Jeff Goldblum's Piano Surprise Delights London Commuters at King's Cross

London commuters at King's Cross railway station were treated to a delightful surprise when actor Jeff Goldblum showcased his piano skills. The Jurassic Park star entertained passersby with an impromptu performance, spreading joy and excitement throughout the busy station. Goldblum's unexpected musical talent left onlookers in awe as they gathered around to watch and listen. The actor's spontaneous act brought a moment of happiness and entertainment to the daily hustle and bustle of London life.

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A Custodian Just Transformed This School Into a Winter Wonderland For Students

At West Central Area South Elementary in Kensington, Minnesota, the school’s brightest light isn’t hanging from the ceiling — he’s the one putting them up. For the past decade, custodian Mark Olson has spent every Thanksgiving break transforming the school into a dazzling winter wonderland. While students are home for the holidays, Olson is stringing lights, hanging garlands, and turning the halls into something out of a Christmas movie. “When this starts, I don’t see him,” said his wife, Lisa Olson-Toms. “We don’t have Thanksgiving because this is more important.” She’s not exaggerating. For five straight days, Olson works up to 12 hours a day decorating the school. He starts prepping weeks earlier, testing bulbs in his garage and stockpiling supplies. And nearly everything — from lights to ornaments — is paid for out of his own pocket. “Everything here has been purchased by us,” said Lisa. “We can't go to Menards without getting lights or something for the school.” The idea was born out of a moment Olson never forgot. Years ago, he wished two young sisters a happy Thanksgiving as they left school. Their reply stunned him. “They told me their family didn’t do anything for Thanksgiving,” he recalled. “I said, ‘How about Christmas?’ and they said, ‘We don’t have Christmas.’” He decided then to bring Christmas to them. “I thought, well, I’m going to decorate the halls for them and give them somewhat of a Christmas,” he said. “And they walked in the door, they looked around, and they started to cry.” He’s been lighting up the school ever since — thinking of those girls every time he starts. This year’s display includes garlands that, if stretched end to end, would span three football fields. There are lights down every hallway and ornaments tucked into nearly every corner. It's enough to leave even adults speechless. “When I first heard about it, I was expecting a few lights and maybe a Christmas tree,” said Principal Caitlin Hendricks. “But this was beyond what I had anticipated. When I walked in, I stopped dead in my tracks.” It’s not just about the lights. Olson is a fixture at the school year-round, known to the kids not just as the guy who cleans the halls, but someone who cares. On the morning they returned from break, one student forgot his shoes. Olson was already digging through the bin to find a spare pair. “He puts these lights up for us,” said second-grader Ian Pasche. “Yes,” added third-grader Mayson Trinka. “He loves all the kids.” And the feeling is mutual. “You’re welcome!” Olson calls out to a student who runs past shouting thanks. Another gives him a hug. “When I get started every year, I keep thinking about those two girls,” Olson said. “I don’t have any kids. This way, every year, I have 100-some kids of my own.” This year, he had a little help from two fellow custodians, after undergoing bicep surgery over the summer. But he was determined to return in time to pull it all off. As the sun rises and the buses unload, hallway after hallway fills with wide eyes, gasps, and laughter. For some of these students, it might be the only Christmas magic they get. For Olson, it’s the reason he started — and the reason he’ll keep going. “I just wanted to give them something,” he said. And he has. Not just lights, but joy.

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Laughter Yoga Boosts Mental And Heart Health, Experts Say

