Stacey Piedrahita had me smiling even before she officially started doing anything. There’s a brightness about her that spills out. It even comes through in her emails. Her aura convinced me I made the right move attending her laughter yoga session. When she said the objective is to remember how to feel joy and give yourself permission to be a kid again, that sealed it for me.
Why Laughter Yoga is Good for You
But it’s not all play. According to Laughter Yoga International, “just 10 to 15 minutes daily reduces stress, energizes the body, and promotes mental calmness and positivity. It is scientifically proven to strengthen immunity, enhance brain oxygen, uplift mood, and foster social connections. Regular practice builds emotional resilience, helping you face challenges with optimism.” Plus, through the laughter and breathwork activities, the core muscles are lightly activated, so I’m counting on getting some ab work done too!
Stacey says laughter yoga has made a difference on her nervous system. She has noticed that she is not as wired, not as stressed, and is able to let things go a lot easier.
What Happens During Laughter Yoga
“When someone giggles, it feels good, but that’s only 15, 30 seconds, it’s not enough to get those endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin flowing. So intentionally, we’re gonna laugh for 10 to 15 minutes and do breathwork, because our brain does not know the difference between real and fake laughter,” she elaborates.
Great news for those intimidated by the bending, twisting, stretching, and balancing commonly associated with yoga: there’s none of that in laughter yoga. “It’s very simple, it’s a lot of fun, you can do it even while bedridden, you can do it in the shower, you can do it anywhere,” she says.
“We do little skits, we do little things with our arms,” Stacey provides an overview of her sessions. “It’s playtime! If you don’t have a playful side, you are gonna hate it because you’re gonna feel stupid, you’re gonna feel everyone’s staring at you, and you’re gonna feel like you’re not gonna be comfortable enough to try it. But if you go into it with an open mind, it is completely life-changing.”
Shared Group Experience
Being able to share laughter yoga with others gives her immense fulfillment, which is evident in her glow as she leads the virtual gathering through ha-ha-has and ho-ho-hos. “I can laugh by myself all day long. But with community, you get that benefit of co-regulating. And laughing with people is so beneficial,” she rationalizes. The shared experience fosters a sense of belonging, which can create connection and reduce feelings of isolation.
She leads groups every Tuesday through An Offering Rewiring Community on Facebook. “People walk out of that class with their bellies hurting and their cheeks smiling. And what they think I’m doing for them, I’m getting back tenfold for what it’s doing for me. Because I feel like for the first time, probably in forever, I am on purpose. I’m doing what I’m meant to be doing at this moment in time. And I’m loving every minute. I want to just marinate in the magic of just bringing this joy to people. Something so simple and free that you’d never think could be so beneficial to your body. What more could I possibly ask for?”
Embracing Healing
Formerly an oncology nurse, she is now retired following a series of tragedies including a near-death experience, an electrocution, and a stroke. To be clear, those were three separate incidents. “How much does one body have to endure?” she recalls lamenting. Somewhere in between she also lost her mother.
She believes her faith sustained her through every challenge. “Everything that I had been through the last couple of years had been the hardest of my entire life,” she states. At her lowest, she surrendered to God. “Yes, I am an ordained reverend with the Alliance of Divine Love, a ministry that promotes finding the highest degree of love in every situation. But for me, it was giving it completely up to God. I said, I’m done, you take over. I’m letting go. Whatever it is, it is. Then He took over.” And that’s when the light began to return.
“Everything was a blessing. I’m appreciating where I’m at right now and everything that I’ve been through. I’m just staying in the moment and really just embracing how good I feel and how good life is right now because it was really bad for a very long time,” she says.
It’s still a bumpy road ahead, though. “I’m still actively healing. A stroke is no joke and requires a massive recovery. I’m still dealing with blood pressure issues from the electrocution. I also deal with some debilitating diseases in addition to everything else. If someone wears a strong perfume, I could go into anaphylactic shock. It’s called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, which is very dangerous. There’s no cure. But I’ve learned how to manage and stay away from my triggers,” she assures.
Stacey with her husband Kenny during a camping trip
Alternative and Eastern Modalities
In looking after her health, she combines Eastern and Western approaches. “The holistic modalities stepped into my life at exactly the right time. I would be dead 1000% if I did not find alternative and Eastern modalities.”
On her list are somatic work, breathwork, and qigong. Reiki ushered her into the practices. “Reiki truly opened my eyes to a whole new world that I’m so shocked that people are still closed-minded. Because if you’re open to it, it will change your life, it will work for you. It worked for 5,000 years, it’s going to work for you,” she asserts.
I am not among those who need convincing. I am a believer in reiki, having experienced its wonders many times. As for qigong, since I learned about it some four years ago, it has not failed to get me through my worst days.
When not teaching laughter yoga or breathwork, Stacey Piedrahita keeps to her quiet private space on her patio, taking in the view of nature.
Prioritizing Self-Care
Navigating the challenges of her disabilities has taught Stacey the value of filling her cup first and she does this by carving out a lot of quiet time spent in prayer and meditation at her patio in North Carolina. She stays away from social media and turns off her phone by mid-afternoon. She gets creative and paints plaques and coasters, and writes quite a lot.
She is a co-author of four books: Becoming the Manifesting Diva: Creating Ripples While You Flow, Intuitive: Speaking Her Truth, Soulful Poems: Poetry to Activate Your Soul Mission, and Soulful Poems: An Anthology of Poetry Activating Your Inner Mental Wealth. All have hit international best-selling status on Amazon. Scheduled to be released soon is another poetry book, Soul Spells. Lined up for next year are her memoir and a book for her mother. She also shares her thoughts regularly on Substack under @revstaceyrocks.
“Believe it or not, I’m being very selfish right now. So, I’m only doing things that bring me joy,” she reveals. Fortunately for us, the things that make her happy do not exist in isolation. They ripple outward, touching countless lives along the way. Mine included.
Sign up for laughter yoga with Stacey every Tuesday through the An Offering Rewiring Community on Facebook.
She also facilitates breathwork every second and fourth Friday of the month for The Mast Cell Disease Society. If you have any questions for her, you may email her at laughyourassoff27@gmail.com.
If you look up Stacey Piedrahita on Amazon, you’ll find four books she has co-authored, with more to come.
All images are courtesy of Stacey Piedrahita
