Laughter Yoga: Daily Practices for Health and Happiness

In 1995, Dr. Kataria started a laughter yoga club with five other people in order to bring some happiness and joy back into his life and to help him cope with the stress of everyday life. Since then, the movement has grown around the world, and now many are enjoying the health benefits of laughter.

Research shows that laughter can change the biochemistry of the brain, leading to positive changes in mood. Combining laughter and elements of yoga, Dr. Kataria’s program encourages people to practice ten to fifteen minutes of laughter yoga a day. He likes to start by clapping, stretching, and using phrases such as ‘HoHo’ and ‘HaHaHa’ to warm up, especially if one has difficulty laughing at the beginning. And don’t worry if you don’t feel like laughing, apparently forced or fake laughter is just as good. The brain can’t tell the difference.

Laughter Yoga provides exercises that can be done in a group setting or alone. Anyone who can laugh can benefit from this book. Dr. Kataria also encourages smiling more to help bring more laughter into your life. Frankly, before reading this book, I was unaware that the simple act of laughing could have such great health benefits. Whether it is improving mood, lowering blood pressure, or decreasing stress, this is a cost-effective way to do something good for the body and mind. Considering all the benefits, I don’t know why everyone isn’t already laughing all day long.