In the early morning calm of Delhi’s Lodhi Gardens, a group of adults can be seen roaring like lions, clapping in unison, and laughing — not at a joke, but just for the sake of it. They’re practicing laughter yoga, a mix of deep breathing, stretching, and voluntary giggling. And they insist it’s good for the body, mind, and spirit. “It’s a physical, mental, social and spiritual binding,” said Dr Santosh Sahi, a medical doctor and certified laughter yoga trainer who leads the sessions. Laughter yoga doesn’t rely on jokes or comedy. Instead, it uses playful movements and sounds to trigger laughter, which experts say delivers real health benefits. According to Dr Sahi, if you wait for a reason to laugh, “you will hardly find any reason to laugh.” The practice was created in 1995 by Dr Madan Kataria, a physician in Mumbai. What started as a small group of five people laughing in a park quickly swelled to more than 150 within a month. Today, laughter yoga clubs exist in over 100 countries, with both in-person and virtual sessions drawing regular participants. The idea is simple: your body can’t tell the difference between genuine and simulated laughter — so even if it starts off forced, the effects are real. "Our brain cannot differentiate between real laughter, even if it is simulated laughter," said Kataria. “Even if you laugh for the sake of laughing, you are still getting the same health benefits.” The “yoga” part comes from the breathing exercises. By combining deep breaths with movement and laughter, the practice increases oxygen intake, activates the diaphragm, and engages core muscles — all while releasing a flood of feel-good chemicals. It’s that chemical cascade that caught the attention of Dr Michael Miller, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Back in the 1990s, he started researching the impact of laughter on heart health. “We know that there is an interaction between laughter and chemicals that are released from your brain to your blood vessels to cause them to expand,” Miller said. That includes nitric oxide, a molecule that dilates blood vessels, reduces inflammation, and helps lower cholesterol — all factors that reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Laughter also boosts endorphins, which act as natural painkillers. “We know that when one has a heart attack, it's a combination of cholesterol plaque as well as blood clot formation,” Miller said. “So for these reasons, we have good reason to believe, certainly indirectly, that having a good laugh and having a positive outlook would reduce cardiovascular disease.” For participants, the benefits go far beyond biology. Manwar Singh Rawat, a retired government officer, attends weekend laughter yoga sessions at Lodhi Gardens. For him, it’s about connection as much as health. “When I do laughter yoga, I get connected to people socially,” he said. “When I connect with people socially, the mental stress goes down. Other people also inspire us to keep doing this practice. Everyone leaves energised.” Dr Kataria’s organisation, Laughter Yoga International, now runs online sessions too — a pandemic-era shift that has stuck. People log in from different time zones to laugh together over video chat. Despite the silliness on display, Kataria believes it’s a serious solution for a serious world. “Life is serious. Death is serious. There is so much seriousness in this world. Now the time has come, we should take laughter seriously, ha ha ha ha ha,” he said.

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Neighbors Raise Over £20,000 for Hospice with Spectacular Christmas Light Display

A group of neighbours in Stoke-on-Trent have turned their street into a festive wonderland — and raised more than £20,000 for charity in the process. For the past nine years, residents of Bromsberrow Way in Meir Park have transformed their homes into a dazzling Christmas lights display, drawing crowds from across the region. This year was no exception, with “hundreds of people” coming to see the decorations each evening. “It’s become something people look forward to every year,” said Martin Collett, one of the homeowners behind the tradition. “I think I’ve got about 17,000 lights on the house this year.” The fundraising effort supports the Dougie Mac Hospice, a local charity providing care for people with life-limiting illnesses. The lights switch on at 16:30 GMT daily and stay on for four hours. The street is a full-blown festive scene — inflatable Santas, glowing reindeer perched on roofs, trees wrapped in lights, and an explosion of colours and patterns illuminating each house. Bryan Huddleston, another resident, said putting up the lights is a serious time commitment. “It’s taken me over 30 hours to put them up,” he said. “There are 4,000 lights on the main Christmas tree and 3,000 on the other.” Visitors like Skirmante Baltuseviciute, who travelled from Hanley to see the display, said it was worth the trip. “So much thought has been put into these decorations,” she said. “It is spectacular. It’s like a proper Christmas fantasy little city.” With each twinkling bulb, the street isn’t just spreading festive cheer — it’s also helping fund care for those who need it most. And for the neighbours behind the display, that’s the best gift of all.

