Need a laugh? Yoga classes at KC cafe help local yogis embrace the silliness of life
Walk into Cafe Gratitude on the second Monday of each month and it’s hard not to laugh. In fact, it’s encouraged.
Laughter yoga at Cafe Gratitude gives participants the tools they need to approach life in a joyful way and connect with others through the practice of laughter.
Yoga instructor Zipporah Kalima, founder of Terra Shakti Healing Arts Services, has been teaching the practice for nearly three years now. Kalima encourages her students to let their guard down and engage with the silliness of life.
“A lot of people believe that something has to be funny for them to laugh. In laughter yoga, we’re taking our power back from the idea,” Kalima said. “The cause of laughter is not outside of me, it’s within my own choice.”
Students of laughter yoga can leave their yoga mats at home because this practice only requires laughter. Each session starts out with a guided meditation to ground participants in the moment. Then, attendees engage with a series of laughing exercises that are intended to relieve stress and promote healing.
The practice of laughter yoga includes pretending to laugh like superheroes or villains, imagining what animal’s laughs sound like, to quiet laughs and sad laughter.
“Sometimes laughter shakes up some old emotions we’ve been holding on to and it’s a really great avenue for releasing those things,” Kalima said. “Which is a great way to heal ourselves on a very deep and full level that allows us to connect with other people. I think that’s beautiful.”
Laughter yoga is hosted the second Monday of every month at Cafe Gratitude and costs $15 each session.Terra Shakti Healing Art Services also offers individual laughter yoga sessions for students who want a more intimate and private experience. More information on Terra Shakti Healing Art Services and laughter yoga can be found on their Facebook page.
