Welcome to 
Certified Laughter Yoga 
Leader Training 


My Name is :................................................................................................................. Ha Ha Ha 



Name of My Teacher 


Laughter Yoga International University 

B001, First Floor, Vishwa Prakruti Greenwoods Apartments 
Jakkur Plantation, Bangalore 560064, India 
laugh@laughteryoga.org www.laughteryoga.org 
Tel: 8884567891 India 



Before Getting Started… 


Training Material 

1. Training Manual: Please study the e-manual before your training. It will help 
you understand the concept so that you can focus more on the facilitation skills of 
Laughter Yoga. You will receive the hard copy of the manual during the training. 
2. Dr. Kataria’s e-book: Laugh For No Reason: You can find the pdf file in the 
Resources Pack. 
3. Laughter Yoga Resources Pack: This ‘must-have’ package includes a USB drive 
of media clips and videos of Laughter Yoga in specialized applications as well as 
a presentation for use in introductory seminars. It also includes printable scans of 
important articles on Laughter Yoga, a selection of Laughter Yoga photos you can 
use, copies of research documents, logos and artwork, printable liability release 
forms and other useful materials. 
IMPORTANT 

Leader traning certificates are granted only by Laughter Yoga International. Please 
ensure that you receive an official certificate issued and signed by Dr. Madan 
Kataria and your trainer. Please note that no change in design is permitted. After 
training, your teacher will register your name on the international website and 
you will get six months Prozone membership. 

TRADEMARK 

By entering into training you confirm your agreement to the following: 

The term ‘Laughter Yoga’ in English and other translations is the trademark of 
Dr. Madan Kataria and Laughter Yoga International. This term may be used by 
certified Laughter Yoga professionals to promote Laughter Yoga. It must not 
be incorporated into the name of any company, business entity, organization 
or website domain without express permission in writing from Laughter Yoga 
International. 

Published by: Laughter Yoga International - Version 2017 


Objectives Of The Training 


 
The first objective is to get more laughter into your own life and the best 
way to bring more laughter into your life is to become a Laughter Yoga 
leader. 
You will learn the knowledge and skills to do a group laughter session and 
meditation. 
You will also be able to lead laughter sessions in social Laughter Clubs, 
companies, organizations and senior care centers. 
How you will benefit from this Training 

Know Laughter: You will get in-depth knowledge about laughter and Laughter 
Yoga wisdom - how and why it works, as well as the immeasurable benefits it 
provides for body-mind wellness. 

Do Laughter: Knowledge alone is not enough. You have to actually do laughter 
to experience the benefits. Laughter Yoga methods will give you guidelines and 
practical skills to do laughter in a group and once your body gets the intelligence 
of laughing without a reason, you can even laugh all by yourself anytime, 
anywhere. 

Be Laughter: Laughter is not just about learning and doing Laughter Yoga - it 
is about living it. Therefore, it is essential to bring happiness to others in order 
to find yourself happy. With our experience with Laughter Yoga worldwide, we 
found that once people start laughing on a regular basis, it automatically brings 
attitudinal changes in their behavior. They become more loving, caring and 
forgiving. Not only do they laugh in the laughter session; they carry the spirit 
of laughter throughout the day. It also helps to keep their mind positive when 
faced with challenges of life. 


Contents 


Chapter 1 History of Laughter Yoga........................................................................................................ 6 
Chapter 2 What Is Laughter Yoga ............................................................................................................ 9 
Chapter 3 The Concept and Philosophy of Laughter Yoga.......................................................... 12 
Chapter 4 What happens in a Laughter Yoga Session ................................................................... 18 
Chapter 5 Contraindications in Laughter Yoga ............................................................................... 28 
Chapter 6 Health Benefits of Laughter Yoga .................................................................................... 30 
Chapter 7 Laughter Yoga for Business World ................................................................................... 35 
Chapter 8 Laughter Yoga for Seniors .................................................................................................. 42 
Chapter 9 Laughter Yoga For Children ............................................................................................... 46 
Chapter 10 How to lead a LY session effectively- Systems and Procedures ............................ 50 
Chapter 11 Role of a Laughter Leader .................................................................................................. 54 
Chapter 12 How to Start a Laughter Club ........................................................................................... 56 
Chapter 13 Laughter Yoga Alone ............................................................................................................ 58 
Chapter 14 Skype Laughter Clubs .......................................................................................................... 66 
Chapter 15 World Laughter Day ............................................................................................................. 68 
Chapter 16 Different types of Trainings at Laughter Yoga International University ........... 70 
Chapter 17 Prozone Membership: Continued Education for LY Professionals..... .................. 72 
Chapter 18 Promotional Seminars / Free Public Seminars.............................................................. 73 
Chapter 19 Frequently asked questions by Laughter Yoga professionals................................ 76 
Appendix 1 The Importance of Oxygen................................................................................................. 78 
Appendix 2 Laughter Yoga Best Practices ............................................................................................ 79 
Appendix 3 40 Foundation Exercises ...................................................................................................... 81 
Appendix 4 Categorizing Laughter Exercises....................................................................................... 86 
Appendix 5 List of more Laughter Exercises ........................................................................................ 90 
Appendix 6 Laughter Yoga Liability Release...................................................................................... 111 
Appendix 7 How Do You Feel Form?..................................................................................................... 112 
Appendix 8 Laughter Quotient Form ................................................................................................... 113 
Appendix 9 Laughter Yoga Training Evaluation Form..................................................................... 115 
Appendix 10 Photo / Video Release Form............................................................................................. 116 
Appendix 11 Laughter Friendly Songs................................................................................................... 117 
Appendix 12 Fun Games from Laughter Clubs ................................................................................... 120 
Appendix 13 Laughter Yoga Products..................................................................................................... 122 
Appendix 14 Resource Pack Inventory.................................................................................................... 124 
Appendix 15 Laughter Yoga Basic Learning Course Agenda.......................................................... 126 
Appendix 16 Laughter Yoga Introduction Worksheet....................................................................... 127 



CHAPTER 1 

History of Laughter Yoga 


Five people who created history on 13th March, 1995. Standing from L- R: Madan Mohan Pushkarna, Mohan 
Singh, R K Tandon. Sitting: Madan & Madhuri Kataria 

In March 1995, Dr. Madan Kataria, a medical doctor from Mumbai, India was 
writing an article on ‘Laughter - The Best Medicine’ for a health magazine, ‘My 
Doctor’. In his research he discovered many modern scientific studies that 
described at great length the many proven benefits of laughter on the human 
mind and body. 

In particular, Dr. Kataria was impressed by American journalist Norman Cousins’ 
book ‘Anatomy of an Illness’ in which he described a potentially fatal disease of the 
spine – Ankylosing Spondylitis which he contracted in 1964. After taking tons of 
painkillers each day, which did not help, he finally experimented with the power 
of humor, laughter and other positive emotions and found that 10 minutes of 
mirthful laughter gave him two hours of pain-free sleep. His story baffled the 
scientific community and inspired a number of research projects. Besides this, Dr. 
Kataria was also inspired by research studies done by Dr. Lee S Berk from Loma 
Linda University and Prof William Fry from Stanford. Immediately, he decided to 
field-test the impact of laughter on himself and others. 