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Man Who Received Life-Saving Christmas Lung Transplant Honors Donor with Promise to Help Others

Ten years ago, Joe Russell was clinging to life. Born with cystic fibrosis, his lungs had deteriorated beyond repair. Doctors feared he wouldn’t survive. Then, on Christmas Eve, he received what he calls “the ultimate gift”: a life-saving lung transplant. Now 43 and living in Worthing, West Sussex, Russell has kept the vow he made to the family of the anonymous donor who saved him — to use his second chance at life for something bigger than himself. “I would use this chance for something that is more important than me,” he wrote to them after the operation. And a decade on, he’s doing just that. As part of the NHS's Hope Takes Flight campaign, Russell, an origami artist, has created a series of intricate paper aeroplanes to symbolize the passing of life from one person to another through organ donation. “It’s life where there was only death before,” he said. “It’s not about climbing Everest. It’s about the energy to walk, to talk, to see friends and make plans for the future. Everything that was gone is suddenly available. It’s a new life.” Russell had only been on the transplant list for 10 days when he got the call. Without that lung donation, he wouldn’t have made it to the new year. In the South East of England alone, 864 people are currently waiting for a transplant. Last year, 575 people in the region received one. For many, time is running out. Through his artwork and advocacy, Russell is urging more people to join the organ donor register — not just as a personal gesture of thanks, but as a call to action for others whose lives hang in the balance. “It’s about giving hope,” he said. “Not just to those waiting, but to the families of donors, too. That someone they loved could save a life — it matters.”

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‘Ice Skating Changed My Life’: From Homelessness to Representing Great Britain

At 21, Charlie Chandler was homeless for the third time and felt his life had hit a dead end. Now 23, he has stood on an international podium wearing Great Britain’s colours, crediting ice skating with pulling him back from the brink. Chandler, originally from Brighton, said he attempted to take his own life during a period of homelessness in 2023. Today, he is a competitive figure skater, training up to 20 hours a week and dreaming of one day reaching the Olympics. “Ice skating has changed my life,” he said. “It’s taught me discipline and respect for myself.” Chandler’s journey has been marked by instability from a young age. At 13, he moved in with his grandmother after feeling pressure to come out as gay, a moment that created a rift with his family. When his grandmother died four years later, he became homeless for the first time, relying on friends’ sofas for somewhere to sleep. He later secured a private tenancy but could not keep up with the rent. Losing the flat meant returning to sofa surfing. “I really struggled with the instability,” he said. “After having my own place, it felt like a step backwards. It felt like it was never going to end.” In 2023, Chandler moved to Sheffield with his boyfriend, hoping for a fresh start. When the relationship broke down, he found himself homeless again. It was during this period that he attempted to take his own life. He was referred to Roundabout, a South Yorkshire youth homelessness charity, which helped him secure a flat where he still lives. The organisation also gave him access to counselling. “I’ve thrived as a person up in Sheffield,” Chandler said. “Down south, I’m just a shell and don’t feel appreciated. Up here, I have so much more to live for and I’m treated with respect.” Living alone, he began to feel isolated and decided to try ice skating as a way to meet people. What started as a social outlet quickly became something more. “I very quickly got addicted to it,” he said. “I wanted to do competitions.” Within two years, Chandler was competing internationally. Last month, he represented Great Britain at the Celje Ice Cup in Slovenia, where he won gold medals in both the artistic performance and free skating categories. “I wasn’t expecting a medal at all,” he said. “Even when I heard the scores, I had to check online to make sure I really had won.” He now trains mainly at Ice Sheffield while also working and studying at Doncaster College, balancing skating with everyday responsibilities. “It’s crazy to think I’ve come this far in two years,” he said. For Chandler, skating is about more than competition. He says the sport has helped him process emotions he once struggled to express. “It’s so hard for me to open up about how I feel,” he said. “But I can express who I am through my skating.” He hopes his story can show others that change is possible, even after years of hardship. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, support is available through the BBC Action Line.

