by Louisa Cohen

We have all had those moments when someone does or says something that makes us burst with uncontrollable pee-pee-in-our-pants laughter. The catalyst is unpredictable sometimes, yet you always know which particular anecdote will get you all going.

For example: Years ago in residence, when Sex and the City was only in season four, and Facebook had not yet been birthed – MSN was the preferred method to talk to boys if you were too chicken-shit to call them (which I was).

One of my best friends stood over my shoulder as I crafted witty and cute cyber-banter with a new crush…. “tell him you’ll try to pop by later after dinner..” my BFF dictated to me. Rattling the message off on my keyboard, I hit enter to only read the following message I actually had written:

“Sounds good, I’ll try and poop by your house after dinner…”

His reply, “poop?!”

I lose it every time…(and cringe a little too)

Most of the time living this ‘grown-up’ life we forget to laugh. We stress out way too much, become one of those grumpy people power walking the sidewalk, and give the evil-eye to the loud teenagers with dirty mouths… how easily we forget that we were once an annoying boisterous teen. Point is – we need to loosen up and laugh a little.

Moreover, some of us have suppressed our laughter to be ‘office appropriate’ – I for one was always teased for my laughter. When I was young an uninhibited and hilarity ensued, the sounds that came out of my mouth would garner comparison to Fran Drescher and worse: a Machine Gun. [Note: Thank you childhood friends for shaming me]

Last Sunday I attended my very first Laughter Yoga class.

 Laughter Yoga is a series of movement and breathing exercises designed to stimulate laughter and cultivate an inner spirit of joy (for realsies yo!). It is a technique that invites laughter without using jokes or humor; blending yoga-based deep breathing, gentle stretching, simulated laughter exercises with playful games and activities. Developed in the mid-nineties by Dr. Kataria, its was intended to promote health, happiness, and even WORLD PEACE.

I know it sounds a little hippy-dippy to some of you but just hold back your judgment for a sec. It has been proven that laughter, whether simulated or real has very real therapeutic effects dating back 5,000 years ago to when Tibetan Buddhist were chuckling for health.

So it was a Sunday afternoon – and I trekked to the vibrant Commercial Drive known for its eclectic restaurants, fantastic Italian Delis, cafes, and vintage stores.

I walked in to Open Door Yoga Sudio that is home to the Smiling Yogi Laughter Club. Their mission: to ‘release your inner child, and learn how to laugh for no reason at all’.

Sounds simple, right? You try walking into a room with 20 plus strangers of all ages, colors, shapes, and sizes only to leave all you inhibitions behind onto begin laughing mad as a hatter.

There was clearly a divide between those of us who were new to the class, and who had had a laugh or two before; even during parts of instruction certain participants would let out a cackle or a hyena style fit – while the newbies would just stand there looking bewildered and perspiring a little. I was intimidated by their freedom to just let it go and was shocked at how free-flowing certain peoples laughter was – both during exercises and in between.

The explanation being that the older students’ had worked their ‘laughter muscle’ more, therefore capable of unfettered laughter. [Note: you can not point to your ‘laughter muscle’ – it’s within you. It’s that ‘muscle’ that enables you to be the life of the party, gives you the guts to make the first move, the muscle that lets you rise above the petty stuff and just smile at the world].

Eventually I looked around and realized that there was nothing in-between any of these people and myself. I stopped judging them, and finally believed that they weren’t judging me – we were all there for the same reason, to heal somehow through laughter. I joined right in and faked my laughs, and sometimes believed them, I ‘hee hee-ed’ ‘haha – ed’ and shook my shoulders up and down with the best of them. I truly started it quite a bit – the method is to participate in exercises that simulate laughter, which become so ridiculous you actually end up laughing at yourself and ultimately letting go.

It wasn’t until the very end of the course when we were doing what was called the sleepover exercise that I really got in the groove. Just as most of you had done in grade school; we lay down on our backs in a circle with our heads on pillows in the darkened room, as if we were at a slumber party. (You remember, everyone is trying to sleep but undoubtedly someone cracks a joke and the room bubbles with a swell of giggles) Well this was it, a crescendo of laughter was the objective in this nostalgic pose…the room was loud and filled with voices… and finally…I heard it. Soft at first – then louder, and louder – finally my own voice broke free from my body. I was laughing – for real; the machine gun was back, guns blazing… I was experiencing true joy.

After class I was proud of myself, like I had completed something, changed a little, or at least let a small part of me that had been hidden away shine – even just a little.

Have a laugh for yourself: Smiling Yogi Laughter Club, Sundays 3-4pm
Open Door Yoga, 1111 Commercial Drive $5 suggested donation or visit http://www.thesmilingyogi.com/lclub.htm