Hong Kong companies turn to 'laughter yoga' to soothe stressed workers
Laughter yoga is a surprise hit with companies that want to soothe stressed-out employees
Companies in Hong Kong are turning to laughter to cure their employees' blues, hiring giggle specialists to tackle grumblings about lay-offs and high-stress work environments.
"Ocean Park is entertaining mostly mainland clients. They brought us in to help their employees manage the stress of cultural differences with laughter," said Mahesh Pamnani, who is a partner at motivational consultants Inspire2Aspire.
The company uses laughter yoga, a practice that was started in India by a Mumbai-based cardiologist, Madan Kataria, back in 1995 when he realised that his patients' immune systems improved dramatically following explosions of mirth. It combines simulated laughter with stretching exercises and yogic breathing techniques.
Teachers lead participants in laughter sessions lasting from 45 minutes to two hours, featuring chants like: "Ha ha, ho ho, let go."
"It's a little weird for people at first, laughing for no reason, but laughter is contagious. After a while everyone starts laughing," said Veena Dansinghani, one ot three partners at Inspire2Aspire.
At Ocean Park, they try to teach staff to make a joke, see the positive side and move on instead of focusing on the irritations of the job.
"Lots of companies are approaching us because their staff are unhappy, and higher salaries and bonuses aren't enough," said Dansinghani.
