and soul. It is also said to be a direct connect to the almighty. In more simpler terms, it means a total control on our body and mind. Yoga helps us rejuvenate, release stress and lead a healthy life. It is a simple exercise regime where stress is more on postures and breathing exercises. Every posture has a name and specific meaning. The result Yoga has on people, who practice it, is immense. And that explains why Yoga has gained popularity not only in India, the country where it originated, but also the world over.
Another form of exercise that is gaining popularity worldwide is laughter therapy. It is, of late being coupled with Yoga. The combination is believed to have worked wonders on all those who practice it religiously. A brief laughing exercise in yogic postures helps in releasing stress and hypertension. Some of the postures are not yogic, but most of them are drawn from yogic postures. In fact it is said to be a form of Yoga called “Hasya Yoga” (laughing yoga) that has been in our country since ages.
Some of the most popular yogic postures are Pranayama, Kapalbharti, Bhastrika, swash shuddhi, Talasana and Simha Mudra.Pranayama , the most commonly known yogic exercise, is a posture where one sits crosslegged and then controls breath. This posture and exercise results in attaining a healthy body and mind. Pranayama is an ideal body mind yoga.
Kapalbharti, another form of pranayam, is a yogic exercise that helps in cleaning the lungs through rhythmic breathing. Kapalbhati requires one to sit in padmasana (Lotus posture).Bhastrika & swash shuddhi are two similar breathing exercises to clean respiratory passages by rhythmic contraction of lung and throat muscles. These two same actions are in laughteryoga popularly called as HO-HO-HA-HA-HA.
Talasana is yogic exercise, which involves stretching of arms, and exercising the neck and shoulders, all the while taking deep breath as done in laughteryoga.
