( ENSPIRE Health & Wellness ) Laughing Lovebugs Helps With Your Overall Physical And Emotional Health
ENSPIRE Contributor: Gabrielle Maya
Laughing Lovebugs is a Yoga business that started with power couple Lauren and Alik Colbert. Yoga is known for its relaxing environment, slow pace, and strong poses. However, for the Colberts, they take yoga to another level, through laughter. These Certified Laughter Yoga teachers provide wellness services for all kinds of occasions. Your safety, comfort, vulnerability, and trust are their mission, and their yoga technique will help reduce stress and bring out joy and connection through laughter.
According to scientific studies, laughter yoga helps ease physical, mental, and emotional stress. Laughter yoga strengthens the immune system, increases the presence of infection-fighting antibodies, alleviates pain, relieves tensions, lowers blood pressure, controls blood sugar, and a healthy heart. Yoga can bring out confidence and motivation, help reduce burnout, and improve sleep patterns. These extra benefits can be added when laughter yoga is part of your routine. These amazing changes can happen over time, it’s all about getting started. The Colberts offer customized yoga sessions for individuals, groups, couples, workplaces, schools, mental health organizations, summits, retreats, hospitals, senior centers and so much more. We asked the Colberts how Laughing Lovebugs began, how they prepare their yoga sessions, the importance of laughter, what to expect in different types of yoga sessions, and more.
When did you first come up with the idea of pursuing a career as Laughter Yogis?
The idea of pursuing a career as Laughter Yogis came to us during a challenging phase in our professional lives. We were grappling with extreme workplace stress and seeking a way to restore our well-being. It was during one of our first experiences in a laughter yoga session together that we experienced a profound inner transformation. We became eager to delve in, learn more about this practice and become certified laughter yoga teachers. Our mission became clear: to help people unlock the life-changing potential of laughter and prioritize their mental, emotional, physical, and social well-being.
Describe the environment participants can expect when in session with the Laughing Lovebugs.
When you join a laughter yoga session with the Laughing Lovebugs, you can expect a vibrant and welcoming environment that encourages connection, relaxation, and playfulness. Our sessions blend laughter exercises, deep breathing techniques (Pranayama), and elements of joy and movement. No prior sense of humor, flexibility, or even a yoga mat is required! We create a safe and inclusive space where participants can let go of inhibitions, embrace their inner joy, and tap into their own resilience. Through the unique combination of laughter and gentle breathing techniques, we empower individuals to manage stress, build emotional resilience, and experience a profound sense of well-being.
When beginning your sessions, when does laughter play a key part?
Laughter is a vital component of laughter yoga. Developed by Dr. Madan Kataria, laughter yoga is a scientifically-based exercise routine that combines laughter with yogic breathing techniques. The practice of Laughter Yoga is based on the scientific fact that the body cannot differentiate between real and fake laughter, so the body receives the same benefits. During our sessions, participants engage in simulated laughter exercises accompanied by gentle breathing techniques. The intentional, prolonged laughter allows for increased oxygenation of the body and brain, resulting in numerous health benefits. Staying hydrated with water is the only requirement during a laughter yoga session, ensuring participants receive the full spectrum of benefits.
How do you plan your laughter yoga sessions?
Our premium laughter yoga sessions begin with an introduction where we provide an overview of what participants can expect. We share the concept and principles of laughter yoga, establish guidelines, and outline the steps involved. As a Duo of Certified Laughter Yoga Teachers with our own unique styles, we bring a dynamic and uplifting approach to the session. Our combined expertise ensures participants benefit from a diverse range of laughter exercises tailored to promote well-being. We create a comfortable and supportive environment where everyone feels encouraged to fully engage and embrace the joy of laughter.
Describe in detail the following benefits of laughter yoga: strong immune system, lowers blood pressure, control of blood sugar, and healthy heart.
Laughter Yoga offers a multitude of benefits for both the body and mind. It serves as an incredible workout that improves cardiovascular health, strengthens the immune system, and enhances oxygen intake. Moreover, it helps tone the muscles, aids digestion, and alleviates pain and tension throughout the body.
Let’s dive into the specific benefits of Laughter Yoga:
- Immune system: By engaging in laughter, you activate T-cells, which are specialized immune system cells that assist in fighting off sickness. Numerous scientific studies have demonstrated that Laughter Yoga strengthens the immune system and boosts the production of infection-fighting antibodies.
- Cardiac health: Laughing is an excellent cardio workout, particularly for individuals who may have limitations preventing them from engaging in other forms of physical activity due to injury or illness. It gets your heart pumping and burns a comparable number of calories per hour as walking at a slow to moderate pace. Lowering blood pressure: Reducing blood pressure, even for individuals who start with normal levels, helps reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack. So, let laughter become your pathway to a healthier heart.
- Promotes physical and emotional wellness: When laughter begins, it not only lightens your emotional load but also induces positive physiological changes in the body. Laughter stimulates various organs, enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, and activates your heart, lungs, and muscles.
