The Yomiuri Shimbun

OSAKA, Japan Laughing is said to be good for the mind and body. Taking that advice to heart, a number of seniors are flocking to laughter yoga an exercise that encourages people to laugh while practicing yoga.

Despite its name, laughter yoga does not require practitioners to bend and contort their bodies into difficult poses. Developed in 1995 by an Indian doctor and his wife, the exercise only requires people to take deep breaths while doing simple yoga poses.

The exercise trend has spread to more than 70 countries around the world, including the United States, China and Germany. According to Laughter Yoga Japan, an incorporated nonprofit organization, the exercise can help refresh the mind and body, ease stress and improve the lymphatic and circulatory systems.

Bright and early on a recent day, about 30 members of a laughter yoga group gathered in Osaka Castle Park in Chuo Ward, Osaka. Imagine youre an airplane flying to Hawaii, Rikako Ueda, the groups organizer, told participants.

The group then stretched their arms wide open to mimic airplane wings before bursting out into laughter while running around.

After a while, the group began clapping before saying in unison, Eeyan, eeyan or Its good in the local dialect.

If you cant laugh properly, just let out a loud hahaha, said Ueda, a 58-year-old certified laughter yoga teacher.

The exercise continued as members were prompted to imagine themselves picking up gold bars, or peeling huge bananas. They also mimicked swimming strokes, such as freestyle and the doggie paddle.

The group continued the laughing exercises for about an hour.

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New yoga form has seniors in Japan laughing