Laughter Yoga..what a great way to exercise

'Laughter yoga' delights local daycare
By Susan Gibbs
Published: January 07, 2011

Youngsters at the Haney-Ripley Child Care Center in Stanardsville got their laughs on last Thursday.

"Laughter is good for you," instructor Shannon Brown told the boys and girls. "It helps the brain clean up so you can think better and it cleans the blood so you feel better."

In fact, according to the Laughter Yoga International's website, "laughter yoga" combines unconditional laughter with yoga breathing to combine physical exercise (laughter) with deep diaphragmatic breathing (yoga).

The website further explains that laughter is easily stimulated in a group when combined with eye contact, childlike playfulness and laughter exercises - where fake laughter quickly becomes real, and contagious.

Brown proved it was so when she gathered the children around her in a circle, looking each in the eye and starting to laugh. Before long most all the children - and center owner Nancy Haney - were unable to contain their own laughter.

As an exercise routine, laughter yoga is a complete wellbeing workout, according to the Laughter Yoga website.

Clinical research has proved that laughter lowers the level of stress hormones in the blood, and so fosters a positive and hopeful attitude. Participants report significant general health improvements.

Many have felt a reduction in the frequency of respiratory infections like common cold and flu, and some others reported overcoming depression, and relief or even freedom from chronic medical problems.

Also according to the website, the phenomenon was launched in early 1995 by a handful of people in a park. Today, there are more than 6,000 social laughter clubs in about 60 countries.

Laughter yoga has been introduced in schools, in the business world, in aged care facilities, in hospitals - where it has proven to have a profound impact on the immune system that influences the course of survival of cancer patients - and in prisons, where it has led to better prisoner-staff relations and reduced violence.

Not that the youngsters at the center knew any of that - they were just having fun, which, according to Haney, is the focus of the center.

"But at the same time, we provide a positive, effective and educational environment," Haney said. "Laughter yoga was done instead of a field trip, for those children who spent time with us during Christmas break."

Haney said that the field trips Haney-Ripley children have taken include visits to the Greene County Park, Greene County Library, Greene County Senior Center, Evergreene Nursing Care Center, Green Meadows Christmas Tree Farm, Carter's Mountain and Bounce-n-Play.

And, the center has had visitors from the community.

"A parent who is a professional firefighter visited the center, along with a fire truck, to discuss fire safety, and members of the senior center visited our center and brought candy for our Halloween festival," said Haney.

"Seniors read to children and spent time helping with art activities."

When they are not taking field trips, youngsters enrolled in the center are playing inside with dolls and dollhouses, action figures and trains, listening to stories or reading on their own, Haney explained.

They enjoy "circle time," during which they discuss the month, days of the week, and the season of the year.

They work with teachers on manipulatives and participate in art and music activities.

Or they are playing organized games outside, weather permitting. And, Haney added, they have enjoyed "several bounce castles here at the center."

The Haney-Ripley Child Care Center is a licensed center specializing in before and after school care for K5 through middle school students, and preschool care for the children as young as two years.

It began in August 2007 with 24 students, and now as 67. It also offers full day care for school-agers on days schools are closed, Christmas and spring breaks, and extended school closings.

For more information call the center at (434) 985-1185 or visit it at Haney-Ripley.com.

Simple Steps to Start Your Own Business

Indianapolis SCORE® presents

A Business Workshop Series

Exclusive to Potential Start-Up Business Owners

Investigate if your business plans and ideas are sound...

Attend this FREE preview workshop:

Saturday, February 12, 2011

• 10:00 AM Hendricks County, Economic Dev. (Avon)
• 10:30 AM Nora Library

Saturday, February 19th, 2011

• 10:00 AM Fishers Library
• 10:30 AM Wayne Library

Saturday, February 26th, 2011

• 10:00 AM Tilson Human Resource Center (Greenwood)
• 10:30 AM Warren Township Library

For additional information contact Indianapolis SCORE at

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YogaKids

Free YogaKids classes offered by City Yoga on Monday January 17th from 2:30pm - 3:30pm

Educators, Parents, Child-focused Professionals, Children, Tween & Teens

Join Marsha Wenig & Susan Rose for a class full of fun, fitness & feeling great! You are guaranteed to learn, laugh & love the YogaKids way of educating the "whole" child.