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Church Hosts Unique Carol Service Welcoming Pets and Owners

A church in central London swapped solemn hymns for festive barks and tail wags this December, welcoming dogs into the pews for a one-of-a-kind carol service. Held on December 11 at St. Botolph-without-Bishopsgate, Carols for the Animals brought together more than 100 people — and 25 of their four-legged companions — for a joyful evening of music, canine cameos, and Christmas cheer. The dogs came decked out for the occasion, sporting antlers, festive jumpers, and red-and-green neckerchiefs. The event raised funds for International Animal Rescue (IAR) and featured a guest appearance by Downton Abbey actor and IAR patron Peter Egan. Live music was provided by string ensemble The Massive Violins, who led a spirited sing-along — or rather, howl-a-long — as both humans and dogs joined in the carols. St. Botolph's has long been known as an animal-friendly church. The rector’s own black Labrador, Freddie, often helps greet visitors and was on hand again to sing (or howl) along. “Everyone was welcome — especially the dogs,” said a church volunteer, laughing as one pooch tried to out-sing the choir during Silent Night. IAR President Alan Knight praised the event for raising both money and awareness. “We're driven by a simple yet powerful goal — to rescue, rehabilitate, and protect animals in need while creating lasting change for wildlife and their habitats,” he said. The event was equal parts heartwarming and hilarious, as carols were periodically interrupted by joyful barking or a shake of tinsel-covered ears. For pet lovers and their dogs, it was a chance to celebrate the season together — and maybe even make some new furry friends along the way.

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Music Classes For Young Children Boost Brain Development, Experts Say

On a grey morning in Toronto, the Royal Conservatory of Music is full of sunshine — not outside, but inside a music room where toddlers and caregivers are clapping, singing, and gleefully tapping rhythm sticks under the guidance of instructor Michaela Tomiska. Two-year-olds are tossing colourful balls, bouncing to gentle piano chords, and soaking it all in. For parents like Syd Healey, whose son Charlie takes part in the weekly class, this isn’t just play — it’s learning that sticks. “He just soaks it up like a sponge,” Healey said. After trying other kids' programs like gymnastics and soccer, he found this class more engaging. “There’s a lot of different activities and it’s changing quickly — that works very well for him… He listens a lot better, and he’s starting to pick up on the rhythm.” That intentional mix of fun and structure is part of Smart Start, a play-based music curriculum designed to build not only musical skills but also attention, memory, language development, and even early reading. Developed by neuroscientist Sean Hutchins and a team at the Royal Conservatory, the program was built from research showing that early exposure to structured music can fire up developing brains. Music, it turns out, doesn’t just train musicians — it helps train listeners, thinkers, and learners. “Music cannot only train musical development but also linguistic and cognitive development,” said Hutchins, who’s been working on Smart Start for the past decade. He’s also the Conservatory’s Director of Research. The program adapts its approach to different age groups — from infants through kindergarten — because, as Hutchins puts it, “what a one-year-old needs out of music and can learn from music is very different from what a two-year-old can learn, which is different from what a four-year-old can learn.” In other words, it's not just a singalong. There’s science behind every shaker, every change of key, every bounce of a ball. Sheila Lee, a certified music therapist and Capilano University instructor, says music is one of the most natural ways young children explore their environment — and themselves. “It’s just a really natural and fun way for kids to be curious about the world,” she said. “They’re also using their cognitive skills: thinking, learning, remembering, processing, problem-solving.” That kind of development doesn’t happen by accident, and Lee says it’s important that more educators are trained to teach music intentionally, using science-backed methods. That could mean knowing when to use movement or stillness, what different instruments offer, or how kids respond to major versus minor keys. “We’re not just randomly using songs,” she said. Since piloting Smart Start in Toronto and Vancouver, the curriculum is slowly expanding. Educators in Regina and Calgary are now using it in daycares and music schools, and a recent $1 million donation from a Calgary-born RCM board member is helping bring the program to underserved communities across Western Canada. “We're really excited to get it to be something that is available to everyone around the world,” Hutchins said. And it’s not just limited to music schools. He believes the same principles apply in primary schools, where music budgets are often the first to be cut. Even without formal training, both Hutchins and Lee say parents and educators can make a big difference just by incorporating more music into everyday routines. Lee encourages adults to sing — even casually, during a diaper change or getting dressed. And Hutchins says you don’t need to be an amazing singer to make an impact. “The voice is such a powerful instrument,” he said. “The act of working with rhythmic structure, of bringing simple songs to children… even that can make a huge difference in development.” Toronto grandparent Laurie Mitchell sees it first-hand with her granddaughter Clara, who takes part in the Smart Start program. Mitchell, a violinist herself, has noticed Clara starting to sing as she plays — and she hopes that will lead to a love of instruments down the line. “She watches and she gets an idea of what’s going on… then she’ll do it,” Mitchell said. “It’s always fun to see them enjoying themselves in class, and then bringing it home.” If Smart Start’s growing popularity is any indication, the next wave of music lovers might get their first taste not from scales or sheet music — but from balls, songs, and rhythm sticks in a cozy classroom.

