Laughing Our Way to Wellness: A Joyful Dive into Laughter Yoga
On a rainy Thursday, May 22nd, 2025, six of us from Fountain House, myself included, embarked on a delightful adventure—Laughter Yoga with the charismatic Lisa Levine, director of Maha Rose. Maha Rose, a holistic healing space in Brooklyn, is known for offering practices that nourish the soul, and Lisa brought that energy to us in full force.
What is Laughter Yoga, you ask? Well, Lisa quickly let us in on its magic. She explained that just ten minutes of deep belly laughter can burn as many calories as 30 minutes of aerobic exercise—a workout disguised as joy! Even more fascinating, fake laughter has the same neurochemical benefits as genuine laughter. Whether our giggles were real or “forced,” they were working wonders on our brains and bodies alike.
The session was packed with playful activities designed to coax out laughter in the most unexpected ways. One particularly hilarious exercise had us passing “laughter energy” from one person to the next in succession. When you received the energy, you could embody it however you wished—through a belly laugh, a giggle, even a full-on hysterical cackle—and then send it on to the next person. This simple act of sharing laughter turned into an uncontrollable chain of joy.
Then came the “stage” challenge. Three of us stood before the group, each expressing different moods—excitement, confusion, ecstasy, even heartburn! We had a blast interpreting these emotions in our own unique ways, first individually, then attempting to psychically sync up by presenting the same expression simultaneously. The results were an unpredictable mix of spontaneous unity and comical divergence.
As we neared the session’s end, Lisa encouraged us to reflect on the human condition. Each of us shared an insight, then, in an act of pure affirmation, pumped our arms and shouted “Yes!” It was an amusing yet strangely profound moment, filled with wise, intuitive perspectives from our small but insightful group.
Even those who had to leave early got their own special moment. Lisa asked them to depart with flair—saying something dramatic and funny as they exited. The impromptu performances had us rolling with laughter yet again.
Of course, all that joy had an effect. A few of us felt lightheaded from so much laughter, but Lisa kept us grounded, guiding us through deep breaths to re-center ourselves before stepping back into the world. And when it was all said and done, we left with lighter hearts, energized spirits, and the simple yet powerful reminder to laugh often.
Luckily, this wasn’t a one-time experience—Lisa will be back for another session on Thursday, June 19th, 2025, at 11:30 AM. If the weather is kind, we’ll gather on the Big Patio outside Home and Garden; if not, you’ll find us on YACC’s second floor.
Want to stay updated on events like this? Reach out to me at [email protected] or (929) 884-3564.
And remember—those frown lines don’t stand a chance against the power of laughter!
