Last month I had the honour of being invited to lead a laughter therapy yoga workshop for employees and consultants of Landor in London.
Landor are World-leading brand specialists. They build brands designed to transform business, customer and employee experiences. Their core offering is based around consulting,design and experience.
The session was held at The Crypt on the Green, Clerkenwell Close, London, EC1R 0EA. Over 170 staff attended. Conveniently located a 5 minutes walk from Farringdon or 15 minute walk from Angel tube station.
The Crypt on the Green is a lovely historic venue, with its vaulted brick ceiling, natural light and parquet floor, provides a versatile and welcoming space to suit a range of events from workshops and conferences, to wine tastings, performances and filming.
The session was held in The Crypt room : This features Eight large windows making it a wonderfully light and airy location. A great space for conferences, meetings, product launches, exhibitions, presentations, parties, wedding receptions, wine tastings, and filming. Hire of The Crypt includes use of The Well. So this was perfect for a colossal audacious laughter yoga therapy workshop!
The session was a memorable success. We started with some gentle moves and smiles to cheesy 80s pop songs. Then I. (Laughing John) led all through a sequence of immersive laughter yoga laughs: shy laughter, unsure laughter, belly laughs, dopey laughs, quiet laughs and even silent ones! The session concluded with a sat down laughter meditation (eyes closed and laughing) and deep mindful relaxation. This helped achieve the main aim of the session; stress reduction through laughter and deep yogic breathing as both reduce stress instantly.
Peter Lowen Jenner, Design Director at Landor endorsed the session advocating it to other teams and companies looking for something different by stating “John was at our event and he was brilliant. Lots of fun and a really memorable experience for the full team. Would highly recommend. Thanks John”
Laughter reduces stress immediately by triggering changes that reverse the bodies flight or fight survival response. It functions as a quick, drug-free mechanism that reduces stress hormones, alters brain chemistry, and physically encourages the body to relax.
The Neurochemical Shift
When you laugh, your brain immediately changes its neurotransmitter production to break stress patterns:
Suppresses Cortisol: Laughter directly dampens the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, cutting levels of the primary stress hormone, cortisol, by up to 37% in one session. It also suppresses adrenaline and epinephrine.
Laughter also increase endorphins: It triggers a quick release of endorphins, the body’s natural “feel-good” chemicals, which promote an immediate sense of well-being and boost your pain tolerance.
Elevates Dopamine and Serotonin: Laughter activates the brain’s reward system, enhancing dopamine and serotonin activity to naturally counter feelings of anxiety and depression.
The Physical “Reset”
Laughter mimics a mini-workout, forcing the body through an intentional drop in tension:
The Organs Stimulant: A robust laugh enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, which stimulates the heart, lungs, and muscles, clearing out cognitive brain fog.
The Stress Response Rollercoaster: Laughter initially fires up your heart rate and blood pressure, only to cool them right after. This rapid down-shift triggers your parasympathetic nervous system, bringing a deep wave of relaxation.
Psychological & Social Buffers
Beyond the biological impact, humor changes your mental processing of stress factors:
Cognitive Reframing: Finding humor in a difficult situation provides psychological distance, allowing you to view a stressor as a manageable challenge rather than an stressful threat.
A Cognitive Interrupter: It is neurologically difficult to experience intense anxiety or anger at the exact moment you are laughing; humor effectively distracts your attention span away from negative loops of thought etc
Social Bonding: Shared laughter releases oxytocin, building social support networks that act as a primary long-term buffer against chronic daily stress.
Notably, your brain cannot easily distinguish between spontaneous, natural humor and improvised or simulated laughter—meaning workshops like laughter yoga or intentionally smiling deliver almost identical biochemical stress-relief benefits.
If you would like to explore using this practically, let me (Laughing John) know if you are looking for:
A fun new activity to energise a team
Exercises from laughter yoga to reduce stress
How laughter might give a fresh alternative to other stress-relief techniques like mindful meditation or exercise.