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A Minecraft Movie Took Over Theaters in 2025 — and Showed Us the Future of Cinema

No one expected a film based on pixelated bricks and mining tools to become the cultural juggernaut of 2025. But A Minecraft Movie, powered by Jack Black’s volcanic energy and a chorus of screaming fans, ended up doing exactly that. It didn't just top the U.S. box office and rake in nearly $1 billion globally — it sparked a cinema-going phenomenon that may have changed the rules for what it means to watch a movie in public. The film, directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite), had every reason to flop. The source material isn’t exactly known for plot — Minecraft is an open-ended building game with no set storyline. Critics weren't kind, either. The movie scored just 48% on Rotten Tomatoes, with some reviewers calling it “garish” and “commercial propaganda.” Audiences didn’t care. On opening weekend in April, families flooded theaters, where the screenings quickly turned into something closer to a concert or a football match than a movie. Fueled by memes, trailers, and TikTok buzz, kids and teens weren’t just watching Minecraft — they were participating. They sang along. They yelled out favorite lines. They cheered. They hurled popcorn during key moments. And yes, in Utah, someone reportedly brought a live chicken to the cinema. The moment that lit the fuse? A scene featuring a green zombie child riding a hen — a rare in-game occurrence known as a “chicken jockey.” Jack Black’s over-the-top delivery of the line sent crowds into chaos. At some screenings, police were called. At others, parents raved about the energy. British comedian Sam Avery told the BBC it was “honestly the most joyous cinema-going experience I’ve ever had.” Hess, unsurprisingly, was on board. “People are sending me these really hilarious speeches that a lot of teenagers are giving right before the movie,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “It’s great, especially when people are climbing on their friends’ shoulders and standing up and cheering… I’m just glad people are making memories with their friends and families.” And they weren’t just making memories — they were making content. TikTok videos of fans going wild in theaters gave the film massive free publicity. What took The Rocky Horror Picture Show years to achieve, A Minecraft Movie did in days: instant cult status, helped by smartphones and social media. This kind of organic fandom isn’t new. In 2022, the “Gentleminions” trend saw teens dressing in suits and bananas to attend Minions: The Rise of Gru. Studios have started embracing the chaos, too. Wicked hosted singalong screenings with lyrics on screen and intros by the cast. By May, Warner Bros had rolled out official audience-participation screenings of A Minecraft Movie. If it all sounds a bit loud for a trip to the movies, that’s the point. Theaters have struggled since COVID and the rise of streaming, but this new model — call it event cinema, chaotic cinema, or just interactive cinema — offers a way to make theaters feel like places worth going again. It’s not just blocky chickens and musical witches, either. Oppenheimer, the sober historical biopic that came out the same weekend as Barbie in 2023, was also part of this shift. The Barbenheimer craze turned a double feature into a themed day out. People dressed in pink and black, made memes, and turned it into a social event. Oppenheimer ended up grossing nearly $1 billion. The party atmosphere helped get it there. The rise of horror fits the trend, too. Films like The Conjuring: Last Rites, Final Destination: Bloodlines, and Sinners all cracked the global top 20 this year. Sinners director Ryan Coogler compared the horror movie experience to a rock concert, saying, “It becomes a circular feedback thing… There is an interactivity to a movie that has those horror elements that’s really great.” Put simply, it’s less about sitting in silence and more about experiencing something together. Theaters are becoming spaces for collective emotion — laughter, fear, chaos, catharsis — in a way that’s hard to replicate on a couch at home. Of course, not everyone’s thrilled about the “chicken jockey chaos.” A column in The Guardian argued that rowdy screenings cross the line and called for adults to “lay down the law.” But looking at the ticket sales, a lot of those adults were laughing right along with their kids. There’s no sign the trend is slowing. More game adaptations are already on the horizon — Mortal Kombat 2, Street Fighter, Super Mario Bros Galaxy. More singalong and fan-driven events are likely coming too. As the superhero genre fades from dominance, video games and fandom-fueled experiences are moving in. Not every movie will go full Rocky Horror. You probably won’t see Cannes winners getting singalong screenings or TikTok chants. But if throwing popcorn at a pixelated zombie chicken helps theaters stay alive, then maybe it’s not such a bad thing after all.

