Yoga doesn’t have to be serious all the time! It’s a misconception that the practice is solely solemn, involving only stone faces, minds empty of all thought, and free of any distractions in the environment.

Sometimes it’s all those things, but let’s face it: we live in real life and very few of us can achieve a state where we’re really free from distractions, empty of all thought, and solid as stone as we focus on our body during practice.

Ideally we all find peace in yoga, but there’s so much more available to us. There’s love, light, joy, and even laughter to be found lurking in each asana. Sometimes you cry for no reason. Sometimes you laugh out loud. If you are in the moment and mindful of the experience then whatever happens, happens.

Laughter Yoga, demonstrated briefly in this John Cleese video I posted recently, captures the essence of this concept. A full range of emotions blends well with yoga to enhance our mind/body/spirit connection. While Laughter Yoga is a branch of yoga led by certified Laughter Yoga instructors, you don’t have to find a class to understand how laughter and yoga work together.

Next time you’re doing a carefree yoga routine (nothing so challenging that it requires total focus), try thinking of something funny when you’re feeling relaxed and living in the moment. Or simply fake it – make yourself laugh and see if your body catches up. Often when you pretend to laugh you end up laughing for real from the silliness of it all. (And whether it’s real laughter or fake, you’re still working your abs. Bonus!)

Don’t be afraid to laugh at your body, too. If you fall over, think of it like a blooper reel. Laugh it up. If your digestive system becomes, shall we say, stimulated by your practice, laugh it up. If you’ve forgotten to distraction-proof your environment and the land line, mobile phone, fax machine, and e-mail notifications all go off simultaneously while you’re attempting a complicated handstand, instead of feeling frustrated, laugh it up. (Be sure you’ve abandoned the handstand before you have a laugh!)

Another great source of lightheartedness in yoga is pets. Cat and dog owners know that yoga is often an exciting time for four legged friends. You’re down on the ground – their territory – doing funky things that seem to bring you pleasure. It’s very common for intelligent cats to imitate the postures their owners assume. My cat imitates my yoga, and often I don’t realize it until I happen to look over and notice she’s doing her best to mimic me. It always makes me laugh.

We usually do Savasana together after my practice. I stretch out on my back and try to concentrate on guided meditation while she stretches out alongside me and tries to figure out what the heck we’re doing. (But mom’s doing it, so it must be good.) The other day she started getting fidgety, and decided to roll from side to side a few times. In order to do so, she had to find purchase with her back feet and push off, giving herself momentum to roll around.

I was caught up in the meditation and not paying my cat much mind. I’d just gotten to the point where I was meant to imagine I was light as a cloud…and then my cat kicked me upside the head as she pushed off to roll over again. That brought me back to reality with a giggle. As I tried to regain composure and focus again, every new image was met with a kick upside the head. My laughter grew and spurred her on, so she was wriggling like a worm and I was getting a kitty foot in my face every time. Meanwhile in the background the instructor’s voice continued to compare me to a cloud, when really I was just a punching bag for a cat kickboxing exercise.

I couldn’t really get it together after that. I sat up to do a seated meditation but every time I tried to imagine a field of energy surrounding me, I’d notice my cat running circles around that field’s perimeter. I had to give up and cuddle her, and the laughter I’d enjoyed was so much fun – and exactly what I’d needed. It was a release that neither the Savasana or the guided meditation would have provided. On that day, I needed a plain old laugh.

So don’t obsess over keeping it serious. Make it whatever works for you, and as a fellow human being, laughter and joy should work for you a lot of the time. Smile and laugh it up!