In the sunlit studio at the Center for Building Hope, it's easy to pick out who will be leading the laughter yoga class. The class is about to start and 13 people are seated in folding chairs in a big circle.

There she is -- Trish Engert, the woman who will be helping the class giggle and guffaw without telling a single joke.

A green beanie topped with a silver propeller is on her head and she's wearing a bright red T-shirt, appropriately draped with a frothy lavender boa. The T-shirt says "Laugh Until It Helps." She has props, a red and yellow clown's horn that makes circus-like beeps, and a wand with glittering streamers.

Most of the people in the circle have never taken a laughter yoga class.

Some have never heard of it until now. They had seen the class listed on the center's events calendar. Figuring it was a regular type of yoga class, despite the name, they showed up with mats.

The mats are unnecessary because no one is going to be lying down. But halfway through the class everyone will be on their feet in the center of the circle for a vigorous group mingle. They'll be flapping their arms like a chicken and laughing like a chicken, if a chicken could laugh -- ha-ha-squawk!

They'll be doing all kinds of laughs, the wicked witch's cackle, a little girl's he-he-he giggle, Bug Bunny's taunt, in other interactions. They'll stand in a circle to do the hokey-pokey, singing the song but with ha-ha-ha instead of words.

First the warm-up and introduction: Seated in their chairs, they go around the circle one-by-one, making up a laugh or doing their own. Despite being on the spot, they're good sports. One woman tries out a whinny-sounding giggle.

Engert has chosen an assistant and given her the wand with streamers. The assistant is instructed to randomly shake the streamers over someone's head throughout the class. Everyone is supposed to stop and applaud the classmate being streamed. They do so with enthusiasm, just short of jumping up and saying bravo.

By now, everyone is grinning and looking lighthearted. Smiling broadly seems like a natural response to being amid what feels like a live laughter soundtrack.

Original post:
Laughter yoga class is 'bubble bath for the soul'