On13th March, 1995, he got up at 4am and was pacing up and down in his living 
room when a sudden idea flashed through his mind: If laughter is so good, why 
not set up a Laughter Club. He was ecstatic and could hardly wait to implement 

6 



Norman Cousins Dr. William Fry Dr. Lee Berk 

the concept. Within three hours, he hurried to the public park where he used to 
go for his daily morning walk and tried to convince the regular morning walkers 
about the importance of laughter and to start a Laughter Club. 

The expressions were predictable. They thought he was crazy. They laughed at 
the idea and scoffed at the whole concept. But, Dr. Kataria did not give up and 
managed to motivate some people – thus was born the first Laughter Club with 
just five people. They met for half an hour every morning to laugh together much 
to the amusement of befuddled onlookers. In the beginning, the session began 
by someone telling a joke or narrating a humorous anecdote. Soon, people 
started enjoying the whole exercise and reported feeling much better after a 
laughter session of 20-30 minutes. 

Bearing the initial ridicule and criticism, he firmly continued to explain the health 
benefits of laughter till gradually people became a little more receptive and 
showed a keen interest. The attendance started growing, and there were nearly 
55 people by the end of the week. For ten days the routine continued with much 
vigor, after which they hit a snag. The stock of good jokes and stories ran out, 
and they were left with negative, hurtful and naughty jokes which prompted 
some participants to complain that it would be better to close the club than to 
continue with such jokes. 

Determined to keep the Laughter Club alive, he asked the club members to give 
him a day to resolve the crisis. That night, he kept trying to look for some way 
to laugh without jokes. Providentially, he laid his hands on a book ‘Emotions 
and Health’, from Prevention Health Care Series (USA). While reading a chapter 
on humor and laughter, he was surprised to discover that the body cannot 
differentiate whether you are actually happy or acting a happy person. It clearly 
revealed that if one cannot laugh, one should pretend to laugh. He also learnt 
that not only laughter, but a bodily expression of any motion, generates a similar 

7 



emotion in the mind. This was a breakthrough and he thought why not use 
laughter as an exercise. 

The next morning, he explained this to the group and asked them to try and 
act out laughter with him for one minute. Though skeptical, they agreed and 
the results were amazing. For some, acted out laughter quickly turned into real 
laughter. This was contagious and very soon others followed. Soon the group 
was laughing like never before. The hearty laughter that followed persisted for 
almost ten minutes. Finally, there was laughter, real laughter – with no jokes. 

The fact that one could laugh without an external trigger was a unique feature. 
But there were some people who were naturally inhibited and shy and found 
it difficult to generate laughter. As every person has a different psychological 
temperament; it was harder for some to laugh. His new challenge was how to 
get these people laughing without any reason. 

He soon came up with the idea of warm-up exercises, such as clapping and 
chanting ho ho ha ha ha. This loosened the inhibitions and helped people to 
laugh easily. Soon different kinds of laughter exercises were developed, which 
included elements of role-play, childlike playfulness and other techniques from 
my days as an amateur dramatic actor. 

As the concept evolved, he saw many similarities between laughter and 
pranayama in yoga. Both were based on the principle of optimal breathing - 
fundamental to good health. Together with his wife, Madhuri, we incorporated 
the elements from this ancient form of yogic breathing with laughter and the 
result was Laughter Yoga or Hasya Yoga (as known in Sanskrit) - a complete 
workout for health and wellness. A physically-oriented technique, it allows for 
multiple health benefits, primarily increasing the supply of oxygen, boosting the 
immune system and energizing and recharging the metabolism. 

Today, with thousands of Laughter Yoga Clubs burgeoning worldwide, scores 
of people are taking advantage of the enormous benefits of laughter and are 
experiencing relief from a variety of stress-related illnesses. It has grown on its 
own strength, and the actual benefits are undeniable. 

8 



CHAPTER 2 

What Is Laughter Yoga 

Laughter Yoga is a unique exercise routine which combines unconditional 
laughter with yogic breathing (pranayama). Anyone can laugh without relying 
on humor, jokes or comedy. Laughter is initially simulated as a physical exercise 
while maintaining eye contact with others in the group and promoting childlike 
playfulness. In most cases this soon leads to real and contagious laughter. Science 
has proved that the body cannot differentiate between simulated and real laughter. 
Laughter Yoga is the only technique that allows adults to achieve sustained hearty 
laughter without involving cognitive thought. It bypasses the intellectual systems 
that normally act as a brake on natural laughter. 

Laughter Yoga sessions start with gentle warm-up techniques which include 
stretching, chanting, clapping and body movement. These help break down 
inhibitions and develop feelings of childlike playfulness. Breathing exercises are 
used to prepare the lungs for laughter followed by a series of ‘laughter exercises’ 
that combine the method of acting and visualization techniques with playfulness. 
These exercises, when combined with the strong social dynamics of group 
behavior, lead to prolong and hearty unconditional laughter. Laughter exercises 
are interspersed with breathing exercises. Scientifically, it has been proved that 20 
minutes of laughter is sufficient to develop full physiological benefits. 

A Laughter Yoga session may finish with ‘Laughter Meditation’ which is a session 
of unstructured laughter, whereby participants sit or lie down and allow natural 
laughter to flow from within like a fountain. This is a powerful experience that often 
leads to a healthy emotional catharsis and also a feeling of release and joyfulness 
that can last for days. This is generally followed by guided relaxation exercises. 

Connection between Yoga and Laughter 

The word Yoga arises from the Sanskrit root Yuj which means to get hold of, 
integrate and harmonize. It means getting hold of our lives, integrating all 
aspects of life and harmonizing our bodies with our minds, spirits and society. 
As the concept of Laughter Yoga evolved, Dr. Kataria found a deep connection 
between the basic fundamentals of yoga and what one did in Laughter Clubs. He 
incorporated deep breathing exercises from yoga in between laughter exercises, 
which helps to increase the net supply of oxygen to the body and brain. 

Breath is life: Breathing is fundamental to life. One can live without food and 
water for several days, but cannot survive if breathing stops for even few minutes. 

9 



According to yogic philosophy, we are alive because the cosmic energy from the 
Universe flows into the body through the breath, which is the life energy force or 
prana, as called in yoga. 

From a medical point of view, the most important component of breath is 
oxygen. Due to stress and negative mental state, breathing becomes shallow and 
irregular. We tend to hold our breath whenever the mind is upset or in a state of 
turmoil. This leads to lack of oxygen and accumulation of carbon dioxide in the 
blood which further causes anxiety, stress arousal and emotional reactions. 

More oxygen from exhalation: The hallmark of yoga breathing is that we should 
exhale longer than inhale so as to get rid of as much of the residual air from 
the lungs and bring in fresh air and more oxygen for the next breathing cycle. 
Have you ever realized what we do while laughing? Actually, we are exhaling. 
During laughter, exhalation lasts much longer than in regular breathing. In 
normal breathing we inhale and exhale only 500 ml of air while there is 1500 
ml of residual and stale air which has more carbon dioxide. This can be forced 
exhaled by laughter exercises which bring more oxygen to our body and brain. 

 Breathing capacity and laughter: The principal organs of respiration are the 
lungs. Due to sedentary lifestyle we do not utilize the full capacity of our lungs. 
As a result, part of our lung cells do not participate in oxygen and carbon dioxide 
exchange. Laughter and deep breathing exercises open up all the cells of the 
lungs and also the respiratory passages, which leads to an increase in breathing 
capacity, also called vital capacity. 

