Laughter Wellness

In-Person at Thurber Center

Join certified Laughter Yoga teacher, breathologist, and internationally recognized storyteller Lyn Ford for a joyful, restorative, and relaxing 60-minute session designed to support your physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being, your creativity, and your connection with others.

This accessible, chair-based workshop includes deep breathing, gentle stretching, rhythmic clapping, and playful laughter exercises that are safe and adaptable for all fitness and mobility levels. Writing prompts will also be incorporated into the session to encourage reflection and creative expression.

Together, we’ll explore easy, replicable techniques to relieve stress and anxiety, lift our spirits, increase our imaginative thinking, and build community—because laughter truly is a universal language. Laughter Wellness is perfect for anyone seeking fun and joyful self-care.

No mats or equipment are needed—just wear comfortable clothing and come ready to play!

Laughter Wellness is open to adults and teens ages 14+.

‣ Location, Schedule, & Cost

Location

Sessions will be held at Thurber Center (91 Jefferson Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215), next door to Thurber House.

Schedule

Saturday, September 19, 2026 from 11 am-12 pm
Wednesday, December 16, 2026 from 6:30-7:30 pm

Cost

Laughter Wellness is $15 per person, per session. Space is limited.

Parking on Jefferson Avenue:
Free, easy street parking is available all along the Jefferson Avenue oval. Note: only the spots along the one-way oval are free; the spots along the two-way ends of Jefferson Avenue (near Broad Street and Long Street) are not free.
Parking off N. 11th Street (behind Thurber Center/Thurber House):
Free visitor parking is available in the small lot directly behind Thurber Center/Thurber House, accessible off N. 11th Street and located here.
All other parking lots do not belong to Thurber House and you may be towed.
Laughter Wellness is designed for participants of all mobilities.
The entrance, first floor meeting space, and restrooms at Thurber Center are handicap/wheelchair accessible.
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How to reach the wheelchair ramp:
If you park on Jefferson Avenue:
There is a slight curb (some wheelchairs can navigate this). The closest “ramp” cut is the entrance to the large parking lot on the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Long Street (here).
Follow the sidewalk through the Thurber Center front gate. Take the sidewalk around the porch on the right side of the building. The entrance to the wheelchair ramp will appear on your left, past the porch.
If you park in the Thurber Center/Thurber House rear parking lot:
Follow the sidewalk between the handicap parking signs (here). The sidewalk will take you around the north side of our multipurpose building, Thurber Center.
The ramp will appear on your right and leads up to the front porch.

‣ Meet the Facilitator

Lyn Ford

Lyn Ford is an internationally respected, fourth-generation Affrilachian storyteller, writer, and workshop presenter. Lyn's folktale adaptations and original stories are rooted in her family’s multicultural Black Appalachian (or Affrilachian) heritage.

Lyn's work has taken her to major storytelling festivals and literacy and storytelling conferences across the country, as well as in Australia and Ireland, and, via the Zoomiverse, in Germany and for the Federation of Asian Storytellers story swaps. Lyn is an Ohio teaching artist on the Ohio Arts Council Teaching Artists rosters, with more than thirty years of experience sharing creative narrative with all ages and several award-winning publications.

Lyn is a two-time recipient of the National Storytelling Network's ORACLE Circle of Excellence Award, and a 2023 recipient of the National Association of Black Storytellers' Black Appalachian Storytelling Fellowship and NABS' prestigious Zora Neale Hurston Award. Lyn is a member of the Writers Council of the National Writing Project and the National Association of Black Storytellers’ Brother Blue Circle of Elders.

‣ FAQ & Disclaimer

For any questions that are not answered here, please email Jess Cox at jcox@thurberhouse.org or call 614-412-5955.

You will receive an email order confirmation containing your registration information.
Yes, although online registration is encouraged. To order by phone, call 614-412-5955.
Purchases made by credit/debit card are charged a modest fee to cover Thurber House’s processing costs. To pay by cash or check, please email jcox@thurberhouse.org or call 614-412-5955.
All registrations are final and non-refundable. However, you can give your spot to a friend, family member, colleague, etc. if you cannot attend. Contact us to transfer a registration.
Views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by event and program speakers in all mediums are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Thurber House, its affiliates, or its staff/board.