Who knew it was okay to laugh during yoga.
But laughter was par for the course during communication studies professor Patty Posthauer‘s laughter yoga class last week in SJC Long Island‘s O’Connor Hall. The students who participated were asked to laugh progressively harder and harder during the common hour practice.
Posthauer initially told the students that even if it was forced to laugh “from their core.” But as the class continued, the laughter sounded genuine.
“It really is this release of energy, and it’s so contagious. You hear someone laughing and it just sparks yours,” said Posthauer who hosted the class on Feb. 24. “There’s still those yoga concepts of bettering yourself in a different way. (By incorporating laughter) you appreciate what you just did and how much better you feel.”
Laughter yoga consists of different laugh’ inducing techniques that lead to feelings of genuine humor. Posthauers’ class served as a nice break from the busy schedules of SJC students.
The oxygen intake from the activity helps participants boost their mood. Laughter yoga, which originated in 1995, has popped up across the United States and the globe, in countries such as Taiwan, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
More laughter yoga classes will be available at SJC in April 2020.