Diaphragm activates parasympathetic system: It is important to know that 
the diaphragm is a major muscle of respiration which separates the thoracic 
and abdominal cavity. Two thirds of breathing takes place by the movement of 

10 



the diaphragm and only one third by the expansion of the rib cage. Under stressful 
situations, most people breathe from the chest and do not use their diaphragm. 

Both laughter and yogic breathing exercises are intended to stimulate the movement 
of the diaphragm and the abdominal muscles. The diaphragm is connected to a 
special branch of the autonomic nervous system called the parasympathetic system 
or the calming branch responsible for relaxation. The opposite is the sympathetic 
system, also known as the stress arousal system. One can turn off the stress arousal 
system simply by learning to move the diaphragm. The most important exercise 
done in Laughter Clubs is the chanting of ho ho ha haha, which helps people to 
focus on abdominal muscles so that they can learn to train their diaphragm and 
laugh from the belly. 

Change your breathing, change your mind: There is a direct relation between the 
breathing pattern and the state of mind. When under stress breathing becomes fast, 
irregular and shallow. There are spells of breath-holding according to the number of 
disturbing and negative thoughts crossing the mind. In contrast when the mind is 
at peace, breathing becomes more slow, regular and deep. 

Breathing is the only process that has a dual character. It goes on automatically and 
is under control of the unconscious mind, but it can also be consciously regulated or 
changed. Through the practice of belly laughter and deep breathing, we can learn 
to change our breathing pattern from shallow to deep and easily alter the thoughts 
in the mind. Even if one has disturbing thoughts, with deep breathing, the body will 
not experience stress response. 

Laughter Yoga connects people: Unconditional laughter connects people from 
different cultures, countries, no matter what language they speak or how they 
live. Laughter Yoga promotes a strong union between those who laugh together 
resulting in family-like bonds, providing social interaction and networking --- 
essential for happiness. The goal of Laughter Yoga is to connect people with one 
another at heart level without judgment --- this is the true meaning of yoga. 

Laughter Yoga promotes spiritual growth: Laughter Yoga goes beyond just 
laughing. It not only fosters a feeling of physical wellbeing; it also enhances the 
spirit and touches the emotional core. It has the power to change the selfish state 
of mind to an altruistic state of mind. It has been proven that people who laugh are 
likely to be more generous and have more empathy than those who don’t laugh. 

This inner spirit of laughter becomes apparent as people develop a state of internal 
peace. The worries and intense goals that have driven their lives become less important. 
People become aware that true happiness comes from giving unconditional love, 
caring for others, and sharing with each other. Laughter Yoga inspires members to 
make the world a better place not only for themselves, but for everyone. 

11 



CHAPTER 3 


The Concept and Philosophy of Laughter Yoga 

Laughing for no reason is the core philosophy of Laughter Yoga methods. Some 
of the most commonly asked questions about laughter are: Do we need a sense 
of humor to laugh? How can we laugh when we don’t feel like laughing or are 
not in a good mood? How can we laugh when we have so many problems in 
life? How do children laugh 300 to 400 times in a day, while adults laugh only 15 
times? Can we learn to laugh? 

Here are the answers to all these questions which define the five key concepts 
and philosophy of Laughter Yoga. 

1. Do we need a sense of humor to laugh? 
Most people believe that one must have a sense of humor to laugh, but Laughter 
Yoga has proven otherwise. No one is born with a sense of humor, which is the 
brain’s capacity to perceive, relate and experience a situation, and judge if the 
situation is funny or not. Sense of humor is a mental and intellectual phenomenon 

- very individual and cultural. Moreover, many people cannot identify with a 
sense of humor and believe that it needs special talent and skill to be humorous. 
Laughter arising out of humor is conditional. It depends upon a reason to laugh, 
person’s state of mind, level of happiness and life satisfaction. But, laughter in 
Laughter Yoga is unconditional; it is an outcome of childlike playfulness. By 
indulging in playful activities, Laughter Club members reduce their inhibition 
and shyness, which helps to open up their perception, thereby enabling them to 
see more humor in daily life. 

Dr. Robert Provine a pioneer researcher on laughter says that laughter which 
comes in our daily life does not really come from humor and jokes. It actually 
comes from the little things people do or experience when they are with friends 
or likeminded acquaintances. In fact, they laugh 30 percent more as they enjoy 
the company. They do not need any funny situation or a humorous stimulus to 
laugh. 

2. How can you laugh when you’re not in a good mood? 
a) Theory of motion creates emotion: There is a two - way link between body 
and mind. Whatever happens to the mind happens to the body. If you observe 
sad and depressed people, their bodies are also depressed. They walk slowly, talk 
slowly and their body movements are also slow. 

12 



Laughter Club members are of every age group - school children, college students, housewives, doctors, 
engineers and elderly people. 

The opposite is also true; whatever happens to the body happens to the mind. 
Dr. Kataria remembers what his father said, ‘If you’re sad, don’t sit idle. Keep doing 
some physical work or go for a walk and jog, you will feel better’. And he was 
right; one always felt better by keeping the body active. This is known as theory 
of motion creates emotion. 

Psychologist William James in 1884 found that bodily expression of any emotion 
can reinforce a similar emotion in the mind. The connection works both ways: 
from mind to body and body to mind. For example: Acting sad and depressed 
(for example sitting in a moping, depressed posture and replying to questions in 
a sad and dismal voice) soon leads to real emotional sadness. Actors who portray 
strong emotions often tell of real-life emotional repercussions. Many film and 
theater actors have reported that while performing tragic roles they experience 
a real sadness. 

b) Laughter Yoga is based on two models: 

i. Humor model or mind-to-body model: Do you know why children laugh 300 
to 400 times in a day while grown-ups laugh only 10 to 15 times? It’s because 
adults use their cognitive ability to first comprehend humor and then laugh. 
This model relies on the ability to understand what’s funny and amusing. For 
example, the extent to which a person laughs at a given joke depends on the 
quality of the joke, the narration and also the state of mind of the listener. 
13 



But, the model has its limitations. It does not guarantee how much a person will 
laugh. It’s conditional: dependent on a sense of humor, the state of mind and the 
quality of the external stimulus. You will not laugh much if you hear the same 
joke second time. 

ii. Childlike model or body-to-mind model: If you observe children, you will 
find that they laugh the most while playing. Their laughter comes straight from 
the body and does not make use of humor which is mind. This clearly shows 
that for children, the source of their laughter is within the body. We, too, can 
use it whenever necessary by moving the body at our own will. The significant 
feature of this model is that the person must actively participate in laughter and 
humorous activities. 
Laughter Yoga and laughing without any reason helps to cultivate this childlike 
playfulness. Once you learn to play, laughter is a natural outcome. When you 
learn to induce laughter in the body, the mind just falls in step. The physical 
model of laughter is easy to practice for most people - they are relieved not to 
feel the pressure to identify with the mental part of humor. 

3. How can you laugh when you’re not happy? 
We often hear people say, “How can I laugh when I have lots of problems in my 
life and am going through hard times and there is absolutely nothing to laugh 
about?” But, don’t worry – you can laugh even when you’re not happy. This is 
what we learn from Laughter Yoga experience. 

a) Fake it until you make it: There is an old saying, “If you are not happy, act like 
a happy person and you will become one.” There is great wisdom and science 
behind “acting out happiness”. Medical research shows that even if you pretend 
to laugh or act happy, your body produces happy chemicals. According to the 
principles of neuro linguistic programming (NLP), there is hardly any difference 
between thinking about doing something and actually doing it. 

