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Cut straight to Laughter Yoga Benefits and Origins.

Howdy! I’m Heidi Esther, Certified Laughter Yoga Leader, Emotional Intelligence Consultant and Trainer. I integrate Laughter Yoga in many of my Emotional Intelligence Trainings, and can do a stand alone session. Book a consult call if you’d like to bring Laughter Yoga Benefits or Emotional Intelligence to your organization!

My origin story of Laughter Yoga

I woke up to a familiar, drowsy heaviness in my body. I wanted to roll over. Though it was Saturday, in the middle of June. With the kids at their dad’s and my house clean, it should have felt like Christmas.

But I was depressed.

My mind wanted to get of the hamster wheel of homework for a Career Accelerator I enlisted in after I was let go. I was supposed to write two paragraphs on my strengths and qualities. On my homework sheet, I wrote one word: helper. My other quality, perfect toenails, I knew probably wouldn’t get me a new advancement job.

So, I decided to move my body…

At the Park

I looked up as I lay there. Robin’s-egg blue filled the gaps between feathery evergreen branches. The branches rocked back and forth like a rowboat knocking the pier on a languid day. Sunlight filtered down to me as through a fine muslin curtain. The best day for yoga. I took a long, full-body stretch. My knees, neck, back, and, what was that? my elbow cracked in delight.

Free summer yoga at the park. Every week is a new instructor, which keeps my muscles guessing. And it’s better than sitting around and beating myself up about getting fired. Just me, my mat, and the trees. And about sixty other people. No matter, I inhaled the evergreen scent, and that’s when everything changed.

“Hello friends! Let’s start. My name is Emma, I can’t wait to practice with you today!” Her voice was like popcorn.

I sat straight up and my gaze fixed on a young sprite of a woman.  Twinkling eyes, Annie-hair, and a wide Julia-Roberts smile. This woman has ringmaster or stand-up-comedian energy, not yoga-instructor energy. Oh no, I thought, did I get the time wrong?

Emma bubbled, “Today, we’re doing a special kind of yoga, Laughter Yoga. I promise it will get you a cardio workout in a fraction of the time compared to a standard yoga practice. Plus, it’s super fun!”

Emma’s sweeping gestures could keep the attention of any overtired toddler.

“And, yes, it’s not traditional yoga, other than the laying down part at the end. So, if you only want to do regular yoga, you’ll have to come back next week. Everyone else, stand up, and let’s form a circle,” she continued.

About half of the people scowled, picked up their mats, and left. Should I stay or go home to work on my qualities? I paused. I locked concerned eyes with some neighbors. It’s laughter. How hard could it be?

I joined the circle.

“Okay, friends! We’re going to do some exercises to get you laughing. If you don’t think it’s funny, just fake it. Your body will still enjoy the many benefits of laughter. First, we’re going to make some giggle soup.” I scan the circle. This could be embarrassing. At least I don’t know anyone…

“Now, everyone get out your knives, and let’s chop some vegetables…”

We all start air-chopping vegetables. Hmmm, is this what preschool feels like?

“…then let’s pour in some water and shake in some salt and pepper. Now comes the best part: the giggle juice!”

Emma air-mimes the pouring, the shaking, and putting in a couple drops of a secret bottle from her pocket. She is good at this. 

“Now, we’re going to stir it, taste it, and….” Emma rolled her fake spoon around like a witch with her brew and made a slurping noise. Giggles came out of her like overflowing milk bubbles. I could not contain myself.

“Hahahaha!!!” erupted my first laugh.

Laughter caught on like wildfire. In less than a blink, we were fake throwing each other giggle soup and adding in belly-laugh peppers. After what seemed like a long time to my stomach muscles, Emma started clapping and shouting a cheer. “Very good. Very good. Yea!” We all chimed in soon after.

“What a great start! Let’s take a break and do some calming breaths before we continue.”  She wasn’t kidding about the workout part.

Next, we became pretend roller coasters, Santa Claus, penguins walking, and exchanged laughter greetings. With, of course, cheers and breathing breaks.

Twenty minutes later, I lay on the ground like a happy hamster, looking up at the sky through the feathery branches. Five minutes later, we were all done laughing. Who would have thought it would be so hard to stop laughing?

I drove home in a cloud of happy. I was able to get off the hamster wheel!

The next day, my body recovered, but I still felt lighter.

I felt like I was riding around in Wonder Woman’s invisible plane. It shielded me and brought me the gift of flight. A light, airy, shield. Like, no matter what happened, no matter how I felt today, no matter when I found a job, I was gonna be okay.

One week later, I was still off my depressive hamster wheel and riding around in Wonder Woman’s plane.

POEM: The Best Medicine

How many 
yokes
do you wear, 
dear Soul? 

How many
burdens
do you shade, 
dear Light? 

For many
loves 
you are here, 
dear Heart. 

For many
lives
you will free, 
your Own.

If you take 
your own
Medicine, 
your laugh.

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