Tag: #योग-साधना

Shri Jagat Singh Bisht

(Master Teacher: Happiness & Well-Being, Laughter Yoga Master Trainer, Author, Blogger, Educator and Speaker.)

☆ Laughter Yoga – The Best Ice-Breaker For Seminars And Workshops☆

I have been a behavioural science faculty for a pretty long time now. It is a practice to begin all training programmes, seminars and workshops with a short ice-breaking session. There are numerous ways of de-freezing the participants who come from varied backgrounds and are usually a little tense and anxious before the start of the programme.

Earlier, I tried many different ways of making the participants comfortable and relaxed. Then, I watched Dr Madan Kataria, the founder of Laughter

Yoga movement world-wide, conducting some laughter yoga exercises in the open at the Lokhandwala Park, Mumbai more than a decade ago. It was a ‘eureka’ moment for me. I had found the ultimate ice-breaker. I just had to muster courage to try it.

First, I tried to use Laughter Yoga as an ice-breaker in the training programmes conducted for the employees of the State Bank of India. Especially, I remember distinctly the spark of fun in the eyes of marketing executives of the Bank when they repeatedly enjoyed milk shake laughter exercise. Laughter Yoga gradually became a regular feature for ice-breaking and I enjoyed doing it for batches after batches week after week.

Recently, I was invited, along with my wife Radhika, to conduct a brief wellness break for safety, health and environmental heads of Nestle who had come to Goa (India) for a week long workshop from various countries in the Asia-Oceania-Africa region, Their top bosses from Vevey, Switzerland were also present. Laughter Yoga was an instant hit with them and they continued to relish it all through the span of the workshop. All the barriers melted in no time.

The Director of State Bank Foundation Institute (Chetana), Indore, India confided recently – I don’t know exactly what you do with the participants but after the laughter session they are quite warm, relaxed and non-fussy. The entire atmosphere changes in the campus. Please keep up the good work.

I can now confidently say that a ten minute ice-breaker consisting of clapping, chanting, child-like playfulness and a few laughter exercises like greeting laughter, milk-shake laughter and hearty laughter can do wonders for any corporate training programme or any sort of seminar or workshop. It works without fail with all groups under all circumstances. The road becomes smooth after that and it is ‘Very Good Very Good Yay’ all the way after that..

Founder: LifeSkills

Seminars, Workshops & Retreats on Happiness, Laughter Yoga & Positive Psychology.
Speak to us on +91 73899 38255
[email protected]

Shri Jagat Singh Bisht

(Master Teacher: Happiness & Well-Being, Laughter Yoga Master Trainer, Author, Blogger, Educator and Speaker.)

☆ Laughter Yoga Exchange Programme ☆Jagat Singh Bisht

Carolyn Laughalot and Desmond Nicholson, Laughter Yoga Leaders from Eltham Laughter Club, Melbourne, Australia visited Suniket Laughter Club and Laughter Club of State Bank Learning Centre, Indore, India under the exchange programme of Laughter Yoga International Clubs. They also giggled with the school girls of Sarada Ramakrishna School, Indore and laughed with their teachers.

It was an enriching experience for the members of these clubs in Indore as Carolyn and Desmond enthralled them with the Victorian flavour of Laughter Yoga, especially Giggle and Wriggle, New Zealand Rugby Hakka Laughter and Donkey Laughter.

Carolyn and Desmond were guests of Dr Madan Kataria, the founder of Laughter Yoga, at Bangalore. They stayed with us at Indore and we had deep discussions till late in the night on the inner spirit of laughter, new laughter exercises and the manner in which we conduct laughter sessions.

While we appreciated their fusion of energy healing and dance with Laughter Yoga, they loved Follow-the-Leader and Singing+Dancing+Playing+Laughing=Joy incorporated in our laughter sessions. While switching between laughter, they used Hoho Hahaha and deep breathing; whereas in our clubs we use Very Good Very Good Yay more often. They loved Cricket Laughter exercise created in our club and Desmond added a piece to it.