Therefore, whatever may be the source of laughter; it leads to the same 
physiological changes occurring in the body. Many actors, all over the world, 
have experienced the effect of faking emotions. They often felt sick after enacting 
a sad and depressing role, which clearly indicates that if acting sad can make one 
sick; acting happy can make one healthy. We have a saying in Laughter Clubs: 

“We don’t laugh because we’re happy; we’re happy because we laugh” 

b) Difference between happiness and joy: Laughter Yoga makes a clear 
distinction between happiness and joy. Happiness is a conditional response 
subject to fulfillment of desires of the mind and is related to happenings in the 

14 



past and the future and hardly ever deals with the present. Do you remember 
how long you stayed happy after getting that diploma, car, job, or new house 
that you had worked so long for? The sad fact is that even if the conditions are 
fulfilled, happiness is often fleeting as it is quickly displaced by new conditions— 
the idea of forever-moving goalposts. 

In contrast, joy is unconditional commitment to be happy from within despite 
life’s problems. It can easily be triggered by joyful activities like laughing, dancing, 
singing and playing. It is purely a physical phenomenon while happiness is a 
concept of the mind. 

Even when you’re going hard times, you can definitely get involved in joyful 
activities and once you become joyful, your body will experience physiological 
and biochemical changes. It will release certain neurochemicals from your brain 
cells and make you feel good and once you feel good within, the perception of 
the outer world will change. Laughter Yoga is all about learning to be joyful and 
navigate happiness in a much better way. 

4. What is the source of laughter in children? 
It is true that children can laugh hundreds of times in day, while grownups laugh 
very little. Have you ever observed when children laugh? They laugh all the time 
while playing. Laughter is not about laughing. It is actually about cultivating 
childlike playfulness. Once you learn to play, you don’t have to laugh. Laughter 
will be the natural outcome of your playful inner child. In Laughter Yoga clubs 
we encourage people to be like children and cultivate childlike playful behavior 
through laughter exercises. This helps them to get over their inhibitions and 
shyness and loosen up. 

5. Can we actually learn to laugh? 
“I have been a serious person all my life. Can I learn to laugh now?” Some people 
believe that they cannot learn to laugh because it is a part of their personality 
and cannot be changed. Either you’re a serious person or a laughing person 
right from the beginning - this is actually not true. We were all laughing a lot 
as children, but as we grow up, we lose our laughter due to reasons like serious 
environment, insecurities, fears and discipline. 

The good news is that you can train your body and mind to laugh at will. It is very 
simple. Repetition is the mother of any skill. By repeating any bodily behavior 
over a period of time, the mind begins to generate a predictable response and it 
becomes a new habit. 

15 



With repetitive laughter exercises, the body starts reacting out of reflex before 
the conscious brain can rationalize and think. Throughout our lives, we are 
conditioned in both positive and negative ways. With Laughter Yoga, the brain 
develops new neuronal connections that produce happy chemistry in the body. 
These reactions can be triggered simply by laughter exercises, and doing certain 
actions of the body, which lead the mind to experience the emotion of joy - no 
matter what. 

What is Laughter Yoga 
1. Laughter Yoga is a unique concept where anyone can laugh for no reason 
without relying on humor, jokes or comedy. 
2. We initiate laughter as an exercise in a group but with eye contact and 
childlike playfulness, it soon turns into real and contagious laughter. 
3. The reason we call it Laughter Yoga is because it combines laughter 
exercises with yoga breathing. This brings more oxygen to the body and 
brain which makes one feel more energetic and healthy. 
4. The concept of Laughter Yoga is based on a scientific fact that the body 
cannot differentiate between fake and real laughter if done with willingness. 
One gets the same health benefits, whether laughter is real or simulated. 
5. It was started by a medical doctor Dr. Madan Kataria supported by his 
wife, Madhuri Kataria, a yoga teacher, from India with just five people in a 
Mumbai Park in 1995. There are thousands of Laughter Clubs in more than 
106 countries. 
Laughter Buddy 

We have developed a system of choosing partners called Laughter buddies. 
This helps in learning the above five points easily. You can practice important 
statements about Laughter Yoga by saying them back and forth to each 
other until you memorize it. 

In addition to social Laughter Clubs, Laughter Yoga is also practiced in 
companies and corporations, Fitness centers, Yoga studios, Centers for 
Seniors, Schools, Colleges, Universities, Physically and mentally challenged 
and Self-help cancer groups. 

16 



Three reasons why Laughter Yoga Three reasons why Laughter Yoga 
Many people ask why they should force themselves to laugh and what’s 
wrong in laughter coming naturally and spontaneously by watching funny 
movies, jokes and comedies. 

Here are 3 basic reasons why one must do Laughter Yoga to get maximum 
health benefits: 

1. Laughter should be sustained: In order to get scientifically proven 
health benefits of laughter, we need to laugh at least for 10 to 15 minutes; 
it should be sustained laughter. As natural laughter hardly lasts for 3-4 
seconds at a time, it is not sufficient to bring about physiological and 
psychological changes in our body. Since in Laughter Yoga laughter is 
done as an exercise, we can prolong our laughter as long as we want. It 
brings measurable physiological changes like increasing the oxygen level 
in the blood, muscle relaxation, blood circulation and release of certain 
hormones in the body. 
2. Laughter should be deep: To reap the health benefits of laughter, 
laughter has to be hearty and deep, coming from the diaphragm. It should 
be a belly laugh. It might not be socially acceptable to laugh loudly, but 
Laughter Yoga clubs provide a safe environment where one can laugh 
loudly and heartily without any social implication. 
3. Laughter should be unconditional: Natural laughter that courses 
through our life depends upon many reasons and conditions, but the fact 
is that there are not many reasons which make us laugh - This means we 
invariably leave laughter to a chance; it may happen, it may not. In contrast, 
in Laughter Yoga Clubs, laughter is unconditional and we laugh for no 
reason. We do not leave laughter to a chance, but do it out of commitment. 
This is a guaranteed way of getting the health benefits of laughter. 
17 



CHAPTER 4 

What happens in a Laughter Yoga Session 

Laughter Yoga sessions vary according to the group and its objectives. Sessions 
conducted in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, for seniors or in business offices 
might be quite different to Laughter Yoga sessions for the general public. 

There are three components of a complete experience of Laughter Yoga 

 
Laughter Yoga Session – 4 steps of Laughter Yoga 
Laughter Meditation 
Guided Relaxation 
Simple rules before Laughter Yoga: 

1. No talking, only laughing: This keeps us in the right brain to be more creative 
and avoids distracting and disrupting others. Just focus on the fun! 
2. No strain, no new pain: Take care of your body and modify anything necessary 
to be comfortable. This should feel good! Less force, more enjoyment. 
3. Only laugh with each other, never at each other: We’re here to be silly, 
playful and childlike without inhibitions. 
Part A 

4 Steps Of Laughter Yoga 

STEP 1 : Clapping and Warming-up exercises: We clap with our hands parallel 
to each other for full finger-to-finger and palm-to-palm contact. This stimulates 
acupressure points in our hands and increases energy levels. 

