Why it’s now okay to giggle in class
AYOGA teacher is on a mission to prove that laughter really is the best medicine and is inviting residents to give her classes a try.
Sara Kay, 50, is an expert in ‘laughter yoga’ and teaches her students to use a different breathing techniques to encourage laughter.
She took up the quirky method as an alternative to taking anti-depressants, and says it has had an incredible impact on her mental health.
She said: “I practice laughing every day. It has improved my mental health considerably and I’m a positive, calm person now.
“I feel able to cope with difficult situations more easily, more resilient to life’s ups and downs. One benefit I didn’t expect is that I now make up fun things to say or jokes, which I never did before discovering Laughter Yoga, so my creativity and sense of humour is increasing with laughing.”
Sarah, who teaches monthly sessions at Macclesfield United Reformed Church, said it can feel a little odd at first, but the laughter soon takes over.
She said: “At first we will do a warm up and greeting, and then we use eye contact, movement and willingness doing laughter exercises with handclapping (which uses ‘alive’ acupressure points) and deep yoga style breathing.
“Pretend laughter soon becomes real contagious laughter and is very easy to do and be carried on.”
But unlike other forms of yoga, Sara says, you won’t end up in an ‘funny positions on the floor’.
Sarah says began suffering with depression when she came out of a 20-year relationship. And it was when she was looking online for an alternative to anti-depressants that she stumbled across a session.
Sara said: “I was on anti-depressants and wanted to find a replacement therapy tool instead of taking them.
“I went online and dis- covered there was a Laughter Yoga Club held in Manchester.
“I then wanted to discover more and learn about how laughter affects your inner wellbeing and brain I found out about a Laughter Ambassador, Lotte Mikkelsen, and talked to her.”
Inspired by its effects Sara took part in a week long course to become a tutor and soon after she began running her own class in Knutsford, before bringing her expertise to Macclesfield.
The next class of Macclesfield Laughter Club is on Friday, May 18.
It runs from 7.30 until 8.30pm.