They say laughing is the best medicine.
And if laughter yoga is anything to go by, people can now giggle away their stress.
Laughter couch Shari Coventry runs playful classes around Sydney where she teaches people to engage in heartfelt laughter without force or humour.
She insists the practice increases your joy and connection, promotes resilience and positivity, boosts your immune system and reduces anxiety.
Laughter yoga instructor couch Shari Coventry (pictured) runs playful classes around Sydney where she teaches people to engage in heartfelt laughter without force or humour
‘It’s so infectious, it’s lot’s of fun,’ she told Sunrise.
‘It’s not best on comedy or jokes or humour, it’s actual physical exercise that we do.’
The inspiration behind laughter yoga stems from Indian doctor Madan Kataria who developed the practice in the mid 1990s.
The latest fitness trend to hit Australia is based on the principle that your body doesn’t know the difference between fake and genuine laughter.
So as long as you are willing to laugh, you will get the same psychological and physiological benefits of laughter.
The classes are a combination of deep yogic breathing, clapping, and playful exercises designed to induce laughter.
‘It might feel a little bit fake at the beginning, but eventually it turns into genuine laughter,’ Ms Coventry said.
The laughter couch insists the practice increases your joy and connection, promotes resilience and positivity, boosts your immune system and reduces anxiety
The classes are a combination of deep yogic breathing, clapping, and playful exercises designed to induce laughter
Usually practiced in groups, participants are encouraged to make eye contact and connect with their sense of child like fun
Usually practiced in groups, participants are encouraged to make eye contact and connect with their sense of child like fun.
‘When we start laughing, it triggers the release of endorphins so those feel-good hormones so it immediately changes the way you feel,’ she said.
‘When you’re laughing, you can’t have a processing emotion – so while laughing, we can’t feel any negativity.’
To kick start your mornings, Ms Coventry recommends laughing to yourself before rolling out of bed.
‘I’d say wake up and start laughing as soon as your eyes open. And laugh throughout the day as often as you can,’ she said.
‘We don’t laugh because we’re happy, we’re happy because we laugh.’