Then we add a rhythm to the clapping to further increase energy levels and 
group synchronicity, often a 1-2, 1-2-3 rhythm. 

Next, we add movement. There are many variations but mostly we move our 
hands up and down and swing them from side to side with corresponding 
movements of the legs and feet. By now everyone is already in a better mood 
and smiling. 

18 



Chanting and Moving: We add a simple chant to our clapping, which is ho-
ho-ha-ha-ha. These are heavy exhalations that come from the belly to stimulate 
diaphragmatic breathing. 

We move randomly, smiling and making eye contact with others in the group. 
Many add dance movements to this sequence which boosts feelings of happiness 
and joy. Enthusiastic clapping, chanting and movement helps build a positive 
energy, gets our diaphragm moving and creates a positive group dynamic, 
preparing us to laugh. 

Gibberish Talking: Gibberish is a language of sounds without meaning. 
Children speak gibberish when learning to speak and during play. We sometimes 
use gibberish as a warming up exercise to help loosen people up and reduce 
inhibitions and shyness. Some people find it easier if you tell them what to ‘talk’ 
about. Different emotions can be expressed including happiness, anger, sadness, 
romance and more. It is a playful exercise and helps cultivate childlike playfulness. 
Gibberish may be fast or at normal conversational speed and generally involves 
a focus on tone and hand and body movements to convey meaning. Silent 
gibberish is also fun and easier for some. 

STEP 2 : Deep Breathing Exercises 

Laughter exercises are interspersed with deep breathing exercises to help flush 
the lungs as well as bring physical and mental relaxation. 

A typical deep breathing exercise: 

From a relaxed standing position, bend forward at the waist to a point where 
you are comfortable (different for everyone) while exhaling through the mouth 

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to fully empty your lungs. Dangle your arms. Bending helps push the diaphragm 
up and empty your lungs. Hold briefly. 

Straighten up slowly while inhaling through your nose and take as deep a breath 
as possible. Raise your arms to the sky, stretching your body slightly backwards. 
Hold your breath for 4-5 seconds. 

Exhale slowly as you bring your arms down and bend forward. Try to exhale 
longer than you inhale in order to empty your lungs completely. Hold… then 
repeat. 

A variation is to hold your breath a little longer, then letting the air burst forth in 
hearty laughter. 

There is no necessity to do the breathing exercise after every laughter exercise. 
These exercises are designed to take a break so that you don’t get tired doing 
laughter exercises continuously. You can do a breathing exercise after two 
laughter exercises or you can make your judgment depending upon the energy 
levels of the group. If they seem more tired, do some more breathing exercises. 

STEP 3 : Childlike Playfulness 

An objective of Laughter Yoga is to cultivate your childlike playfulness that helps 
you to laugh without reason. We sometimes chant after an exercise: 

Very good (clap), very good (clap), yay (swinging arms up in a Y shape with 
thumbs up in childish exuberance and exhilaration). This chanting of ‘Very good, 
very good, yay’ in between laughter exercises and breathing exercises helps to 
keep the energy levels and builds up the enthusiasm. You can decide after how 
many exercises you should chant this. 

STEP 4 : Laughter exercises 

There are hundreds of laughter exercises being practiced in Laughter Yoga Clubs 
all over the world. You can find them in the appendices at the end of the manual. 
The most popular exercises are categorized as 40 Foundation Exercises, while 
other categories may be relevant for different applications, cultures, countries, 
age groups, situations and breathing and stretching techniques. Some exercises 
are also based on yoga. 

Closing Cheers 

Dr. Kataria has established the pattern of chanting the following three cheers at 
the end of the first section of a Laughter Yoga session. After each statement, the 
group is invited to throw their hands in the air and enthusiastically shout: “YES!” 

20 



Leader: We are the happiest people in the world! 
People: YES! 
Leader: We are the healthiest people in the world! 
People: YES! 
Leader: We are the (name of group) Laughter Club! 
People: YES! 


If the cheers are being done for a presentation and the participants are not 
members of a Laughter Club, the final statement can be something else, like “We 
are fabulous laughers!” 


Laughter Yoga Closing Ritual 

This goes in alignment with our mission statement of Laughter Yoga which 
is health, happiness and world peace. Place both hands in front of your chest 
with palms facing outwards. Move them while chanting ho ho ha ha 4 times in 
all 4 directions (up, down, left and right). Then join your palms together, bow 
your head as if doing namaste and say ha ha ha thrice. This symbolizes people 
from all over the world coming together through laughter. At the end put your 
hands upwards, move them in a circular motion and do Hearty laughter thrice 

– (first hearty laughter means: let everybody in this world be healthy; second 
one means: everyone in this world be happy and the third time it symbolizes: let 
there be peace in this world) 
Part B 

Laughter Meditation and Grounding Exercises 

What is Laughter Meditation 

While doing Laughter Yoga exercises we make an effort to laugh but following 
a group dynamic, laughter becomes spontaneous and effortless. It flows like 
a fountain. This is a state of Laughter Meditation. Here you don’t do laughter; 
you become laughter. It is a deeper experience of unconditional laughter; a kind 
of laughter in which tears start rolling down your cheeks and your sides start 
aching. Maybe you’ll find yourself rolling on the floor laughing. Still it is without 
any jokes, humor or comedy. 

Laughter Meditation is the purest kind of laughter and a very cathartic experience 
that opens up the layers of your subconscious mind and you will experience 

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laughter from your deep within. Many leaders are afraid of doing Laughter 
Meditation for fear that it might not work. If you learn the proper guidelines, 
the success rate is very high. Many people don’t want to use the word Laughter 
Meditation which sounds serious, so you can call it ‘Free’ laughter as they call it 
in Denmark. 

How Laughter Meditation works 

To get the deep experience of laughter without any humor there are certain 
factors which lead to this condition of Laughter Meditation: 

 
Eye contact 
Group dynamic 
• 
Silence - in between bouts of laughter; brief period of silence deepens 
laughter. 
Guidelines to achieve this meditative state of laughter 

Duration: Laughter Meditation should not be more than 20 minutes. Do it for 10 
minutes in a sitting position with eyes open, then take a short break of silence 
and breathing for five minutes followed by another 10 minutes of lying down 
with eyes closed. There is no hard and fast rule about the duration. If people 
are enjoying, you can extend it a bit more. Please watch out that no one laughs 
hysterically as it can bring on tiredness and stress. 

Ideal venue: Indoor venues are best suited for Laughter Meditation as there is 
least amount of distraction. Some leaders have also tried to do this in parks and 
beaches but have got only partial success. Therefore, while selecting the venue 
make sure it is comfortable, clean and peaceful. You can also use yoga mats and 
blankets on the ground. 

How to sit: People don’t need to sit in serious meditative posture. Ask them to 
relax and sit in a normal posture with eyes open so that they can see others 
laughing. They can also move their body naturally while laughing. Make them 
sit comfortably in an inward facing circle to facilitate eye contact. They should 
not be too spread out and make sure no one is blocking the view of other group 
members by sitting in the middle. Rearrange the group so that everyone can see 
each other. 

