It鈥檚 less sweaty than the gym, but slightly more embarrassing. The latest keep fit craze has people in Liverpool laughing themselves fit. If you don鈥檛 mind running around making chicken noises in a room full of strangers then laughter yoga could be the sport for you.
 | | Laughter Yoga is a group exercise |
Liverpool Comedy Trust is running hour long sessions of laughter yoga hosted by professional stand up comedian and trained laughter therapist Stephanie Davies. Laughing releases endorphins into the body which brings on a natural high. Laughter yoga is said to utilise this as a way of getting fit by stimulating the body through fake laughter. Stephanie Davies says that the sessions are about making adults laugh out loud more, like they did when they were younger, 鈥淚t鈥檚 all about getting back to that child like state and doing silly thing, silly exercises and fake laughing.
 | | Taking part in a session |
鈥淚f you fake laugh your body doesn鈥檛 recognise the difference so you feel up lifted.鈥 Using Yoga Stephanie has been running monthly laughter sessions since November. Taking the form of group exercises participants are encouraged to laugh out loud, jump up and down and let their inhibitions go, as Stephanie explains 鈥淲e call it yoga because it鈥檚 about breathing and gentle exercise. We do stretches.
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Yoga means mind body and soul, and this is what laughter is about. Giving food to the mind, body and soul to feel uplifted.鈥 Laughter therapy originated in India with Dr Madan Kataria who combined simple laughter exercises with gentle yoga breathing to create real laughter in a group environment. | 