- Reduction of stress hormone levels: When you reduce stress hormones through laughter, you simultaneously alleviate anxiety and stress, leading to improved overall well-being. A hearty laugh can fire up and subsequently cool down your anxiety response, causing fluctuations in heart rate and blood pressure. Additionally, lowering stress hormone levels may result in a higher-performing immune system.
- Tension and pain relief: Laughter can stimulate endorphins, and circulation and aid muscle relaxation, effectively reducing physical signs of stress and tension. Additionally, it triggers the release of endorphins, the feel-good pain reliever hormones in the brain.
- Blood Sugar control: While laughter yoga is not a replacement for medical treatments, it can complement efforts to control blood sugar levels. Laughter exercises increase oxygen intake and stimulate various organs, potentially aiding in better blood sugar management. Laughter increases oxygen distribution and exchange throughout the body, resulting in improved perfusion. It promotes oxygen to move faster and benefits the entire system.
- Brain health: Our brain requires 25% more oxygen for optimal functioning. Laughter exercises increase the net supply of oxygen to both the body and brain, leading to improved efficiency and performance. As a result, you’ll feel more energetic and capable of accomplishing tasks without feeling tired.
When booking a session with the Laughing Lovebugs, what can we expect during a couple, group, or individual session?
Whether it’s for a couple, group, or individual, be prepared to awaken your inner joy and experience laughter in a way you may have never before imagined while improving many aspects of health. Our sessions transcend the reliance on a sense of humor, jokes, or comedy, and tap into the inherent freedom that laughter brings. You can expect a warm environment filled with positivity, support, and a genuine desire to uplift and inspire each participant.
Explain your yoga instruction process and how it feels to run these sessions.
Our yoga instruction process at Laughing Lovebugs is designed to create a high quality transformative and joyous experience for our participants. The session begins with a warm and welcoming introduction, setting the stage for what lies ahead. A heartfelt monologue follows, where we share insights and inspiration to cultivate a positive mindset. Guidelines and step-by-step instructions are provided to ensure that everyone feels comfortable and fully engaged in the session. We guide participants through a series of laughter yoga exercises that incorporate deep breathing techniques, laughter meditation, and grounding dance movements. These exercises are carefully designed to activate laughter from the depths of our being.
As the session progresses, we transition into a guided relaxation phase, allowing participants to unwind and experience a sense of calm. We also provide dedicated time for questions and sharing valuable information about the health benefits of Laughter Yoga.
To fully harness the mental, emotional, physical, and social health benefits of laughter, it is important to sustain laughter for at least 10-15 minutes straight. The laughter should be bold and resonant, emanating from the diaphragm. While this type of laughter may not be widely accepted in everyday life, it forms the core of our practice, ensuring a committed and purposeful approach to experiencing the transformative power of laughter. The laughter that naturally flows through our lives is influenced by various factors and circumstances.
However, there are limited reasons that truly ignite laughter within us. This implies that we often leave laughter to chance, uncertain if it will occur or not. However, in the practice of Laughter Yoga, we don’t leave laughter to chance; instead, we approach it with unwavering commitment. Engaging in Laughter Yoga guarantees us the incredible benefits it brings to our mental, emotional, physical, and social well-being.
Running these sessions is a deeply fulfilling and uplifting experience. Witnessing the joy and transformation that unfolds within each participant is truly remarkable.
It is an honor to guide individuals and groups on this journey toward inner freedom and joy. The positive energy and connection that arise in these sessions are a testament to the power of laughter as a universal language that transcends barriers and brings people together in a truly unique and transformative way.
What are your goals for the future of Laughing Lovebugs?
Our ultimate vision is to establish a global presence as laughter yoga teachers, sharing our expertise and passion with people worldwide. We are thrilled to announce the highly anticipated launch of our laughter T-shirt Line! We are incredibly excited about this new addition to our brand, as it has been a highly requested item by our wonderful community.
In addition to the T-shirt Line, we have set our sights on expanding Laughing Lovebugs even further to include introducing a wide range of branded merchandise that will not only spread laughter but also encourage and uplift everyone who wears or uses them.
We aim to continue extending our services to diverse settings, including learning institutions, corporations, healthcare facilities, wellness resorts, and more. By doing so, we hope to make laughter yoga more accessible and integrated into various aspects of people’s lives.
As we embark on this journey, our desire is to travel the world, forge meaningful relationships, and uplift others through the power of laughter. We dream of creating Laughing Lovebugs Land, a retreat center where individuals can come to immerse themselves in the healing and joyful energy of laughter. It will be a place where people can rediscover their inner child, experience the profound benefits of laughter, and receive the gift of joy that lasts long after they leave.
In summary, our goals for the future encompass expanding our brand, reaching a global audience, and creating transformative experiences that inspire laughter, well-being, and connection. We are committed to spreading laughter and joy, and we look forward to making a positive impact on the lives of many more individuals as we continue to grow and evolve as Laughing Lovebugs.
Recently, Laughing Lovebugs have provided their services for Google, Microsoft, eBay, Amazon, LYFT, Paypal, and more. For more information and updates go to their Instagram. If you’d like to book a special session, whether it be with a group or for yourself, you can book your next session here.
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