Today is World Laughter Day and to celebrate I joined Dr. Kataria (the founder of Laughter Yoga) and a few other people (ok actually it was 500) on a Zoom call for my very first online Laughter Yoga session. I have been curious about this whole laughter yoga business for a while and figured this was the perfect opportunity to check it out. I was not disappointed!

The session began with a quick overview of the benefits of laughter yoga. I was pretty surprised at the current research. It turns out that laughter yoga packs a powerful punch. Not only does it boost an overall sense of wellbeing (I can attest to this… I’m practically buzzing with happiness at the moment), it provides a host of other well-being benefits.

Since laughter releases endorphins, which not only help us to feel good, it also lessens physical pain. This has tremendous potential for anyone suffering from illness (physical or emotional). Not only does laughter change the way our body physically feels, check this out, laughter can also boost the heroes of our immune system, the T-cells. If you or someone you love is currently sick and looking for ways to heal, giggling and chuckling is a bona fide strategy.

Need a few more reasons to purposefully play with laughter exercises? Spending time laughing supports cardiac health by lowering your blood pressure, reducing stress and getting your blood pumping (aka aerobic activity). And let’s not forget, If you’ve ever paid attention to your body after a good guffaw, it engages your muscles, especially those in your abs, back and face. I don’t know about you, but hearty laughter actually makes me start to hurt (so good). It is actually a legitimate form of exercise. Get toned and burn calories just by laughing? Maybe the most fun way to workout ever invented!

Still, I was skeptical about Laughter Yoga online. Would it feel cheesy and forced? The answer is… yes, sort of at first, but who cares! Once the actual laughing began, Dr. Kataria just asked everyone to mirror his actions. At first, it felt awkward, making silly faces and laughing on purpose. What I quickly noticed though, I began to be ACTUALLY funny hearing and watching other people in the same boat. This was hilarious not just for me, but for everyone else, making genuine laughter that contagious and very enjoyable.

I was also impressed by the mirroring Dr. Kataria had everyone doing. Some of the actions were just plain old silly. However, others included washing hands, ridiculous exaggerating sneezing and the mimed action of putting on a mask. It felt great to be able to laugh at our current circumstances and the new reality of life during COVID-19 in a funny way. I also found it very easy to find real laughter when trying to mirror more complicated actions like ole “pat your head while rubbing your tummy”. Laughing at myself and everyone else struggling with these actions was lighthearted and fun.

By far, the best part of the Laughter Yoga session I attended was the “Bollywood Laughter Dancing”. Dr. Kataria has created a whole workout routine that combines laughter yoga with simple dance moves. This checks off so many things on my personal list of fun. I LOVE how good my body feels when I dance, I love music that inspires me to move, and when you throw in some laughter, it makes for quite a good time. The Bollywood style music is also paired with lyrics that include “ho-ho-ho”, “ha, ha, ha” and “ha ha yeah!”. This music, then combined with Bollywood dance moves that are easy to do, produces hilarious results when non-professional dancers attempt them. I saw merriment and cheer in everyone singing along to the music and trying to dance.

Laughter Dancing is definitely an activity that I’d like more of in my life. I’m thinking of taking it to the next level by combining it with hula-hooping and hoop dancing. BAM! Exercise I can get behind, a celebration of happiness, joy and movement. If you’re interested in taking this journey with me, get in touch. I love teaching basic hoop aerobics and see big potential of the fun-o-meter flying off the charts with Laughter Hooping.

I encourage you to check out Laughter Yoga. I was positively surprised and delighted with my own first experience and looking forward to seeing what comes next. #LaughterHoopDance - the newest fitness craze? Happy World Laughter Day!