No talking, no distractions: The most important instruction is to make it very 
clear to all that nobody must talk or try to communicate in any way (no eye 

22 



messages, funny faces, and funny sounds) as this will engage the conscious 
mind. We need to release the conscious mind. Please ensure there is no outside 
distraction or noise which may disturb the group. Even children are not allowed 
for this session as they can be a distraction, so please request the parents to take 
the responsibility of taking them away. 

Role of Laughter Blasters: Through your experience in Laughter Yoga sessions 
you can easily come to know some people who laugh very easily. We call them 
laughter blasters. These people play an important role in helping others to laugh 
and infecting them with laughter. As a leader, while doing Laughter Meditation, 
you can position these laughter blasters to sit in a strategic position where 
people can see them easily and get infected with their laughter. 

How do we start Laughter Meditation? 

Begin with warming up exercise ho ho ha ha ha to stimulate the diaphragm. Then 
take a few long deep breaths and repeat. Alternatively, you can initiate Laughter 
Meditation by doing Gradient laughter. Soon it becomes infectious and sets off 
a chain reaction to infect other people. Laughter often comes in natural waves. 
The leader may allow laughter to reduce, and then use techniques to restart the 
laughter, sometimes in multiple cycles. The best way to stimulate laughter is to 
ask the group to observe silence for a while and then start again laughing slowly 
and gradually until it becomes spontaneous. 

23 



In case of new participants, explain to them that they may not get spontaneous 
laughter in the first round, or even in the first few sessions. Ask them to participate 
without expectations but with willingness and respect. If it doesn’t work for 
them, they should observe other people laughing and enjoy the group energy 
of laughter. At the most, they can keep chuckling gently. 

How to end Laughter Meditation?

 If the group gets into hysterical laughter, use a hypnotic kind of commentary 
to engage the conscious mind. Start giving instructions for guided relaxation. If 
someone can’t stop laughing, go up to that person, tap him gently and tell him 
to take it easy. Beware of saying words like ‘Relax’, ‘Take a deep breath’ or ‘Stop 
laughing’ … instead you can say, ‘It is ok to laugh, but we need to go the 
next step’… Before you start Laughter Meditation, you must inform the group if 
they laugh beyond a certain point their bodies will stop producing endorphins; 
instead it will produce distress hormones. It is like you can’t eat too much food 
even if it is healthy. 

It is not unusual for people to undergo strong cathartic moments during 
Laughter Meditation. This is very positive as it helps to release pent up emotions 
and emotional problems. Laughter may be interspersed with tears and even 
anger as the emotions surface and are released in a non-violent catharsis. 

What if Laughter Meditation doesn’t work? 

Due to some reasons the group might not get spontaneous laughter and they 
might not laugh as you would expect. There are many reasons for that. Either 
the group is inhibited or there are some cultural variations besides some outside 
factors. If you find yourself in a situation that it is not working, you can try the 
following: 

 
Take a short break of silence and ask people to close their eyes and focus on 
breathing. 
Do Gradient laughter many times until it becomes infectious. 
If nothing works, just keep doing different laughter exercises rather than feel 
embarrassed. 
Each laughter session is different even with the same group. Sometimes, if sitting 
on the floor doesn’t work, you can ask people to lie down and keep their eyes 
closed. Then start Gradient laughter. It might work because some people can 
laugh better while lying down with their eyes closed. You can also tell them to lie 
down on their back, hold their knees against the chest and try to laugh. This will 
help to push the diaphragm up and makes laughter flow easily. 

24 



Cluster Chair Arrangement 

Sometimes the group members can’t sit on the floor due to some physical 
limitations or the floor may not be appropriate to sit on. Laughter Meditation 
can also be done sitting on the chairs. You can ask the participants to arrange 
the chairs in a cluster and bring them as close as possible to facilitate the process 
of Laughter Meditation. 

Part C 

Grounding Techniques 

Laughter Yoga exercises stimulates the blood circulation and raises the blood 
pressure for a short duration before it comes below the base level. Our muscles 
contract during laughter session before they come back to relaxation mode. It 
works on the principle of muscle contraction before it goes into relaxation. 

Therefore, the real benefit of Laughter Yoga comes not during the stimulation 
phase, but after the session when we relax. Some people complain that although 
they laughed heartily during the session, especially during Laughter Meditation, 
they were left feeling emotionally unstable and ‘empty’ afterwards. Laughter is 
a powerful dynamic energy that can open your sub-conscious mind and release 
pent-up feelings and emotions. After intense Laughter Yoga sessions some 
people become sad and start crying while others experience bouts of anger, 
irritability and other negative emotions. For that reason, it is important to do 
grounding exercises after Laughter Yoga sessions to normalize our systems and 
allow relaxation. 

Here are some techniques that work well to ground the energy of laughter. 

1. Guided relaxation (Yoga Nidra) 
After Laughter Meditation, energy levels can be too high to return directly to 
normal. To reduce these levels the leader may talk the group through guided 
relaxation, also called ‘Yoga Nidra’, or yogic sleep. This refers to a specific guided 
meditation that originated from tantric yogic practices. Yoga Nidra produces 
a wakeful state of deep introversion and connection with us that is not only 
relaxing and rejuvenating, but also has the power to transform our core issues. 
Yoga Nidra is the most thorough and profound process to move us systematically 
through our entire being, including physical, energetic, mental, emotional, and 
spiritual layers. 

25 



This is followed by breath or energy awareness, then an experience of sensations 
and emotions, often paired together as polar opposites like feeling heavy and 
then feeling light. The final step is guided visualizations or a journey. The practice 
is completed by restating the intention, which, in this higher and more open 
state of mind, is planted in the fertile soil of our unconscious and subconscious 
layers, and has the potential to bring about positive change. 

2. Ho Ho Ha Ha Dancing 
Grounding dance is a spiritual method which uses the movement of the hands 
to direct the energy towards the ground making one feel emotionally stable and 
well grounded. Good music with strong drumbeats is helpful but not necessary. 

Participants should move their hands as if pushing forward the air, saying ho 
ho twice, then push their hands towards the ground, while bending the knees 
slightly saying ha ha twice, while moving around and dancing. This is performed 
more slowly with the ho ho and ha ha being whispered or silent. 

The emphasis here is on the dreamlike dancing and the grounding action of 
pushing hands down towards the ground with some slight flexing of the knees. 
Continue for at least 10 minutes. 

3. Humming 
With eyes closed, take a long breath in and hum it out, actually saying the word 
“Hummm...” with upper and lower lips just touching each other. Vibrations are 
felt throughout the facial muscles, sinuses and eventually into the head. This 
exercise is also beneficial for those with chronic sinusitis and nasal blockage 
because humming vibrations help to dislodge mucus and also increase blood 
circulation. 

Humming has a powerful impact on the autonomic nervous system and can 
activate the parasympathetic system that is responsible for relaxation. This 
exercise is most effective when done in a group. It is better to hum at the same 
time under the instructions of the leader. Humming together creates a unique 
resonance which is very calming. Different people have different breathing 
capacities; some people can hum longer than others. When leading group 
humming ask participants to hum for as long as they can then inhale and repeat. 
Ten minutes of humming is recommended for grounding. The ideal duration for 
humming should be 10 minutes 

26 



Four Elements of Joy 

Singing, Dancing, Playing and Laughing 

Many Laughter Clubs end their sessions with singing, dancing, and laughing. 
The core philosophy of Laughter Yoga is not seeking happiness from external 
sources, but cultivating it from within, which is called joy. External happiness is 
not certain, it is conditional. It depends upon getting what you want. But many 
a times you do not get everything that you want. Conversely, joy, which is called 
happiness from within, can be triggered by the simplest of physical activities, 
such as singing, dancing, playing and laughing. We call these the four elements 
of Joy. 

