Laughter Yoga: A Little Less Thinking, a Lot More Living

Someone starts with a tentative “ha-ha”. Another person catches their eye. There’s an awkward pause, and suddenly, a real laugh escapes.

You know the kind. The one that interrupts your sentence, shakes your shoulders and makes everyone nearby join in.

Laughter yoga creates space for that wonderfully human experience. Through breathing, movement and playful exercises, it invites us to loosen our grip on being sensible for a while.

At Farmatuur, we think that deserves a place in the diary.

Ready to experience it yourself? Join Laughter Yoga with Bert & Liesbeth at Farmatuur for a playful morning in The Garden.

From Five People in Mumbai to a Worldwide Movement

Laughter yoga began in a Mumbai park in 1995 with physician Dr Madan Kataria, his wife Madhuri and three other participants. Their idea was simple: explore laughter as something people could practise together, without waiting for a joke. 

Today, Laughter Yoga International reports a presence in more than 120 countries, with sessions in parks, workplaces, community groups and care settings. Its combination of intentional laughter, breathing and playfulness travels easily across languages. You don’t need to understand the punchline when there isn’t one. 

What Actually Happens in a Session?

The “yoga” refers primarily to the breathing element. Expect comfortable movement rather than complicated poses.

A session builds gradually:

1. Warm up. Gentle movement, rhythmic clapping and playful sounds help everyone settle into the group.

2. Breathe. Guided breathing creates pauses between the more energetic moments.

3. Get a little silly. Gibberish, exaggerated gestures or a funny movement give your attention somewhere new to go.

4. Practise laughing. The facilitator introduces exercises where laughter begins deliberately. Hearing and seeing others can help it become spontaneous.

5. Come back to quiet. The pace softens, giving you time to catch your breath and notice how you feel.

That combination of warm-up, breathing, play and laughter is central to the method. You participate at your own pace; there’s no prize for being the loudest. 

So, Am I Just Forcing Myself to Laugh?

Some laughter does begin intentionally. It would be strange to pretend otherwise.

But a guided session gives that first, slightly awkward laugh a setting: movement, shared attention, playful interaction and breathing breaks. The facilitator helps the group ease into the experience rather than asking everyone to stand still and look delighted.

You can arrive tired, quiet or sceptical. There’s room for that too. Participation doesn’t require pretending your worries have disappeared.

The invitation is to experiment with playfulness and see what follows.

Proposed quote for Bert Corsius to approve:

“You don’t have to arrive feeling happy or have something funny to say. We start with breath, movement and a little playfulness. My role is to make room for you to loosen up—and discover what happens when we laugh together.”

What Does the Science Say?

Laughter is a physical and social experience, and researchers have found some intriguing effects.

It may help soften the stress response.
A 2023 analysis of eight studies involving 315 adults found approximately 32% greater reduction in cortisol, a hormone involved in stress, with laughter interventions compared with control conditions. Those interventions varied, so the figure describes a research finding rather than a promised result from one session. Read the analysis.

Laughter yoga itself has shown promising results.
In a randomised trial involving 90 nursing students, eight sessions over four weeks improved reported stress and measures of meaning and purpose. This offers encouraging evidence for a regular practice in a demanding setting. Read the trial.

Shared laughter engages the brain’s own feelgood chemistry.
Brain-imaging research found that social laughter triggered the release of natural opioids, including endorphins, involved in pleasure and pain regulation. Separate experiments found increased pain tolerance after laughter. Brain-imaging research, pain-tolerance research.

The research gives us good reasons to take laughter seriously, while keeping the invitation refreshingly simple: make room for something that can feel good, bring people together and help you unwind.

Come Laugh in The Garden

Join Bert & Liesbeth at Farmatuur for breathing, gentle movement and laughter, followed by homemade snacks and tea.

Arrive at 09:00 for a welcome and introduction. The session runs from 09:30 until approximately 10:30, followed by a relaxed gathering over tea until 11:00.

Wear comfortable clothes and bring a warm sweater: weather permitting, we’ll be outside.

€20 per person · Maximum 20 participants · snacks and tea included

Reserve your place for Laughter Yoga with Bert & Liesbeth →

Come as you are. There’s no need to bring a joke.