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The Benefits of Laughter YogaHow Forcing Yourself to Laugh with Others Improves Your Health
Dr Madan Kataria started Laughter Yoga in India in 1995, with a group of five people in a park. Now, Laughter Yoga has spread around the world - and here's why.
“Laughter Yoga is a simple idea: anyone can laugh for no reason all. We don't need jokes, a sense of humor or comedies to laugh,” explains Dr Madan Kataria. “We initiate laughter as an exercise in a group, and when we make eye contact with others, it soon turns into real contagious laughter.” The Health Benefits of Laughter Yoga“Laughter and breathing exercises bring more oxygen to our body cells than other aerobic exercises,” says Dr Kataria. “Ten minutes of belly laughter is equal to 30 minutes on a rowing machine. Today, people have no time to exercise, so it is better to laugh for 10 minutes than run for 30 minutes on a jogging track. Moreover, laughter yoga is lot of fun – as well as safe and scientifically proven.” Laughter increases the oxygen flow in the body and brain, resulting in lower blood pressure, a stronger immune system, and less stress. Michael Coleman, a Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher in San Diego, CA, describes the benefits of Laughter Yoga."What would surprise people to learn about laughter yoga?"“It’s so easy to laugh for no reason at all,” says Coleman. “It’s contagious – and you feel great afterwards, both physically and mentally.” "Why do you recommend the combination of laughter and yoga? Why not jogging and laughter, or walking and laughing?"“We recommend laughing in combination with any activity! But, the benefit of Laughter Yoga is that we meet in a group setting, engage in laughter exercises that are playful and some that help us deal with the stresses of daily living – such as running late laughter, argument laughter, Visa bill laughter, and so on,” says Coleman. “We interact with each other which allows us to feed off of each other's laughter. When we laugh together, making eye contact and being playful, it increases the amount and authenticity of our laughter.” "Do you laugh while doing yoga poses?"“We don't actually do yoga poses in our classes or clubs, but we incorporate the concept of yogic breathing or pranayama to increase the amount of oxygen to our bodies and brains,” says Coleman. “Also, "yoga" means "union" and often refers to the union of the mind, body and soul we feel from doing physical yoga - a sense of being "present" or "in the moment".” Coleman explains that "Yoga" is a general term that can apply to activities such as meditation, being of service to others, a healthy diet, and so on. Laughter Yoga strengthens the connection between the body, mind, and soul. During Laughter Yoga, participants are very much in the moment, and they feel connected with others. “When we leave a Laughter Yoga class,” says Coleman, “We take that sense of joy and connectedness and share it with the people we interact with for the rest of the day – whether they are people we know or strangers!” For more information about Laughter Yoga, Dr Madan Kataria’s School of Laughter, or Michael Coleman’s “Laughing in San Diego” club, visit: For more information about yoga in general, read The Health Benefits of Yoga.
The copyright of the article The Benefits of Laughter Yoga in Psychology is owned by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen. Permission to republish The Benefits of Laughter Yoga in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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