I prepared Indian Chai (Tea) for them every morning while my wife Radhika, who is also a Laughter Teacher, cooked Poha (Rice flakes) for them in the Indorean style which they relished. My mother, who is almost 80 years old, usually doesn’t prefer to move out of house, accompanied us for an excursion to nearby Maheshwar and Mandu, which are places of great historical value, as she felt that it would be too long a day without her new found daughter Carolyn. I had long, leisurely strolls with Desmond, who has a great sense of humour, in the evenings and talked about everything from Cricket to Kashmir and Australian grapes to Indian wine.

We would like to express our gratitude to Dr Madan Kataria who arranged this exchange and would like to share that these exchanges are really great experiences. The Times of India, The Hindustan Times and the local Hindi papers gave a wide coverage to this exchange programme which has been encouraging for the laughter lovers in this part of the country.

Founder: LifeSkills

Seminars, Workshops & Retreats on Happiness, Laughter Yoga & Positive Psychology.
Speak to us on +91 73899 38255
[email protected]

Shri Jagat Singh Bisht

(Master Teacher: Happiness & Well-Being, Laughter Yoga Master Trainer, Author, Blogger, Educator and Speaker.)

☆ Laughter Yoga – Compelling Purpose ☆

Anurag, my son, is pursuing masters in business administration at the Auckland University Of Technology, New Zealand. He loves sports more than study. Sometimes, when a sport enters the study arena, he gets intensely involved in study too!

During the course of learning about high performance teams (HPT), they are required to go out every week in the water and improve rowing skills collectively without the fear of drowning. This way they are taught not only the management skills that are required in the workplace but with the help of the rowing club they imbibe a practical aspect to it which amplifies their learning ability.

The compelling purpose of their team is to become a legend so that they create a benchmark which will be referred to henceforth to all upcoming HPT classes. According to management experts, compelling purpose is the driving force that pushes athletes beyond limitations, enables social worker to work for betterment of society beyond their own needs and make a soldier to protect others by endangering their life.

I was more than pleasantly surprised when I discovered this mention in his assignment paper on the subject:

“My mom is a housewife and dad is working with the national bank since last 34 years. Three years back they decided to learn and teach laughter yoga. Since then my parents have not only learnt and further developed this art, but have also spread love and laughter to school children, elderly homes and organisations. Being laughter yoga teachers since last three years, I am constantly amazed by enthusiasm and effort they have put in this field of their passion along with their daily lifestyle. Since beginning their fundamental purpose was to touch human lives by the power of love and laughter which enabled them to meet and greet people from different age group, religion and nationalities. These consequential factors were clearly based on a commitment to spread their knowledge without any profit motive and provided good health and wellbeing as an end result. After earning the certificate of teaching this art, their biggest challenge was to develop an environment which encourages people to join and become a part of their journey. Identifying the opportunities in local area was the first step which enabled my parents to not only spread but develop individuals who can be potential front runners to further spread the knowledge. With the right balance of challenge and clarity they have developed a network which has now crossed Indian borders. And with a clear compelling purpose I am confident that they will make their dream of travelling the world come true by the journey of laughter.”

What better testimonial can one expect? I shall cherish and keep it as a treasure all my life!

Founder: LifeSkills

Seminars, Workshops & Retreats on Happiness, Laughter Yoga & Positive Psychology.
Speak to us on +91 73899 38255
[email protected]

Shri Jagat Singh Bisht

(Master Teacher: Happiness & Well-Being, Laughter Yoga Master Trainer, Author, Blogger, Educator and Speaker.)

☆ Laughter Yoga in Gandhi Ashram for School Girls☆

I feel proud to share with you this out-of-the-world experience we had with school girls and their mentors in Gandhi Ashram. We (Radhika and me) have been blessed with several fulfilling experiences in the journey of Laughter Yoga but this one simply astounded us. We could never have even dreamed of such ecstasy and inner fruits. Our sincere gratitude to the God Almighty for blessing us with this Heavenly experience and hats off to Giggle Guru, Dr Madan Kataria, who propounded such a profound concept which has enabled us to serve humanity in such a wonderful manner.

