LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Laugh and the Class Laughs with You


Instructor Jillian Standish (red sweater, center) shares one more laugh with her Laughter Yoga class. Photo Cathy Dausman

With its rhythmic "ho, ho, ha-ha-ha," you might have thought Santa was back in the building. It wasn't Santa, but the Laughter Yoga class did elicit a room full of belly laughs when a small group gathered recently in Lafayette to learn more about this happy program.

Laughter yoga got its start in India during the 1990s when physician Madan Kataria discovered exposure to laughter benefitted participants in both body and soul. It didn't matter that the first few rounds were "forced," genuine laughter soon followed and the result was easier breathing, mood elevation and stress reduction. "It's a way of connecting people," said yoga instructor Jillian Standish, as she faced her first class of eight.

Several participants also attend Drumming for Seniors; one of those participants requested this class.

After simple warm-ups, the group passed laughs ranging from polite cocktail party twitters to gorilla laughs, belly laughs, "hot" and "cold" laughter, and ants in the pants laughter from one to another. The result was infectious, spontaneous laughter.

Participant Marilyn Sherwin can't wait to share this find with her neighbors at Orinda Senior Village. "You can create laughter anytime," Standish assured her class, saying those who laugh "are the happiest ... and healthiest ... people in the world."

Laughter Yoga meets the second Monday of the month at Lamorinda Music, 81 Lafayette Circle, Lafayette; class fee in the form of a donation is optional.

For details, email laughter.yoga.seniors@gmail.com.

To find out more about laughter yoga, visit http://www.laughteryogausa.com/ and http://www.laughteryoga.org/english. Madan Kataria's book, "Laugh For No Reason," is available online.