I (Laughing John) recently ran a Laughter Yoga session in Swindon for Haines Watts Wiltshire, Gloucester shire. This was in support of Haines Watts Mental Health Awareness Month. On their Linkedin page they described the session as “fun,chaotic,brilliant and a great reminder that taking time to connect with colleagues and switch off really matters”.
Victor Borge was wrote “laughter is the closest distance between two people”. Most of us would probably share this view. A recent study explored how laughter works as a social glue. While laughter might generally make us feel good shared or communal laughter with others may communicate to others that we have a similar worldview, a connection of unity that enhances our relationships.
Researchers at the University of North Carolina devised a way to produce shared laughter in a lab. Participants were exposed to watch a funny ,not so funny or not funny at all video whilst supposedly video chatting with another same sex participant. The video chat displayed someone laughing the same amount for the two funny videos but only smiling for the unfunny video. This produced more shared laughter in the first and second scenario.
The results showed the amount of laughter had positive effects on the participants sense of similarity to the video partner, thus increasing how much participants liked their partner and wanted to affiliate with them.
The laughter yoga workshop in Swindon was attended by approximately 15 employees and lasted 1 hour. This is the most common length. The sessions was a lively blend of breathing exercises, moves to some cheesy 80s music and a sequence of laughter yoga; shy laughter, tribal laughter , group improvised laughter sounds and expressions!
Eventually the workshop culminated in laughing whilst going round the room creating the ultimate contagious high. This was all achieved by putting no-one on the spot and realising the strength and joy of shared laughter connecting all.