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Son of Legendary Peanuts Producer Shares How His Father Penned 'Christmastime Is Here' In Five Minutes

It’s hard to imagine A Charlie Brown Christmas without its hauntingly beautiful opening theme, “Christmastime Is Here.” The soft waltz, sung by a children’s choir over Vince Guaraldi’s jazz chords, has become a holiday staple. But according to Jason Mendelson, the son of Peanuts producer Lee Mendelson, that iconic song nearly didn’t exist — and was written in a moment of panic on the back of an envelope. Now 47, Jason is helping continue the Peanuts legacy through collectible vinyl reissues and music production. He says the story behind the only lyrical song in the 1965 Christmas special is “serendipity” in its purest form. “The opening to the show, that waltz, Christmastime Is Here, was great, but it was a little slow,” Jason told PEOPLE. The team — Lee Mendelson, Vince Guaraldi, director Bill Melendez, and Peanuts creator Charles Schulz — realized it needed lyrics to give it more energy. So Lee picked up the phone and called around Los Angeles, hoping to find a lyricist. No one could do it. No one responded. So he did it himself. “On the back of an envelope, he wrote the rhymes,” Jason said. “‘Christmastime is here, happiness and cheer, fun for all, what the children call their favorite time of year.’ He wrote that out in five minutes.” Guaraldi received the lyrics, found a local church choir, and quickly recorded the vocals. It was all done in a rush, with no plan — yet it became the lead song of the special and one of the most enduring holiday tunes of all time. “It was done on a napkin in five minutes,” Jason said. “But it has lasted forever.” Since then, “Christmastime Is Here” has been covered by artists ranging from Mariah Carey and John Legend to Tony Bennett and Trisha Yearwood. The song appears twice on Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack — once with lyrics, and once as an instrumental. “How many albums have their song twice?” Jason noted. “There’s the instrumental version and then the lyrical version with the wonderful kids who did the singing.” The Christmas special itself came together in much the same way. Jason says after CBS greenlit A Charlie Brown Christmas, his dad called Schulz — known to friends as Sparky — and told him the news. “And Sparky said, ‘What’s that?’” Jason recalled. “And my father said, ‘Something you and Bill and I have to write this weekend.’” With a tight deadline, the three men met and assembled the show quickly, relying on instinct rather than overthinking. That sense of creative urgency became part of the special’s charm — simple, sincere, and unpolished in the best way. The four men remained close collaborators until their deaths. Guaraldi passed away in 1976 at age 47. Schulz died in 2000, Melendez in 2008, and Lee Mendelson on Christmas Day in 2019. He was 86. Jason says his father’s favorite word was “serendipity,” and that it found him on the morning of Lee’s death. The family had planned to gather for Christmas dinner. On the way to his father’s house, Jason turned on the radio. “They were playing Christmastime Is Here as I drove to be there for the last time,” he said. “And I thought, ‘Well, this is horrible, but it's also wonderful to have this legacy and this association that's happening regardless, and will continue to carry on.’” For Jason and his brother Sean, preserving that legacy has become a calling. They now produce new Peanuts records, including vinyl pressings of Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas. “We've tried to steward that and keep up the integrity of that to the extent we can,” Jason said. “And then also celebrate for that next generation.” And when he hears that delicate melody on the radio? “I hear my father’s voice again.”

