Are you having a laugh?
- Ashley Cobbold
- Jul 2
- 2 min read
If you’ve not had the pleasure of experiencing a session, or heard of this practice before, you
may be relieved to know that Laughter yoga isn’t what it appears to be on the tin: a Hatha or
Vinyasa yoga session whilst we giggle at ourselves.
Instead, it is actually a unique practice where we choose to laugh deliberately whilst engaging in
playful and imaginative games/exercises as a group
Sounds crazy right? Well, the brain and body doesn't feel that way as they cannot tell the
difference between real and fake laughter, so when we start to laugh in this way, we trigger all of
the natural responses such as:
Releasing feel good hormones such as Dopamine, Serotonin, Oxytocin and Endorphins
Reduction of cortisol
Lowering Blood pressure
Oxygenation of the body (as laughter engages the diaphragm, helping us freshen up the lungs
and bloodstream)
Not only do we have these Physical responses, but there is also the emotional release we feel
through laughter, as well as the social element of sharing in this practice with the others in the
room.
It may seem an odd concept to begin with, and we may feel shy or vulnerable about looking silly,
but that's the point! We are allowing ourselves to be playful, to be joyful for the sake of being
joyful, with others! No need to fear looking silly, we all do! The whole concept of meeting up to
laugh about nothing is mad in itself, but we are all loving it! When we are in a laughter yoga
session, we are in a safe space to drop the armour we may need for day to day life, and simply
enjoy being the playful humans we were born to be.
I started practising laughter yoga when I found that: although I was meditating, Journaling and
practicing conventional yoga/Qi Gong, I was stable and steady, but I wasn’t happy.
I was lucky enough to have been given a taster session with a friend 5 or so years ago and so
when I found myself at this plateau, I started incorporating laughter into my daily routine, and it
has become the Cherry on the top of the self care cake I’d been missing for so long.
It’s a practice that helps remind us laughter is always a choice, and that the reason we do
anything is so that we can be more joyful, authentic and positive in the way we live our lives. It
connects us with the others in the room, showing us we are not alone and we are accepted for
who we are, even when we are being the silliest of Geese.
Laughter yoga is for everyone, all ages and all abilities, you don't need to be a funny person or
know any jokes, simply arriving with a smile and an open mind is enough to get started.
About the Author
Ashley Cobbold is a Laugter Yoga instructor and a thoroughly nice chap. He also has a tie-die business so if you like a bit of tie die give him a shout too.
If you’re curious and would like to know more or join a session, please message Ash directly
m: 07421 222427
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