When laughter and yoga intersect, people can begin to discover their true selves.

"The art of laughter bonds people," said Yadunath (Yadu) Das. "We're naturally joyous, and comedy brings us closer to who we are."

And he should know. Yadu Das performs as an improvisational actor in New York, but this weekend volunteered to teach his Yoga of Comedy class at the Great Salt Lake City Yoga Fest.

"The mind often flies away from us on two wings — the past and the future," Yadu Das said, "and we're very rarely in the moment."

The craft of improv thrives on getting "in the zone," he said, a mental state where creative juices can flow and songs and jokes "just write themselves."

Yadu Das was one of 20 instructors who donated their time and talents during the Utah Krishna Temple's first Yoga Fest, a three-day event that yoga instructor Santosh Maknikar hopes will occur every six to 12 months.

"Laughter releases endorphins and relieves stress," Maknikar said, adding that his Saturday session on Laughing Yoga was filled to the brim.

Maknikar, a software engineer with Overstock.com who moved to the U.S. from India six years ago, is convinced that yoga in its many forms can ease many of society's ills — including crime, anxiety, depression and drug addiction.

"A lot of people think of it as exercise," Maknikar said. "It definitely is, but yoga goes beyond that."

Maknikar personally practices Hatha and Ashtanga forms of yoga, but participants could also sample sessions in Power Yoga, the Yoga of Kirtan, Partner Yoga, the Yoga of Food and more at this weekend's festival.

Yadu Das' Sunday session consisted of several group exercises that required participants to listen and pay attention to detail.

Toward the end of their 90-minute session, the group had built trust in each other and themselves, exhibited by proverbs they spontaneously created by lining up and sequentially adding a word until the thought was complete.

Their first attempt produced this whimsical gem: "Whenever you strive to lay eggs on the floor, be careful not to let Grandma explode."

Other pithy one-liners followed: "Life speaks loudly when you yell or whisper," "Snow falls slowly when it's windy and grasshoppers aren't alive" and "Love happens constantly."

Renee Fussner, a seasoned yoga instructor from Helenville, Wis., said that Yadu Das' session was something she had not done before.

"It was fun," Fussner said. "It was relaxing and neat to do something out of the norm."

Sharon Hansen, of Salt Lake City, said she had personally used similar techniques while teaching students in grade school through junior high.

"I appreciated how he tied it into yoga," Hansen said, "and I liked how he pointed out things like the breathing and getting into the flow of the group."

Hansen has periodically practiced Hatha yoga since the mid-1980s.

"I've had a lot of joint pain," Hansen said, "and I've found that the overall strengthening and flexibility that I'm getting with yoga is more effective than physical therapy. Plus it's more fun and less expensive."

The Great Salt Lake City Yoga Fest continues Monday from noon to 4 p.m.

cmckitrick@sltrib.com

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The Great SLC Yoga Fest continues

When • Monday, noon to 4 p.m.

Where • Salt Lake City's Krishna Temple, 965 E. 3370 South

What • A variety of yoga classes, entertainment and food

Cost • $10 per person for Monday sessions

Info • greatslcyogafest.com