JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON/ Fairfax NZ

HOT WORKOUT: Kate Burford takes a Bikram yoga class.

BIKRAM YOGA: Kate Burford's classes can be up to 40 degrees Celsius.

Giggles, acrobatics and tropical temperatures are now part and parcel of the yoga package in Canterbury.

Regular old yoga just isn't enough for the latest wave of yoga enthusiasts.

Laughter yoga, bikram yoga, hot yoga and even acroyoga are taking off, and each has its unique appeal.

Hannah Airey runs the St Albans Laughter Club where a good old belly laugh is just the ticket.

Airey got into laughter as a stress therapy about eight years ago and since then has seen it provide huge relief for Cantabrians under pressure.

''When you laugh, you can't think of anything else,'' she said. ''It's about choosing to laugh instead of waiting for it to happen.''

Laughter yoga involves going to a workshop where laughter is simulated through exercises and deep diaphragm breathing.

See the rest here:
Yoga now a serious business