Laughter Yoga

Are you struggling to find ways to feel lighter and have more joy in the moment? Think about the last time you had a big belly laugh and how you felt afterwards. Laughter has a powerful and immediate effect on our mind, body, emotions, and spirit! The key is that laughter is always in the moment, like the breath, and we can learn to use it as a skill.

Laughter Yoga was founded in 1995 by Indian physician, Dr. Madan Kataria. He had an interesting insight while doing research about humor and laughter. Our bodies get similar benefits whether it’s a spontaneous laugh or simulated laughter. He realized that jokes or comedy are not necessary to laugh and that we all have the innate ability to “laugh for no reason!"

In this class, we don’t tell jokes or rely on humor or comedy, just classical exercises that encourage laughter, deep breathing, stretching, and clapping. The laughter exercises help facilitate a gentle deepening of mindful awareness and an easy connection with other class members. Plus laughter is very contagious!

What are the benefits? Our exercises use laughter as an “in the moment skill” and can:

• Increase blood flow and oxygen to all the major organs
• Enhance endorphin levels which make us feel uplifted and reduce pain
• Stimulate the immune, digestive, and cardiac systems
• Reduce stress levels and boost our emotional well-being
• Help build resilience
• Relax, strengthen, and lengthen the muscles with stretching
• Help create a laughing community and strong social connection

Please join us for our Laughter Yoga class at 6 p.m. on Thursdays PST and laugh for no reason. (View time zone converter, here).

Watch the video of one of our classes

Tuition: Free, Sponsored by UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Health

Location: Online

Registration: Drop-in; Click here to register online and join the class

Contact: Email [email protected]

Quote from past participant:
"Joined my first laughing yoga class yesterday out of curiosity. After a whole hour of purely laughing for the sake of laughing with others who were doing just the same, I felt light and I couldn’t stop laughing. Such beautiful camaraderie."

You can listen to the KCBS radio interview with instructor Teresa Corrigan, MA, RN, on how Laughter Yoga combines the healing of joy and mindfulness of meditation. Learn more about laughter yoga online at Laughter Yoga University and in this article from the Taipei Times, “Laughter yoga helping the sick.”