As children we had all these elements. But as we grow up, joy is lost to inhibition 
and self-consciousness that often limits participation in light hearted activities. 
A Laughter Club is an ideal platform that gives permission to become like a child 
again and bring those elements back, making singing, dancing, playing and 
laughing easier within a safe environment. Therefore, at the end of a laughter 
session, many Laughter Clubs have incorporated group singing and dancing. 
Members sing popular songs from films, cultural songs, jingles and nursery 
rhymes from their school days, and finally end up laughing. 

Singing is a mind-body activity that can be used to express emotion, influence 
thought, and bond human beings. Medical studies have shown that singing 
can reduce stress, lower heart rate and blood pressure, improve lung capacity, 
decrease pain, and elevate mood. 

People usually find it difficult to sing alone as they feel they are not good singers. 
Though it requires special talent to have a singing voice, it becomes easier to 
sing in a group - for example, singing the national anthem, devotional, or 
birthday songs. The same holds true for dancing. Most people hesitate to dance 
individually, but it becomes easier when we dance together during festivals, 
weddings, and any celebrations. 

Every Laughter Yoga session is a chance to celebrate being alive, being able to 
breathe, and allowing our inner child out to play. When we incorporate singing, 
dancing, playing, and laughing all together our joyfulness becomes multiplied. 

Note that it is not necessary to sing full songs and remember all the words. Most 
often, we sing only the first opening lines and this gets us laughing and running 
around like kids. You can get ideas for songs from the videos in your resource pack. 

27 



CHAPTER 5 

Contraindications in Laughter Yoga 

Laughter Yoga is like any other aerobic exercise and all the conditions apply as 
that of any other aerobic activity like swimming, jogging, running etc. Should 
you experience any pain, discomfort and breathlessness, you must discontinue 
Laughter Yoga and take medical advice. 

People with following conditions must take medical opinion before doing 
Laughter Yoga exercises: 

Hernia: Hernia is very common in elderly people and in those who have chronic 
cough and prostate enlargement. If you notice any swelling in the groin area 
while laughing or experience any pain, you must consult your doctor before 
doing laughter exercises regularly. Hernia normally needs surgical correction. 

Incontinence in women: This is most common in women. If there is involuntary 
passing of urine while laughing or coughing you must consult your doctor. This 
may be due to sagging of the uterus or weak ligaments. 

Bleeding hemorrhoids: Those suffering from bleeding from any part of the 
body must be very careful while doing laughter exercises. 

Heart problem with chest pain: If you experience any chest pain while doing 
any exercise you must consult your doctor. 

Pregnancy: Women with history of miscarriage and those in the last two months 
of pregnancy must take precaution and see the doctor before doing Laughter 
Yoga. 

Major surgeries: One must wait for at least three months after any surgery 
before resuming any strenuous exercises. 

Epilepsy: Those with a history of epileptic seizures must be careful as change in 
any emotional state can trigger an epileptic attack. Take expert opinion. 

Cold and flu: In case of severe attack of cold & flu, wait for some time as the virus 
might spread to other members. 

Severe backache: If someone has prolapsed inter-vertebral disc (slipped disc), 
one should not do laughter and other exercises, unless advised by their physician. 
Any forward and backward bending can aggravate the symptoms of slip disc. 

28 



Minor discomforts after doing Laughter Yoga 

1. Heaviness in the head or mild headache: Some people complain about 
heaviness in the head or mild to moderate headache after doing Laughter Yoga 
exercises. This is quite common, no cause of concern, and usually settles down 
on its own. But, if it continues it may be due to excessive force being applied 
during laughter exercises. Take it easy, and do the laughter exercises gently. Put 
more emphasis on feelings, breathing, and enjoying the exercises rather than 
applying force. 
Other possibilities of persistent headache after Laughter Yoga exercises are high 
blood pressure and chronic migraine headaches. People must get their blood 
pressure checked if they are on the borderline or have hypertension before doing 
Laughter Yoga exercises. We have had many people suffering from migraine 
headaches for years who have benefited from doing Laughter Yoga. As one of 
the reasons for precipitation of migraine attacks is stress and pent-up emotions, 
Laughter Yoga acts like an emotional release. 

2. Irritation in the throat and dry cough: Another common complaint is 
irritation in the throat or mild cough. This is also quite normal and people should 
be reassured and advised not to laugh too hard, and drink more water. As a 
leader, one must give instructions and laugh a bit louder to motivate the group. 
But if you are laughing too hard and screaming too much, it might damage your 
vocal cords if you do it for a long time. This can lead to permanent hoarseness 
in your voice, an occupational hazard! You must be mindful not to persistently 
misuse your voice. Speak and laugh from your diaphragm to project your voice, 
not from your throat and mouth. 
29 



CHAPTER 6 

Health Benefits of Laughter Yoga 

There is an ever increasing demand to open more and more Laughter Clubs in 
the world because people are inspired and motivated by the enormous health 
benefits derived from doing Laughter Yoga. These benefits can be felt from the 
very first session and members report amazing improvement in their physical 
health, as well as a more positive mental attitude and higher energy levels. The 
first thing they say is that they don’t fall sick very often. There are daily reports 
of partial or total cure of most stress-related illnesses like hypertension, heart 
disease, depression, asthma, arthritis, allergies, stiff muscles and more. 

Laughter Yoga for Wellness 

Laughter Yoga is a complete package for physical, mental, social and spiritual 
well-being of an individual. It has all the elements of perfect health building 
activity. Therefore, it is not about the concept or the philosophy which attracts 
them; it is about what they get and how it benefits their lives. 

Best cardio workout: As life has become more sedentary and stressful, people 
find it hard to stick to any exercise routine. Laughter Yoga is an ideal alternative 
as it can be compared to any aerobic exercise. Just 10 minutes of hearty laughter 
is equal to 30 minutes on the rowing machine. It is ideally suited for busy 
professionals and business people who have very little time to exercise. 

More oxygen: Oxygen is one of the primary catalyst for all metabolic reactions 
in the human body. Ongoing scientific studies show that lack of oxygen is the 
major cause of most diseases. Negative emotions constrict the supply of oxygen 
and induce shallow chest breathing. Laughter Yoga exercises facilitates longer 
exhalation and deep breathing through the diaphragm. This helps in flushing 
the lungs of stale residual air and increasing the net supply of oxygen. 

Increases blood circulation: Physical disease or mental problems restrict 
circulation and slow down the body system. Research has shown that laughter 
causes an ‘internal jogging’ that massages and increases circulation to flush 
the body and organs of waste products leaving us ready to operate at peak 
performance. 

Maintains emotional balance: It is comparatively easy to manage physical or 
mental stress, but very complex to handle emotional stress which arises due 
to problems at home or at work, faulty relationships and several other strained 
situations. Faced with such circumstances, people find it hard to express their 
feelings and emotions. As a result, they suppress their emotions. Laughter Yoga 

30 



helps free flow of emotions and releases pent up feelings. It defuses painful 
emotions like fear, anger and resentment; instead cultivates positive emotions 
like unconditional love, generosity, openness, compression and willingness to 
help and serve others. 