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No Joke: Forced Laughter Can Lower Stress, Pain, and Blood Pressure

Melanin Bee starts with a stretch, her spine arching like a cat’s, and then lets out a burst of exaggerated, high-speed giggles: “oh, hoo hoo hoo, eeh, ha ha ha.” At first, it’s pure performance. Then something shifts — and she’s actually laughing, kicking her feet in joy. This is Laughasté, a laughter-meets-yoga routine the Los Angeles comedian and speaker created. It borrows from the laughter clubs that began in India in the 1990s, where people intentionally laughed in groups to relieve stress. The awkwardness is part of the process. “It’s about allowing yourself to be OK with being awkward,” Bee said. “Then you’re going to find some form of silliness within that is going to allow you to laugh involuntarily.” Intentional or not, the health benefits of laughter are no joke. Dr. Michael Miller, a cardiologist and professor at the University of Pennsylvania, compares laughter to a workout. “Like we say, exercise at least three to five days a week,” he said. “Belly laugh at least two to five days a week.” Laughter therapy has come a long way since its early days. Stanford psychologist William F. Fry, a pioneer in the field, began studying laughter in the 1960s. He drew blood from himself while watching Laurel and Hardy films, and found laughter boosted his immune system. Three decades later, Mumbai physician Dr. Madan Kataria was editing a magazine article on stress when he decided to try laughter as therapy. In 1995, he launched the world’s first daily laughter club in a local park. The group grew from a few people to over 150 within weeks. When they ran out of jokes, Kataria invented exercises to keep people laughing — breathing routines, silly gestures, and movement games designed to activate the diaphragm and prompt laughter. “We were faking in the beginning and within seconds, everybody was in stitches,” he said. Now there are laughter yoga classes and laughter clubs around the world, including dozens of free online sessions every week. Beyond mood-boosting, there’s strong physiological evidence that laughter can lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and even protect your heart. Dr. Miller’s studies found that laughing triggers endorphins in the brain and increases nitric oxide in the blood, which helps vessels relax. “It’s like you’ve taken pain medication,” he said. “When you’ve had a really good laugh, you feel very relaxed and light.” And it turns out that “forced” laughter may be just as powerful — maybe even more so — than the real thing. Jenny Rosendhal, a senior researcher in medical psychology at Jena University in Germany, found that laughter-based therapies led to lower stress hormones, less chronic pain, better mobility, and overall improved mood in her meta-analysis of 45 studies. “The well-being comes through the back door,” she said. “You start with an exercise, and then the spontaneous laughter comes later because it’s funny to see people laughing.” That makes laughter yoga especially helpful for people dealing with depression or illness, where humor might feel out of reach. But laughter doesn’t have to come from a joke to be real — the body responds either way. Kataria recommends starting small. One easy exercise: look someone in the eye and say “ha” for a full minute. Or inhale with your hands at your chest, hold your breath, and then exhale in laughter as you push your hands outward. Participants in his classes might greet each other like aliens, crawl like animals, or tap their foreheads and shout “Aha! ha ha ha!” They might even laugh at things that usually aren’t funny — like a credit card bill. Kataria mimics it with a wide-eyed gasp and a roaring laugh. “Really, it’s not about forcing yourself to laugh,” he said. “It’s like activating your laughter muscles, getting rid of your mental inhibitions and shyness.” That childlike, uninhibited laughter, he says, is where the magic happens. And if it feels weird at first? That’s kind of the point.

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