Laughter yoga catching on in KC

Allison Roodman caught a fake wave and a real case of the giggles at a recent Laughter Yoga class at Plaza Wellspring. The classes are free every Friday.

You can wear anything you like to this yoga class because there's no down dogging or plank posing — just a lot of tee-hee-heeing and hah-hah-hahing.

The class is called Laughter Yoga, and yoga instructor Linda Putthoff offers free classes at her studio near the Country Club Plaza every Friday night.

Your only requirement: You must laugh. Even if you don't think you'll be able to muster a belly laugh in a room full of strangers, you're more than welcome to fake it. Really.

On the surface, laughter and yoga seem as compatible as peanut butter and mustard on bread. But the fledgling discipline of laughter yoga is picking up fans around the world.

Madan Kataria, an Indian cardiologist and family physician, started the first laughter "club" in 1995 in Mumbai, India. He began by gathering joggers and walkers, strangers all, in a local park to share jokes and belly laughs. People loved it.

Kataria began to inject yogic breathing exercises into the fun. The cardio workout of the laughing and the deep breathing of the yoga made everyone feel happy and calm.

Laughing for the sake of laughing has become so popular that Kataria and his enthusiastic followers have founded hundreds of laughter clubs in 60 countries. They are just now starting to come to Kansas City.

Body & Soul of Kansas City will launch a Laughter Club — KC Laughs — in September. Members will meet Thursday nights, just for grins and giggles.

Putthoff's Laughter Yoga class meets on Friday nights.

"We hope to spread it," says Putthoff, who has taught yoga for 25 years. "It's not rocket science."

(If it were rocket science, everyone would surely want to work for NASA.)

Putthoff learned laughter yoga from leading practitioner Sebastian Gendry, who came to Kansas City in April to train teachers.

She says laughter yoga dovetails with her longtime commitment to the transformative nature of yoga — not so much the limbering of limbs but how yoga can make our lives easier, more joyful, more grace-filled.

The 45-minute classes begin with everyone seated in a circle — on chairs, on blankets, whatever's comfortable. To get their bodies moving and the blood flowing, everyone claps. A rhythm quickly sets in. Clap, breathe, laugh. Clap, breathe, laugh.

No one tells jokes. You just laugh. No talking allowed.

"We're not thinking, we're not processing," Putthoff says. "We're getting out of the rational brain, which is very yoga.

"What we're trying to do is create the innocent joy, the natural innocent joy we all share. It's not about humor at all. It's about tapping into the joy response in the body.

"Fake is fine. The body does not discern between fake laughter and real laughter. We simply walk around the room … and just laugh. We find that once you turn on that joy response, genuine laughter frequently follows.

"It's so wonderful all these different sounds people make when they laugh. I'm a real ha-ha person. Some are tiny little gigglers, and some smile with their eyes and don't make much sound."

Barbara Anderson, owner of Body & Soul, says that people might be surprised by how much of a physical workout laughing can be. She thinks the name "laughter yoga" is a misnomer, because all of this really has very little to do with yoga as most people picture it.

There's no charge for joining Anderson's laughter club, and Putthoff doesn't charge for her laughter yoga classes, either. How could she, Putthoff says.

"You think I'm going to charge you to laugh," Putthoff says, laughing. Of course.

•Laughter Yoga class: 6 p.m. Fridays, Plaza Wellspring, 4901 Main St., Suite 400. 816-931-6533. www.plazawellspring.com. Free.

•Laughter Club: 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, beginning in September, at Body & Soul of Kansas City, 649 E. 59th St. Call for more information and dates. 816-363-8282. www.bodyandsoulkc.com.

Classes canceled on July 4th

Q & A with Gwyneth Jones, HHP

Q:   I heard about Laughter Yoga on the Oprah Winfrey Show.  Does this really merit doing?

A:  Ha! Ha! It's not a silly question.  There are many benefits to participating in a Laughter Yoga session.  One value will be enriching your blood with oxygen with controlled and deep breathing.  Laughing exercises can increase your lung capacity.  Great for people with allergies, frequent upper respiratory infections and emphasema.

Q:  I don't laugh much.  How does the teacher make me laugh if I don't think it's funny?

A:  This is a process that even if you have to FAKE your laugh, you will  benefit from the exercises.  Simulated laughter exercises aim to develop "joyfulness".   It is a commitment to have fun regardless of all the life problems we are faced with.  The brain makes the decision to fake it, the body takes on the physical benefits of when you "do good" you "feel good".  This will change your body chemistry to a healthier state of being.

Q:  How can faking laughter reduce my stress load? 

A:  Studies have shown that laughter helps to control blood pressure by reducing the release of stress-related hormones and causing relaxation.  When you increase your oxygen supply, you will increase your stamina.  Laughter releases endorphins, the body's pain-killers, alleviating pain and lifting your spirits.

Q:  You are saying this would be good for treating depression?

A:  Laughter boosts your serotonin levels, nature's anti-depressant.  Yes, it is an effective antidote for anxiety and depression.

Q:  You are saying this is basically done to feel good?

A:  Laughter defuses painful emotions like fear, anger and boredom.  Therefore, laughter prevents or stops conflicts, reduces tension and helps people see another's point of view better.

Q:  Are you suggesting this be used in corporate settings?

A:  Of course!  Laughter for team-building, stress reduction, opens up the willingness to make changes.  This process gives us a better perspective.  Laughter allows us to be more open with one another.  It makes us feel safer and less awkward.  Laughter breaks the power struggle.  It is difficult to stay in conflict when you are laughing.

Q:  You call this exercise.  How can Laughter Yoga make me more fit?                          A:  You will have massage to your digestive tract and increase blood supply to all your internal organs. (liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys and adrenal glands) The increase in oxygen to your system is aerobic exercise that even sedentary, bedridden or those in wheelchairs can enjoy.

Q:  Are there any contra-indications to participating?

A:  "No new pain."  One of the rules in Laughter Yoga, is no new pain. Respect your body.  If you have physical or mental issues that change for the worse during a session. Any condition that would be at issue with increased abdominal pressure. Yoga teaches that as long as you can comfortably breathe, you're fine.

Q:  There are rules?

A:  No New Pain, Fake is Fine, Maintain Eye Contact & Move Around, Refrain From Talking, Be Happy and Energetic.

Q:  Where can I enjoy Laughter Yoga sessions?

A:  Check www.laughangeles.com for a list of certified instructors in your area and to sign up for a daily yoga exercise.  There are 6 new instructors in the KC area.  You can enjoy, Free Laughter Yoga  Fridays 6:00 -6:45 p.m. at Plaza Wellspring 4901 Main Street, suite 400. 816-931-6533.  There are over 1100 Laughter Yoga Clubs in 180 countries.