We recently visited Kausani at the foothills of Himalayas in north India. It is one of the most picturesque and tranquil places we have ever been to. Mahatma Gandhi called it the Switzerland of India. He complied the Gujarati translation ‘Anasakti Yoga’ of the Bhagavad Geeta while staying at an ashram, now named as Anasakti Ashram, here.

Sarla Ben, fondly remembered as Gandhi’s British daughter, established Lakshmi Ashram here in 1946. It was set up as a basic education program where girls would receive academic education along Gandhian lines and get trained to become social activists. So that they would in turn, work to become self reliant to uplift their village sisters of remote Uttarakhand.

Most of the students at the ashram today are from poor, rural families. Others are from particularly remote villages where access to post primary school is still s problem, especially for girls. Most of them come from small, off-road villages and relatively uneducated families. The school considers it very important that everone at the ashram lives and works together irrespective of caste and other social differences.

We reached the ashram, after a steep climb, in the afternoon. Two little girls guided us to Kanti Didi, affectionately called Odee by all in the ashram, a devoted Gandhian and in-charge of the school activities. She was very warm and loving and bonded with us in no time. We told her about Laughter Yoga and she could see the deep value hidden in it for her school girls.

Odee summoned a girl and asked her to ring the ashram bell. All the girls assembled in a jiffy and were told to proceed to the Shanti Bhavan, their community hall for prayers and cultural activities. In her simple, yet sincere and effective way, Odee announced that we had something valuable to share with them and everyone should pay apt attention.

There were about 60-70 lovely, little girls there. We told them how much we loved children and how sweet each one of them was. Then, we explained the concept of Laughter Yoga in a simple manner very briefly. A laughter session followed after that. Oh, what an amazing session it was! We had never experienced anything like that before. It was joy, cheers and energy all around. Odee, probably in her seventies, was as ecstatic as the kids. The session lasted for one and a half hours! Pure joy, nothing else. Towards the end, everyone was lying down, facing upwards, meditating laughingly as if in a trance.

They offered us Kaadha, a drink prepared from a concoction of Himalayan herbs, and requested us to stay back for the evening play time with the girls. We felt happy and privileged and obliged readily.

In the evening, we went to a lush green play field, surrounded by beautiful trees, and all the girls, clutching our hands tightly with heartfelt affection, took us many years back, right into our own childhood days. We ran and played with them like mad kids. First, we formed a laughter train and ran around the entire field and then marched like soldiers with loud shouts of hoho haha. Towards the end, we performed a laughter orchestra. We had slipped into super consciousness!

All the girls are richly talented in their own way – some are super atheletes, some good at games and almost everyone can sing and dance well. We are sure that many of them can compete at the national level with a bit of coaching and opportunity. Everyone of them is a wonderful soul.

There were some volunteers with us there: Michelle (from Denmark), Alexandra (U.K.), Leo (Germany), David (U.K.), Pramila (Italy) and Uma (Hyderabad). It was an awesome evening.

By now, we were like a family and the girls wouldn’t let us go back. We promised that we would come back the next day, stay and laugh whole day and have lunch with them. And, we did.

We were there with them on the next evening also and joined them for their evening prayers in Gandhian manner. Thereafter, they arranged an impromptu cultural evening and farewell for us. It was singing+dancing+playing+laughter=joy all the way.What terrific talent those girls possess! Unbelievable. It was a marvelous night brimming with emotions. By now, we were all theirs and they were all ours. We would be going there again and again. It is a home for us now.

Next time, when we go there, we are going to stay at the ashram itself. Odee has been benevolent to accept us as their family members. The girls surrounded us and held our hands with so much warmth that Radhika had tears in her eyes. It was really difficult to depart. Two girls, with torches, came down the hills to escort us back to our hotel in the pitch darkness of the mountain slopes.

