#22 - The Healing Power of Laughter - Laughter Yoga and the Mental Health Revolution with Cathy Nesbitt

In this episode, Mark dives deep into the transformative power of laughter yoga with his guest, Cathy. A laughter yoga expert and founder of Cathy’s Club, Cathy shares how laughter, combined with yogic breathing and movement, can be a powerful remedy for stress and mental health issues in today’s fast-paced world. Cathy begins by explaining the origins of laughter yoga, a unique practice founded in 1995 by Dr. Madan Kataria, with a goal of fostering world peace through collective laughter. Unlike traditional yoga, laughter yoga focuses on intentional laughter as a physical exercise. Cathy explains that the act of laughing, whether spontaneous or simulated, triggers the release of "love drugs"—dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins—that help combat stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Through playful exercises like clapping, deep diaphragmatic breathing, and laughter games, participants can tap into the joy and mental resilience that laughter provides, regardless of external circumstances. One of the episode's most touching moments comes when Cathy shares her personal journey of discovering laughter yoga. After a decade of running her worm composting business, Cathy faced resistance and burnout. It was at this low point that she was introduced to laughter yoga, and the experience profoundly shifted her perspective on stress and life. She describes how laughter yoga has not only helped her regain mental and emotional resilience but has also inspired her to spread the joy of laughter to others through her club and her work as a certified laughter yoga teacher and ambassador. Mark and Cathy explore how laughter yoga is especially vital in today’s world, where mental health struggles are on the rise. They discuss how the pandemic created a global "mental health tsunami," isolating people and amplifying stress and anxiety. Laughter yoga has become a way for people to connect, even in online spaces, and rebuild the social bonds that are essential for well-being. Cathy explains how the practice can be easily integrated into daily life, from morning laughter routines to quick exercises like the “cell phone laughter” technique, where participants imagine a funny conversation while pretending to be on the phone. The conversation also touches on the science behind laughter and why it is such an effective tool for combating stress. Cathy highlights how laughter activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest and recovery, helping the body recover from the fight-or-flight response that stress triggers. She even mentions how laughter yoga pairs well with other holistic practices like Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and Qi Gong, amplifying their benefits through shared energy and positive emotion. Cathy’s passion for laughter yoga is not just about personal wellness but also about community building. She dreams of training special needs individuals, particularly those with Down syndrome, to become laughter yoga leaders. Her vision is to give them a sense of purpose and community, while also spreading laughter and positivity in a world that sorely needs it. This episode is an inspiring look at how laughter can be more than just a reaction to humor; it can be a deliberate and therapeutic act that promotes mental, emotional, and physical health. Whether you’re looking to relieve stress, connect with others, or simply add more joy to your day, laughter yoga offers a powerful and accessible solution. Listeners are encouraged to join Cathy’s free weekly online laughter club or explore laughter yoga independently through some of the exercises she shares. As Cathy and Mark discuss, laughter truly is the best medicine, and it’s available to all of us, no matter where we are. Tune in to this enlightening episode to learn how to incorporate laughter into your life, improve your mental health, and join the movement toward a happier, healthier world! Free online laughter club. Cathy's Chuckle Club (est June 2020) 9:30 AM Eastern Time, Every Tuesday Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtd-6prjsvG90wmlw3tRazNqiTzSG4Qq_s Meet our Guest: Cathy Nesbitt is a Health and Wellness Advocate and innovative Founder of Cathy’s Crawly Composters (est. 2002), Cathy’s Sprouters, and Cathy’s Laughter Club. As a multi-award-winning visionary, she inspires individuals to adopt sustainable lifestyles through dynamic workshops and motivational speaking. Cathy is a certified Laughter Yoga Teacher and was honoured as a Laughter Ambassador in 2017 by Dr. Madan Kataria, the pioneer of Laughter Yoga. She enriches her sessions by incorporating various healing modalities https://www.cathyscomposters.com/ https://www.cathysclub.com/ https://www.cathyssprouters.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathynesbitt/ https://www.youtube.com/user/rhgn2112 https://twitter.com/Squirm