Laughter Yoga

“Laughter is the best medicine,” you might have heard. That adage — probably more credible than “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” — is the basis for a form of yoga, appropriately called laughter yoga. We attended a laughter yoga workshop with our friend Allie yesterday at the Old Town School of Folk Music to try out the practice, and because an hour of laughing sounded like the perfect Sunday activity.

Laughter yoga originated in India about 15 years ago when Dr. Madan Kataria noticed the medicinal benefits of laughter among his patients and organized the first laughter club. He coupled laughter exercises with Yogic breathing routines, and the practice is now an international well-being phenomenon.

Our bodies cannot discern the difference between real and fake laughter, and as we found in class, what starts as forced laughter inevitably turns into real, and often uncontrollable, laughing. You won’t be expected to tell jokes, and there’s no need to sport your Lululemon, because you won’t be contorting into downward dogs or warrior poses. (Still, being comfortably clothed helped us relax.)

“It’s kind of like reawakening your joy, like you’re a little kid again.” -Judith Sample, certified Laughter Yoga instructor

Our instructor, Judith Sample, took the 10 of us through an hour of activities that included introducing ourselves to each other with a laugh, imitating types of laughter, including animal laughter, slow motion laughter and shy laughter, and practicing deep breathing. Less than halfway through the class we were already feeling lighter and happier.

If nothing else, laughter yoga is a healthy reminder to smile more, relax about how seriously we take ourselves, and just laugh.

-Tara and Karina for TKGO

Chicago’s Korean Day Spa

Flying to Asia to explore beauty ideals may be Jessica Simpson’s thing, but you can do it in Chicago, too.

We spent the better part of this past Saturday tucked away in the unassuming, far-flung Korean day spa, Paradise Sauna. At the urging of our friend Adryanna, who had visited a Korean spa while in, well, Korea, the three of us made our way (El, bus, walk a block) to Albany Park. That’s not to say it took much prodding to get us to go; it’s gotten warmer and everyone’s showing more skin, so it was a logical time to give ours some attention. Plus, who isn’t down for some pampering now and then?

“Pampering,” however, isn’t quite the service Paradise Sauna aiming to provide, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. While it is a spa with complimentary towels and robes, and facilities like a nap room, it’s more about getting down to business and whipping your skin into shape at a modest price. A day’s use of the steam saunas, whirlpools and cold and hot tubs are included in the $18 base price (plus a $2 key deposit), and services include scrubs and massages, which start at $30 and $40, respectively, for 30 minutes.

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The scrub is a must, and for both of us, it was a first. We each took turns lying on a table in the bathhouse while a very nice but stern, middle-aged Korean woman in a black bra and panties set to work systematically buffing us with what looked like a Brillo pad (of course it wasn’t) on each hand.

For those who have never experienced a Korean body scrub, especially at Paradise Sauna, there are a few things you should know. First, leave your bathing suit at home. This is a bathhouse, after all. (Don’t worry, women’s and men’s facilities are separate.) But do bring flip flops or other waterproof sandals to wear in the pools and on the pool deck. They provide towels and some shampoo at Paradise, but you might want to bring your own.

Before using any facilities, you must shower and thoroughly clean yourself. Before a scrub, sit in the whirlpool for an hour or so, to soften your skin so it’s less painful and more like a massage. The scrubber at Paradise doesn’t speak English, and while it’s not necessary to talk, it’s helpful to know what’s going on. She starts at the feet and works her way up. You’ll start on your back and turn four times: first onto your right side, then onto your stomach, your left side and finally back to a face-up position. The scrubber will let you know when to turn with a brusque “turn!” and tap of the table (or your calf).

We feel like new people, and with a layer of our skin gone, we kind of are. “Once a week!” the scrubber recommends, in order to keep skin healthy and glowing.

This no-frills spa is clean and basic, but like any bathhouse, isn’t for the overly self-conscious. To fully experience the facilities, which you’ll probably share with a handful of other Korean grandmas, middle-aged Caucasian ladies and younger Asian women (all of whom aren’t looking and don’t care, same as you), leave your inhibitions (and your clothes) in the locker room.

Paradise Sauna, 2910 W. Montrose Ave., Chicago. (773) 588-3304.

-Tara and Karina for TKGO

It’s here: TKGO City Guides, Naples, Florida!

Check out the latest addition to the TKGO City Guides collection: Naples, Florida! There’s more to southeast Florida than fun in the sun. This guide is a must-read for any 20-something trying to navigate the land of the retired. Find plenty of great restaurants and — dare we say it — nightlife!

If you’re stuck in the midwest, check out our recent updates to the Chicago and Evanston guides, including a classic brunch spot in Andersonville and a Cuban “food mart” in Rogers Park.

-Tara and Karina for TKGO

Chicago Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day

Chicago takes St. Patrick’s Day seriously — few other cities’ residents eagerly awake in the early morning to drink green beer at a bar that opened at 9 a.m. before watching men in speed boats dye two blocks worth of a river bright green. So of course, we brought our video cameras to document this year’s overcast celebration. Check out our footage of the annual parade on Columbus Avenue and the dyeing of the Chicago River (which isn’t sponsored by the city, but is instead a tradition of the Plumbers Local Union 130 since 2007), as well as some celebration scenes from around the city.

Maybe it’s because we didn’t start the day with green beer, but we thought St. Patty’s was particularly outrageous. We saw:

• Roughly 40 children under the age of 14 carrying green balloons two feet long
• A word-slurring man with a clear 7-Eleven Big Gulp cup full of beer, shouting at the parade queen as her float passed

• Way too many ridiculous green hats, including one that was shaped like a large mug of beer
• A teenager watching the parade from atop another teenager’s shoulders in a shirt that read “Kiss me I’m sober”
• A middle-aged woman who took off her green plastic hat and lovingly placed it on an iron fence post
• A decked out group of all ages and sizes jumping and kicking in a circle to the sounds of a bagpipe in Millennium Park

So did Chicago make St. Patrick proud? Let’s start with a different question: Who was St. Patrick? Well, we did some digging and it turns out he was a Scot who was kidnapped and thrown into slavery in Ireland at age 14. Apparently, he ended up converting the entire country from paganism. And a side perk for the Irish: He banished all snakes from the island, according to legend, although pretty much all scientists agree Ireland didn’t have any snakes at the time. He was never officially canonized by a pope, which means he’s not even officially a saint, and what we’re celebrating on the Saturday before March 17 every year is actually his death. We all know, though, that it’s really an excuse to celebrate all things Irish. Sláinte!

-Tara and Karina for TKGO