ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- If you've ever taken a yoga class, you know the drill: downward dog, the cobra and cat stretches. But forget those poses for just a minute. There's now a new kind of yoga, and all it takes is a few laughs.

When you picture yoga class, you probably imagine a group of people in a state of quiet serenity; but a new kind of yoga turns that image upside down.

It's called laughter yoga!

"The more I belly laugh, the better I feel at the end," one laughter yoga class participant told Ivanhoe.

The class combines yoga breathing with laughing exercises. There are no jokes -- the laughter is induced.

"The body does not know the difference, if it's fake laughter or real laughter," Edely Wallace, yoga instructor at YogaMatrix Studio in Orlando, Fla., told Ivanhoe.

Wallace trained with the man who discovered the concept -- renowned physician Madan Kataria. His mission: to make people laugh more.

 

"Children laugh from 300-400 times a day," Wallace said. "When we grow older, we laugh 15-20 times a day, so we have lost this ability to laugh."

Studies show yoga improves balance, flexibility and muscle tone. The simple act of laughing improves blood flow, boosts the immune system, helps control blood pressure and reduces pain by releasing endorphins. Put them together, and you've got a workout.

"It's a lot of abdominal work, because your belly's moving in and out; so it's aerobic in that sense," another laughter yoga class participant said.

And one thing's for sure … you won't go home without a smile on your face!

There are more than 5,000 laughter yoga clubs in more than 55 countries around the world. Wallace does not charge for her classes because she says laughter should be free. She does, however, accept donations.