Researchers at King’s College London are investigating whether laughter yoga could improve the physical health of people living with bronchiectasis, a chronic lung condition affecting around one in 200 people in the UK.
Led by Dr Arietta Spinou and research associate Dr Laura Wilde, and funded by Asthma + Lung UK, the six-week feasibility trial involves weekly 60-minute sessions alongside education to explore whether intentional laughter can help clear mucus from the lungs and improve overall quality of life.
If successful, the programme could pave the way for larger trials and community-based therapies, bringing laughter therapy more recognition as a medical treatment.
To explore the wider story, the Londoners spoke to Ali Asgar Nagaria, a Master Trainer with Laughter Yoga International, the organisation that founded laughter yoga in India in 1995.
We also interviewed Sally Dixey, co-founder of Gaia Wellbeing Collective in south east London, who believes the practice should be recognised as a genuine form of preventative healthcare rather than simply a wellbeing activity.
Main image and Soundcloud image credit: Sally Dixey
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