A 4-week live online course blending qigong — meditative movement rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine — with the joyful, contagious practice of laughter yoga. Taught by Gigi Otálvaro, PhD, through the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Health. No experience needed. Chairs welcome.
Offered through the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Health
This class is the antidote: two hours a week of gentle movement, deep breath, and genuine, out-loud joy. You'll leave feeling looser, lighter, and more like yourself.
First: qigong. Slow, flowing "movement meditation" that cultivates energy and calm — you'll learn practices like drawing down the heavens.
Then: laughter yoga. Intentional laughter combined with yogic breathing. No poses, no mats, no jokes required — laughter as exercise. And yes, it becomes real.
Sometimes the two weave together. Everything can be done standing or seated, at your own pace, with zero performance pressure.
Gigi's demonstration for this course — UCSF Osher Center
Loosely translated as energy cultivation — a movement meditation rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Slow, flowing exercises like drawing down the heavens: connect to the force of the earth, the force of the sky, and wash that energy down the body.
Distinct from the postural practice of yoga — it combines intentional laughter exercises with yogic breathing. No poses, no jokes required: laughter as a practice, and in a group it turns real fast. Very good, very good — yay!
These two practices are highly synergistic: they help us relax, find joy in our bodies, build emotional resilience — and in that process, support the body's ability to heal itself. Both contemplative and joyful.
"When you come back to your body, there's so much relief."— Gigi Otálvaro, in the Stanford Daily (opens in new tab) (April 2025)
Registration and payment are handled securely by the UCSF Osher Center.
Yes — the course is designed for beginners. No experience is required, everything is self-paced, and there's no expectation to perform or keep up.
Every standing exercise adapts to a chair. Gigi demonstrates seated variations throughout, and you're encouraged to practice however your body prefers.
Sessions are live. All you need is a laptop or tablet, a little room to move — or a sturdy chair — and a willingness to play.
Everyone thinks so for about ninety seconds. The body doesn't distinguish intentional laughter from spontaneous laughter — and in a group, intentional turns real fast. (Ho ho, ha-ha-ha.)
The course is free through the Osher Community Care Fund for those who qualify, and discounts are available for UC faculty, staff, students, retirees, and UCSF MBSR alumni. Details are on the registration page.
Join Gigi's list — be first to hear about the next cohort, plus occasional breath, movement, and (yes) laughter practices you can try at home. No spam — promise.
Movement, Breath, and Play begins Aug 1 — live online with the UCSF Osher Center.
Register at UCSF Osher → (opens in new tab)Very good, very good — yay!