Laughter Yoga fits perfectly into my “love first, fun first” philosophy as a coach and as a person.
There are no mats or poses, just intentional laughter, playful group activities, deep breathing, and a strong sense of connection. It all started in 1995, when medical doctor Madan Kataria was studying the many health benefits of laughter. He woke up with an idea: people need laughter clubs where they can get together to laugh on purposes! His wife Madhuri, a yoga teacher, suggested adding deep breathing, and that became the “yoga” component. They started with five people in a park in Mumbai, and today Laughter Yoga is practiced in over 110 countries!
Intentional laughter has the same physical and emotional benefits as spontaneous laughter:
- Improves breathing‚ Stimulates circulation
- Decreases stress hormones‚ Boosts immune defenses
- Improves pain threshold‚ Enhances mental functioning
- Elevates mood‚ Enhances memory
- Builds a sense of social connection‚ Promotes psychological well-being
I offer free monthly Laughter Yoga sessions on Zoom, please email me at patricia@fierceafter45.com or get on my twice monthly “Jetpack” email list here for updates and the Zoom link!
“I went from flat to fluffy!”
– a recent laughter yoga participant wITh me
I provide the following Laughter Yoga services:
- Laughter Yoga for corporate and organizational conferences and events in the Washington DC area and on Zoom.
- Single Laughter Yoga events for your organization’s wellness program.
- Laughter Yoga for elders, in senior centers, senior living communities or other venues. I have a Functional Aging Specialist certification and great respect and love for people at all stages of life.
- Outdoor Laughter Yoga, or outdoor laughter plus physical movement (I am also a certified personal trainer) for organizations and at community events.
I first experienced Laughter Yoga at a local public library with the fabulous Laughter Ambassador Diane Cohen. During the pandemic hit, I trained with Sebastian Gendry to lead Laughter Wellness on Zoom. My laughter groups were a lifeline for me during those isolated times. Then, when Laughter Ambassador Celeste Greene offered her first in-person training since 2019, I jumped at the chance and became a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader after an exhilarating two days in Atlanta in August 2022.
I have presented Laughter Wellness or Laughter Yoga to a mortgage company, a birthday party on Zoom with guests from around the world, a technology start-up, an adult day care center, The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam (where newcomers faced 3-week quarantines due to COVID), Women’s Exchange of Chicago, the participants in a marathon and half-marathon race on World Laughter Day, and more.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you think I might be able to serve you or your organization with my positive energy and laughter. Thank you very much!
Want more laughter? You can join my teachers on Zoom for free: Follow the Facebook page of Arlington Laughter Yoga, led by Diane Cohen, for updates on their monthly Zoom gatherings. And Celeste Greene, has free laughter clubs twice a week, on Tuesdays at 7:30 pm Eastern, and Fridays at 11:30 am Eastern (both 30 minutes each). Just visit her website and select “Join Laughter Club” and you’ll get the Zoom links by email!
Deb Guy, Women’s Exchange
Today, a group from Women’s Exchange gathered for a much needed Laughter Yoga class. We ended feeling energized, grateful to the group for having so much fun together, changing from being skeptical to feeling great, and everyone loved feeling zany to end feeling calm! Where can you get all this in less than 60 minutes? As a group, we all say YES, to Laughter Yoga! And YES, to our amazing leader, Patricia! Thank you for a great experience.