As we were preparing to leave Kausani with a heavy heart early in the morning, we saw Odee knocking at our hotel room door to bid adieu. How thoughtful of her! She assured us that they will do Laughter Yoga regularly in their ashram and they find immense value in it and appreciate the philosophy underlying it. Had it not been for Laughter Yoga, we would never have had such a soul stirring experience ever!

Founder: LifeSkills

Seminars, Workshops & Retreats on Happiness, Laughter Yoga & Positive Psychology.
Speak to us on +91 73899 38255
[email protected]

Shri Jagat Singh Bisht

(Master Teacher: Happiness & Well-Being, Laughter Yoga Master Trainer, Author, Blogger, Educator and Speaker.)

☆ Laughter Yoga has made me a better human being ☆

Laughter Yoga has made me a better human being in many respects. I can now relate to people more warmly and add some joy to their lives. The hesitation has gone. I look forward to meeting and greeting people. The people also sense my inner warmth and respond smilingly. My inter-personal skills have improved tremendously.

As a person, I have matured and mellowed to a great extent. Just as Sachin Tendulkar seems to have all the time in the world to play his cricketing shots, I find more time to respond to a situation and the quality of response has certainly improved. All the stress and tension is gone. There is a feeling of tranquility and trust that things will go right. There are no worries and unnecessary apprehensions. I have gained the confidence that I can handle things smoothly. I feel more relaxed.

I find a greater meaning in my life. I add value and joy to the lives of scores of human beings with each sunrise and feel fulfilled in my heart as the sun sets. There is a mission to which I am devoted whole-heartedly and feel rewarded in my pursuit. It is a great experience touching the lives of young children and the elderly people. There can be nothing more satisfying.

In my journey of Laughter Yoga, I have come close to several people and institutions and realized that I can contribute a lot. I have become a more understanding and compassionate human being, inclined to acts that usher sunshine into dark areas. I am able to see more clearly what needs to be done for the under-privileged and find myself in a position to do something about it.

I am a trainer and facilitator at my workplace. Now, I can walk into any class and break the ice spontaneously. I can have heart-to-heart talks, full of intimacy, and impart lessons of authentic happiness in a subtle, yet effective, manner. I can lead any group to joyful singing, dancing, laughter and play whenever required to enhance their training experience. I have something in my armoury to give it to them which will have a lot of back-home utility in enriching their lives and the lives of their near and dear ones.

I spread the message of health, happiness and peace wherever I go. I make it a point to meet as many people as possible and laugh with them. I prefer to spend more and more quality time with human beings rather than indulging in fleeting, worldly pleasures. The entire focus of my life has shifted to contributing my bit for the good of human beings.

I have become more caring and loving for those around me. I communicate better, feel fearless and more effective. Laughter Yoga is gradually transforming me to a better and better human being everyday.

Founder: LifeSkills

Seminars, Workshops & Retreats on Happiness, Laughter Yoga & Positive Psychology.
Speak to us on +91 73899 38255
[email protected]

Shri Jagat Singh Bisht

(Master Teacher: Happiness & Well-Being, Laughter Yoga Master Trainer, Author, Blogger, Educator and Speaker.)

☆ Laughter Yoga and Diabetes ☆

November 14 is observed as World Diabetes Day to spread awareness about the silent killer.

Diabetes is emerging as a major health hazard worldwide. In India, the situation is grimmer as diabetes is often coupled with hypertension and cardiac problems which make it deadly.

Japanese scientist Murakami conducted several experiments over a period of time to ascertain the effect of laughter on blood sugar levels. He reached the conclusion that laughter has a definite lowering impact on blood sugar. During the course of his research, he found that 23 genes are activated with vigorous laughter. Often the production of insulin in the pancreas is affected due to poor immune system in diabetic patients. Laughter yoga strengthens and stabilizes immune system. Laughter also reduces the stress hormone cortisol responsible for increase in blood sugar level.

