Laughing Yoga

Laughing yoga is a self-therapeutic practice of movement and breathing exercises used to intentionally call forth laughter. A core component of laughing yoga is conjuring laughter outside of reacting to joy or humor. Laughing yoga was originally discovered by Dr. Madan Kataria, a family physician in Mumbai, India, in 1995. Since then, the practice has been used to promote psychological, physical, and social wellbeing as laughter has many documented benefits.

For instance, laughter has been documented to improve mood and reduce pain by suppressing stress-hormones like cortisol, release “happy chemicals” such as dopamine and serotonin, and lower rates of depression. Shared, or contagious laughter, may strengthen relationships by increasing feelings of relaxation and safety.

When it comes to the practice of laughter yoga, however, laughter is intentional, rather than spontaneous. Both spontaneous and forced laughter can yield benefits. Carla H. Brown, a certified leader of laughter yoga from Santa Cruz, notes that laughter involves more regulated and increased breathing. This increased intake of oxygen may help to clear the mind, regulate blood pressure, and release happy endorphins.

More recent studies in 2023 are using laughter yoga in a variety of contexts, such as to mitigate pregnancy symptoms and promote prenatal attachment, improve glycemic control among individuals with type 2 diabetes, and improve sleep quality. Although these studies yield promising results, their sample sizes are small and the research requires further investigation. Moreover, many individuals benefit from laughter yoga today, and the practice is becoming increasingly studied around the world.