Laughter yoga

[1] Laughter Yoga was introduced in Mumbai, India in 1995 by family physician Madan Kataria and his wife Madhuri.

[1] Kataria modernized some of the work of earlier laughter pioneers,[2] who taught very similar concepts starting in the 1960s, in a more structured and a unique manner.

What follows are a series of ‘laughter exercises’ that combine gentle improvisational movements and playful visualization techniques.

[8] A 2019 review and meta-analysis in the field of laughter-inducing therapies suggests that they are more effective than humorous laughter and can improve depression.

[9] A meta-analysis published in 2020 concludes that laughter yoga has no adverse effect and could have benefit for older adults in terms of physical function (blood pressure, cortisol level, sleep quality) and psychosocial health (life satisfaction, quality of life, loneliness, death anxiety, depression, mood, happiness).