Vishwamohan, a member of a laughter club in Vijaywada suffered from chronic diabetes, diabetic neuropathy, high blood pressure and cardiac problems for a long time. His pain was never ending until he joined laughter club after which he gradually started feeling good. He now celebrates the day he joined laughter club as his birthday. Aruna Kalway and D C Rathi, members of my laughter club suffered from diabetes. I am happy they are now out of it and need no medication.

Laughter Yoga does help in diabetes. If you are not able to make it to the park and join a laughter club, you can now laugh from the cozy comfort of your home or on the move on your cell phone by connecting to Skype Laughter Club and laughing with people from all over the world.

Founder: LifeSkills

Seminars, Workshops & Retreats on Happiness, Laughter Yoga & Positive Psychology.
Speak to us on +91 73899 38255
[email protected]

Shri Jagat Singh Bisht

(Master Teacher: Happiness & Well-Being, Laughter Yoga Master Trainer, Author, Blogger, Educator and Speaker.)

India’s New GDP: Grossly Depressed People

‘India’s New GDP: Grossly Depressed People’ – this headline screamed on the front page of a leading financial newspaper recently. Thousands of corporate executives have become victims of stress triggered by an economic slowdown that has been raging for a year now. Concerns about the looming threats of layoffs, salaries that are either cut or delayed and pressure to meet higher targets are conspiring to create a tempest of uncertainty that executives are finding it difficult to cope with. According to estimates by PPC Worldwide, a global provider of employee assistance programmes (EAP), more than 62% of health concerns in India Inc in the year to October 2012 were due to work stress.

Stress is the number one killer today. Most illnesses are stress related. When under a state of stress, the biochemical changes alter the breathing pattern making it shallow and irregular. According to Dr Madan Kataria, the illness arising out of stress include cardiovascular problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease and heart attacks; arthritis, asthma and other allergic conditions, diabetes, cancer, chronic fatigue, anxiety attacks, mood swings, psychological distress, depression, sleep problems, eating disorders, peptic ulcers, poor immune function, chronic pain, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), cold, flu, headaches and migraines, alcoholism and drug abuse and more.

Dr Kataria believes that stress in the workplace can be divided into three types. Physical stress results from working beyond one’s physical capacity. Working continuously without sufficient rest or recharge makes one physically tired and exhausted. Mental stress stems largely from heavy workloads and tight deadlines, fear of loosing one’s job or pushing too hard to fulfill basic needs. Competing with others or yourself to improve performance also leads to mental stress. Emotional stress is deep rooted and more difficult to cope up with than physical and mental stress. One needs to deal with emotional stress by increasing one’s ability to release pent-up emotions and developing skills to express emotions freely without fear.

Laughter Yoga is an instant stress buster. It has been scientifically proven that laughter reduces the level of stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine and enhances positive emotions. A study on a group of IT professionals in Bangalore showed that the cortisol levels dropped significantly after laughter yoga sessions. The study also showed a significant drop in blood pressure following the laughter sessions.

Laughter Yoga helps to develop emotional expression through physical playfulness and a playful mental attitude. While playing you focus entirely on the play process and one’s personality takes a back seat. One is creative, dynamic and playful. Most people spend a lot of time and energy holding on to their masks and personalities. Physical playfulness helps to shed these masks and enables free expression of emotions without fear. Suppressed emotions cause ongoing physical and mental pain and reduce physical and mental performance. Laughter Yoga provides a simple, painless and effective release mechanism to help rid the subconscious mind of pent-up emotions through catharsis during intense laughter. Such release helps to build performance and improve one’s emotional intelligence and communication skills.

Business people are very busy and have no time to exercise. Dr William Fry of Stanford University proved that 10 minutes of hearty laughter is equal to 30 minutes on the rowing machine in terms of cardio pulmonary endurance. Laughter Yoga is the latest health craze sweeping the world where anyone can laugh without any reason. Any one can do it; it is scientifically proven; easy to learn and lot of fun.

Founder: LifeSkills

Seminars, Workshops & Retreats on Happiness, Laughter Yoga & Positive Psychology.
Speak to us on +91 73899 38255
[email protected]