Galway Comedy Festival yoga sessions designed to get all the family laughing

The focus is on breathing, gentle stretching and the laughter, which she will introduce slowly and gently. There are no jokes and no comedy – this is laughter for no reason.

From Kildare, Louise has been practising Laughter Yoga for 13 years, a journey that first began when her late dad, a man “who loved to laugh” had cancer and was in hospital.

Looking at him in those surroundings, “I had an idea about a room in a hospital that was dedicated to joy”, she says.

Her research first led Louise to US medical doctor, clown and social activist Patch Adams and his worldwide clown doctors organisation, then subsequently to Laughter Yoga. This practice was created in 1995 in India by a family doctor, Dr Madan Kataria and his wife Madhuri. Focusing on laughter and playfulness, yogic breathwork and mindfulness meditation, it has also spread worldwide in the past three decades.

Louise signed up for a course in Dublin and, while her dad never got to experience Laughter Yoga, she has since brought it to schools, nursing homes, community centres and businesses around Ireland, enabling people to enjoy the release it brings. She's done it for hen parties too and it's popular at festivals, including Electric Picnic, Altogether Now and Body and Soul.

Laughter Yoga can elicit a mixed reaction among participants, with some people being open to it while others are more sceptical. And that's fine by Louise because she's not in the business of making anyone feel uncomfortable – the opposite, in fact. She explains that when laughter is combined with deep breathing, “it becomes a powerful tool for health, happiness and connection”.

Sessions begin with breathing exercises, “in through the nose and out through the mouth”, which will be familiar to people who do traditional yoga. Then she'll ask participants to give a smile as they breathe in and a little giggle as they breathe out.

“It's as simple as that, and some people will start straight away,” she explains. “Others warm up more slowly, with the volume going from one to 10 as the event progresses. We play games to bring everything up a gear and then use breathwork to bring things back down. Sessions finish with a meditation.”

Research has shown how laughter is good for us, including Laughter Yoga. It reduces stress and some studies show it can help address the non-motor aspects of Parkinson's. Louise isn't saying any of this is definitively true, but “what I can say is that it has made my life so much better”.

She quotes founder Madan Kataria, who stated 'it won't dissolve your problems but it can make you see them in a different way'.

Louise, who inherited a love of comedy from her dad, previously ran a comedy club and through that she met Kevin Healy, the man behind Galway Comedy Festival.

He invited her to bring her Laughter Yoga to this year's festival and the sessions are being presented in conjunction with the Gaillimh Ab-Boo Halloween Festival. The capacity will be about 50 people per session and she's looking forward to it.

Louise who loves “events that bring people together”, trained as a humanist celebrant during Covid. This involves officiating at weddings, funerals, naming ceremonies and defining moments such as children moving from primary to secondary school. That’s kept her very busy in recent times and she's eager to renew her focus on Laughter Yoga. She's also qualified to train others in the practice, having studied for that certification in Massachusetts.

Her interactive Laughter Yoga workshops will take place on Sunday, October 25, in Massimo, William Street West. The first one for children and families, is at 12 noon and the session for those aged 16 and older is at 1.30pm.

This year's Comedy Festival will feature 80 artists, performing in 60 shows across 14 venues for seven days and nights. More information and booking at galwaycomedyfestival.ie.