Christina Zelsky
Over the past few years as a hotel editor, I've covered a lot of out-of-the-ordinary wellness experiences.
I met a crystal healer at the Four Seasons New York Downtown, spoke to an acupuncturist and clairvoyant, biohacked, took a 10-minute infrared bed session, and then jumped into a full-body cryotherapy machine at Upgrade Labs in Santa Monica, California.
I've written about outdoor swimming, which involves taking a refreshing dip in a cold pond, lake, or ocean, and I've even tried spa swimming, which involves immersing yourself in a whirlpool of ice-cold water for a minute.
I closed my eyes and lay on the floor of my oceanfront suite at 1 Hotel South Beach, immersed in the soothing sound waves of singing bowls of various sizes, and learned about the benefits of horse drawing, offered as part of the equine therapy program at Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa.
But one of the most memorable wellness experiences I've ever had was one without any frills like crystals, bowls, or cold water.
All that is required for this special experience, called Laughter Yoga, is a general understanding of yoga and the ability to laugh on your own.
I had the opportunity to try a laughter yoga session when I visited the Four Seasons Resort Bali in Sayan. The yoga of laughter and expressionless faces is just one of many modalities offered as part of the hotel’s Sacred River Spa wellness program. The spa’s wellness menu describes laughter yoga as “a simple and delightful way to oxygenate the body and promote natural joy.”
Yoga instructor Wayan Suwitra conducting a Laughter Yoga session at Four Seasons Resort Bali At Sayan. Photo courtesy of Christina Jelski
My session began at 6 a.m. at the resort’s rooftop lotus pond, accessed via a raised bridge and surrounded by jungle on all sides, where I was greeted by my yoga instructor, Wayan Suwitra, who began by giving me some background on laughter yoga.
According to Suwitra, the concept has been around for quite some time, with roots going back decades. My morning session was a one-on-one private class, but Suwitra says laughter yoga is most popular in a group format, which helps practitioners create the contagious, genuine laughter they crave.
But even though I was solo, I took on the challenge.
We rolled out our yoga mats and started with simple breathing exercises and yoga poses, which Suwitra complemented with laughter prompts that ranged from a soft “heehee” to a deeper, more substantial “haha.”
At first, I thought I was being a little foolish and conceited. My laughter sounded more unnatural and hollow than before.
But it turns out that “fake it until you make it” is not only an effective way to boost confidence, but it can also be useful when trying to induce laughter. After a few minutes of forced laughter and a few poses, the embarrassment began to fade. As my muscles grew, so did my ability to laugh for real. And while I wasn’t 100% sure what I was laughing at, yoga seemed to produce the same kind of mood boost that spontaneous laughter generally does.
Even when we noticed someone approaching us from behind, it didn't feel awkward at all. Perhaps it was curiosity that had been piqued after accidentally discovering what looked and sounded like a very different and increasingly exciting yoga class.
It may not work as advertised on spa menus, but if laughter yoga can temporarily cure my self-consciousness, I'm all for it.
