No Fancy Pants or Poses!

Laughter is both fun and therapeutic, according the "Laughter Ambassador" Cathy Nesbitt. Laughter not only creates connections between humans, she said, but has health benefits.

"Laughter is the best medicine for good reason. It’s in us all waiting to burst out. Life is stressful. Our brain requires 25 per cent more oxygen than the rest of our body. When we’re stressed, we’re not breathing deeply. The body is deprived of air and therefore so is the brain. We cannot think clearly when stressed. Laughter helps us release tension and improve relationships. Laughter breaks down barriers," according to Nesbitt's Cathy's Club website.

Nesbitt offer a free laughter yoga session Tuesday afternoon at Riverwalk Commons in Newmarket, which is an exercise routine and "well-being workout," she said.

The practice was developed by a medical doctor from India, Dr. Madan Kataria, her website states.

"Laughter yoga is not about fancy pants or poses. It is laughter for no reason to encourage a sense of child-like play and feeling of joy. The yoga part is all about the deep breathing. The laughing stretches various muscles in your chest, abdomen, neck and shoulders.

"Ten to 15 minutes of sustained belly laughter can be equivalent to 30 minutes of rowing."