This event is FREE for adults & kids of all ages.

Registration is recommended. Click here for registration.

Infections in early child care can lead to fewer absences in mainstream school

Infections in early child care can lead to fewer absences in mainstream school

Parents and child care experts will probably not be at all surprised to learn that a recent report in a scientific journal confirms that children under the age of 2½, who attend large group care settings, are more likely to develop respiratory and ear infections than those who don't.

Furthermore, those children who do attend these settings are less likely to suffer such illnesses once they begin mainstream school.

The report in the December issue of the US journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine was the result of an eight-year study carried out by Dr Sylvana M. Côté of Ste-Justine Hospital and the University of Montreal in Quebec.

It had been accepted that preschool children, especially those who were placed in large group childcare settings, experienced more frequent infections than children who were cared for primarily at home. This had raised concerns that group care could compromise young children's health and the health of their community, but few studies have examined the impact of group childcare on infections beyond preschool years.

Dr Côté and her colleagues studied 1,238 families with children born in 1998. These children fell into three groups;

1. those in a large childcare setting – where professional educators care for up to 10 groups of eight to 12 children;

2. those in a small childcare setting – home based centres where a childminder cares for between three and eight children;

3. those who were cared for at home.

For eight years the researchers obtained regular information about how often the children had respiratory tract infections, ear infections or gastrointestinal infections during three specific periods: early preschool (under the age of 2½), late preschool (ages 3½ to 4½) and early mainstream school (ages 5 to 8).

It was found that children who attended large group care settings before the age of 2½ and during the late preschool period had higher rates of respiratory infections and ear infections than those who were cared for at home, but once children started mainstream school, these infections tailed off.

Children who started in a small childcare setting and never attended a larger setting did not have any differences in infection risk. Those who were first cared for at home, but then started at any size childcare setting during the late preschool period had a higher risk of ear infections at that time, but no other differences in infection risk.

Group childcare was not associated with gastrointestinal infections at any period in the children's development.

The authors feel that this study involving so many children over an extended eight-year period, should provide reassuring evidence for parents that their choices regarding childcare should not have any major effect on the health of their children, as far as respiratory tract infections with fever, gastrointestinal infections and ear infections are concerned.

Furthermore, children who join large-group childcare settings at a very early age (under the age of 2½) may even gain a level of protection that will result in fewer absences when they come to begin mainstream school.

Author : Michael Evans
© The Earth Times

Office Closed on Monday January 17th

Just a reminder our office will be closed on Monday January 17th for Martin Luther King Jr day.

Winter Outdoor Safety Tips

With the falling snow and colder temperatures we have had several calls asking about guidelines for outdoor play. The rule of thumb for cold temperatures is that with the windchill considered 25 degrees and below is too cold for children to play outside. Our inclusion specialist wanted to urge providers to make sure that even if it's only for a few minutes to try and get children outside for fresh air. Fresh air is so much healthier for the children than being inside all day and is important for them to get everyday.

Below is some safety tips given from the American Academy of Pediatrics for the cold weather.

• Dress infants and children warmly for outdoor activity. Several thin layers will keep them warm and dry. Don't forget warm boots, gloves or mittens and a hat.


• The rule of thumb for older babies and young children is to dress them in one more layer of clothing than an adult would wear in the same conditions.


• Hypothermia develops when a child's temperature falls below normal due to exposure to colder temperatures. It often happens when a youngster is playing outdoors in extremely cold weather without wearing proper clothing or when clothes get wet.


• Frostbit happens when the skin and outer tissues become frozen. This condition tends to happen on extremities like the fingers, toes, ears and nose. They may become pale, gray and blistered. At the same time the child may complain that his/her skin burns or becomes numb.


• Cold weather does not cause colds or flu. But the viruses that cause colds and flu tend to be more common in the winter, when children are in school and are in closer contact with each other. Frequent hand washing and teaching your child to sneeze or couch into the bend of their elbow may help reduce the spread of colds and flu.


• Remember that the sun's rays can still cause sunburn in the winter. Make sure to cover your child's exposed areas with sunscreen.

For the complete list of safety tips visit the American Academy of Pediatrics web page.