April Fools Day 2022 – Stress Awareness Month, Humor Month & Laughter Yoga

Happy Asana April 1, 2022 – Humor Month & Laughter Yoga

Good Morning Yogis! Happy April and April Fools’ Day! April is Stress Awareness Month and also National Humor Month.

I find challenge-focused months super helpful for my own motivation, so today we are starting another bonus challenge for April – Daily Asanas! You do not have to participate in this or any of our particular monthly challenge themes, we will be continuing our daily Positive Practices drawn from Yoga Philosophy throughout next month. Consider getting the Daily Yogi App for reminders if you are participating – this is a great Tapas tool!

Laughter Yoga

Okay, this is NOT a joke for April Fools’ Day! There is a Yoga Style called Laughter Yoga. This is not an Asana class, but a special practice that incorporates laughing, breathing, clapping, and chanting. I recommend checking out this short video for a quick info and intro session.. her longer videos are even better! I love the quote “Negative thoughts can be neutralized by positive thoughts” from the Yoga Sutras, and Laughter Yoga is a great positivity technique! See more on positivity below.

Bonus Daily Asana Challenge

We are beginning a daily Asana practice challenge for April! For today’s start of Stress Awareness Month, I recommend a relaxing Yin or Restorative class.

I usually practice with the Yoga Studio App rather than streaming services, so I can download my favorite classes and use in areas without WiFi or phone signal. Today I am doing Intermediate Relaxation (30 minutes).

As we begin our bonus daily Asana challenge, I want to discuss an important common concept from Yoga Philosophy – Setting Intentions! If you have attended Yoga classes at a Yoga Studio, you likely have heard your teacher recommend setting an intention for your practice that day. We have talked about keeping Santosha or contentment in Asana practice to avoid injury. I often set Pranayama or Breath as my intention for Asana practice with a mantra of “breathe” or “just breathe”, since in more dynamic classes I forget to maintain my preferred Ocean Breath as the Asana series picks up speed. I also set Ocean as the background music in the Yoga Studio App for an extra reminder. Here is a great article with more on intentions and mantras on and off the Yoga mat.

Today’s Positive Practice suggestion

Today’s Daily Yogi Practice is to set a positive intention for yourself for April, keeping April’s stress reduction theme in mind. This can be big or small:

• If you practice Asanas or another exercise regularly, perhaps ensure you set an intention before each session.
• Join us on our April daily Asana challenge!
• Consider adding a positive daily habit
• Begin a self-help book to help with negative thought patterns
• Make an appointment with an action-oriented therapist trained in positive management of difficult issues
• Reflect and decide to release a negative part of your life that is no longer serving you
• Whatever you wish!

Part of the reason we set intentions in Asana practice is to have something positive to come back to that we want to focus on. Additionally, we will have this to return to when we meet challenges. I set “just breathe” as my intention for nearly a decade now, and I do truly breathe into difficulties on the mat, and I have improved my breath during Asana practice by keeping this in the back of my mind.

More on the Power of Positive Thinking

The Law of Attraction & Power of Positive Thinking Intro

11 Ways to Boost Positive Thinking

Get the Daily Yogi App – Get quick access to
today’s practice and daily pop-up reminders!

More Positive Practices

Missed yesterday’s post? Read it here!

Related Positive Practices

• April Fools Day – Stress Awareness Month, Humor Month & Laughter Yoga
• New Year 2021 – Resolutions and Intentions
• May 2021 Yoga Challenge – Resolutions and Intentions
• World Health Day & National Walking Day 2021
• August 2022 Yoga Challenge: Intro Weekend – Resolutions and Intentions

Share your Practice

Please comment and share how if setting positive intentions is part of your Yoga or Asana practice. Are you taking other steps to improve your mental and emotional wellness this month? Are you going to join us in our daily Asana challenge for April? Always remember, be kind!