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Queensland study confirms laughter yoga helps dialysis patients

| HeatherJoy Campbell |
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Every five minutes, another Australian develops diabetes, making it the fastest growing chronic condition in Australia; that’s nothing to laugh about.

While National Diabetes Week, from 14-21 July 2024, focuses on diabetes technology to support better management of this chronic condition, mounting scientific evidence supports the practice of Laughter Yoga as part of the lifestyle changes and health interventions critical to good diabetes management.

Why Laughter Yoga matters for people with diabetes

Effective diabetes management involves so much more than medication and dietary restrictions.

For people living with diabetes, the daily challenges and stressors can take a toll on their mental health and quality of life. Laughter Yoga offers a non-pharmacological, fun way to complement traditional diabetes care.

And let’s face it, not all of us enjoy what we think of as exercise. Laughter Yoga is enjoyable exercise. Who doesn’t enjoy laughing? It’s so playful and fun, it doesn’t feel like exercise.

Taking part in Laughter Yoga

Laughter Yoga is practised worldwide, including Australia.

There are free or low-cost, in-person sessions, called laughter clubs, in many locations run by trained volunteers called laughter leaders. This webpage lists locations in Queensland, Australia as well as online laughter clubs.

Yoga studios are increasingly incorporating Laughter Yoga in their offerings.

Community organisations may run Laughter Yoga sessions or workshops too.

Laughter Yoga provides a therapeutic outlet to ease stress, enhance mood, and foster social connections—a crucial aspect of diabetes self-care.

It’s a seriously good, seriously overlooked, healthy and natural complementary aid to diabetes care.

(c) HeatherJoy Campbell 2024

HeatherJoy Campbell is an Australian-based global ambassador of Laughter Yoga International. She delivers laughter yoga wellbeing sessions and workshops in workplaces, community centres and aged care and runs two laughter clubs. She’s the lead trainer of ‘laughter leaders’ in Queensland.

What is Laughter Yoga?

Laughter Yoga is a body-mind practice, developed by a medical doctor, Dr Madan Kataria, in India in 1995.

It’s a unique blend of laughter exercises and yogic breathing techniques that has garnered attention worldwide for its many and varied physical, mental and social health benefits.

Participants laugh, clap, chant, move playfully and breathe deeply. There’s no reliance on jokes or humour. You don’t have to be ‘in the mood’ to laugh.