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You’re having<br />
a laugh<br />
Laughter yoga classes are taking<br />
off around the world, so Happiful’s<br />
Kathryn Wheeler signed up for<br />
a session to discover the serious<br />
benefits behind having a chuckle<br />
It’s 3pm on a Monday, and I’m sat<br />
in front of my laptop, ready to<br />
join a virtual laughter yoga class.<br />
When I first stumbled across the<br />
idea of ‘laughter yoga’, in my mind’s<br />
eye I envisioned a group of people<br />
heartily laughing while in traditional<br />
yoga poses – similar to my own<br />
reaction every time I poorly attempt<br />
downward facing dog – and I was<br />
about halfway right.<br />
Laughter yoga, as it is done today,<br />
was developed by medical doctor<br />
Dr Madan Kataria who, after<br />
studying the numerous benefits<br />
of laughter, was inspired to<br />
launch the first ‘Laughter Club’<br />
with five people in a park. The<br />
group gathered in a circle, told<br />
jokes, messed around, were<br />
generally silly, and had a laugh.<br />
Rather than adapting the yoga<br />
poses we’re accustomed to, Dr<br />
Kataria’s laughing yoga was<br />
more focused on tuning-in to the<br />
intentionality and mindfulness<br />
of yoga, mixing in breathing<br />
and stretching with moments of<br />
prompted laughter. Following<br />
the first few trials, he realised<br />
that the body cannot distinguish<br />
between real and pretend<br />
laughter – furthermore, makebelieve<br />
laughter often turned<br />
genuine, and the physiological<br />
benefits of the exercise were felt<br />
for days after the sessions.<br />
With that discovery, the practice<br />
took off, and today Dr Kataria<br />
runs a free virtual laughter club<br />
every day – which is what I’m<br />
about to dive into.<br />
52 | September <strong>2021</strong> | <strong>happiful</strong>.com
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