The joy was contagious in Englewood Park on Saturday as people gathered for the annual Englewood Forest Festival to enjoy nature, traditional music and dance, art, culture and a little conscious laughter.
Sophie Sparling, Lynn Albright and Heidi Toepfer stand together in the middle of the park under huge firs and oaks and spread the message of laughter yoga, which is, well, about laughter.
The body doesn’t know the difference between laughing because something is funny and laughing for the sake of laughing, Albright said.
Laughter yoga offers all the health benefits of spontaneous laughter, but in a conscious environment, she said.
Aside from the medicine of laughter, the park was teeming with musicians, artists and educational opportunities with a focus on nature.
From a meet-and-greet with a Madagascar hissing cockroach to a workshop on terrarium building, the festival had everything to offer.
Local Polynesian troupe Paradise of Samoa and Ballet Folklorico Guelaguetza brought some flair to the park, delighting the crowds with traditional Polynesian and Mexican dance and culture.
Contact reporter Joe Siess: (email protected) or 503-335-7790.
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Joe Siess is a reporter with the Salem Reporter. Joe joined the Salem Reporter in 2024 and primarily covers city and county government, but loves a surprise. Joe previously reported for the Redmond Spokesman, the Bulletin in Bend, Klamath Falls Herald and News, and the Malheur Enterprise. He was born in Independence, MO, where the Oregon Trail officially begins, and grew up in the Kansas City area.