Laughter boosts Immune System 

Laughter Yoga strengthens the immune system and one does not fall sick easily. 
Our experience with regular Laughter Club members is that they don’t suffer from 
frequent cold and cough and upper respiratory tract infections. This indicates 
that their immune system has become stronger. Scientific studies show that it 
takes at least 2-3 months of regular laughter practice to bring about changes in 
the immune system. 

Depression 

Depression is the number one sickness in the world today. Depressed people 
seldom laugh; but if they do laugh regularly, they are less likely to be depressed. 
Laughter increases the levels of dopamine and serotonin in the brain cells. 
We have seen that many Laughter Club members were able to reduce antidepressant 
medication doing laughter exercises. In fact, some have completely 
stopped the medication. 

Laughter Yoga provides social support which helps to prevent depression, 
usually brought on by loneliness and isolation. It is like an extended family which 
connects people and creates lifelong relationships. 

31 



Anxiety and Panic Attacks 

When in a stressful emotional state or turmoil, breathing becomes faster, shallow 
and irregular. People hold their breath which leads to an accumulation of carbon 
dioxide in the blood. Laughter Yoga provides an excellent cardiac workout. It 
lowers the amount of residual air in the lungs, replacing it with oxygen-rich air 
and reducing the level of carbon dioxide in the lungs, thereby reducing the risk 
of pulmonary infection. 

By shifting the breathing pattern from shallow to deep diaphragmatic breathing, 
Laughter Yoga stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the 
cooling branch of the autonomic nervous system and the opposite of the 
sympathetic stress arousal system. This scientific phenomenon coupled with 
yogic breathing helps to loosen stress and relieve anxiety. 

Heart Disease and Hypertension 

Dr. Michael Miller, a leading heart researcher from Maryland University and 
Medical Center discovered that laughter dilates blood vessels promoting 
circulation and reducing blood pressure. Having too much cholesterol in the 
blood can lead to the hardening and narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis) 
in the major vascular systems. A daily dose of laughter reduces cholesterol, 
improves blood circulation to the heart thereby proving to be a great preventive 
to hypertension and heart disease. 

Laughter Yoga and Diabetes 

Diabetes like heart disease is a major health hazard worldwide. Laughter Yoga 
exercises help to control fasting and postprandial blood sugar as proved by 
scientific research done in Maribor University, Slovenia. It also reduces the stress 
hormone cortisol responsible for increase in sugar levels; in effect lowering the 
blood sugar and helping a diabetic patient. It even increases the blood flow to 
the pancreas, which improves the production of insulin. 

Bronchitis and Asthma 

People suffering from allergic bronchitis, asthma and smoker’s bronchitis (COPD) 
can benefit from laughter exercises. They have a lot of residual air in their lungs, 
which can be removed by laughter exercises, thereby increasing their oxygen 
levels and improving the breathing capacity. 

Laughter exercises also help to remove the thick mucus from the inner lining of 
the bronchi which improves the flow of air into the lungs. One of the common 
reasons why people get asthmatic attacks is due to infection. Laughter Yoga 

32 



strengthens the immune system and significantly brings down the frequency of 
asthmatic attacks. 

Laughter Yoga for Cancer patients 

Cancer is on the rise and has become the second major killer after heart attack 
and strokes. Cancer centers all over the world are incorporating Laughter Yoga 
exercises as a complementary therapy along with traditional forms of treatment. 
When someone has cancer, it causes tremendous emotional disturbance and 
mental stress. Laughter exercises quickly help to reduce the trauma and put 
their mind in a positive state, thus enabling them to cope with the disease in 
a better way. Since Laughter Yoga is a physical method, it is ideally suited for 
cancer groups who can practice laughter as a form of exercise with no need of 
any humorous intervention. 

Laughter Yoga increases the oxygen level in the body cells and rapidly increases 
immunoglobulin levels that help fight infection and increases the number 
of natural killer cells (NK cells) in the blood, which plays a key role in cancer 
prevention. It should be combined with other forms of treatment to provide 
cancer patients with an improved quality of life and the best possible chance of 
survival. 

Laughter Yoga for Chronic Illnesses 

There are many illnesses which have no cure and one has to take lifelong 
medication. Laughter Yoga exercises can help to reduce the symptoms of 
patients with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, diabetes, blood pressure, auto- 
immune disorders like multiple sclerosis and other chronic diseases. It also keeps 
their mind positive, effectively enabling them to manage their disease on a daily 
basis. 

Laughter Yoga and Pain 

There are two types of pain people experience in life. One is due to some physical 
illness and the other due to some emotional disturbance in the mind. Laughter 
Yoga exercises is a great remedy for release of emotions and lessening of pain as 
it releases endorphins or natural opiates that are more potent than equivalent 
amounts of morphine. 

It also helps in reducing physical pain in those suffering from arthritis, spondylitis 
and muscular spasms of the body. Most Laughter Club members, especially 
seniors, usually suffer from arthritic pain but it is seen that after doing laughter 
exercises, the intensity of pain decreases significantly. 

33 



 Five Benefits of Laughter Yoga Five Benefits of Laughter Yoga 
1. Elevates Mood 
Laughter Yoga can change your mood within minutes by releasing endorphins 
from your brain cells. This makes you feel good and if you are in a good mood 
you do everything well. It makes you cheerful all throughout the day. 

2. Health Benefits 
Laughter Yoga reduces stress and strengthens the immune system. If your 
immune system is strong you will not fall sick easily and if you have chronic 
health conditions, it will help to heal faster. 

3. Business Benefits 
Our brain needs 25 percent more oxygen for optimal functioning. Laughter 
exercises can increase net supply of oxygen to our body and brain which 
helps to improve efficiency and performance. You will feel energetic and can 
work more than you normally do without getting tired. 

4. Social Connector 
Quality of life depends upon quality of our friends and our relationships. 
Laughter is a great connector of people and brings lots of good friend with 
caring and sharing relationship. 

5. Laughing through Challenges 
Anyone can laugh when times are good, but Laughter Yoga teaches people 
to laugh unconditionally so that they can laugh even when times are hard. 
It provides strength in adversity, a coping mechanism to help people keep a 
positive mental attitude regardless of circumstances. 

34


CHAPTER 7 

Laughter Yoga for Business World 

When Dr. Kataria started the Laughter Yoga movement in 1995, he never meant 
business; it was purely a social movement and the objective was to bring good 
health joy and word peace through laughter. For several years Laughter Clubs 
were meant to be free and he went all over the world to teach people how to 
start these clubs. Since Laughter Clubs in India are run by volunteers who are 
seniors and retired, they have plenty of time to dedicate for social work. But, in 
the West, people are mindful of their time. Many people running Laughter Clubs 
have to also work for a living. Therefore, it becomes hard for them to dedicate 
time for social activities which are not financially rewarding. 

Now laughter movement has grown exponentially in over 100 countries and is 
no more restricted to social clubs. It has gone into different areas like companies 
and corporations fitness centre yoga studios schools, colleges, universities, 
prisons, blind schools and many others. Since many years, laughter professionals 
have been doing several laughter presentations with different companies and 
corporations around the world. Though, it was a success experientially, business 
people never really thought of implementing this idea on a daily basis to 
improve their business performance or work environment. What they needed 
was some evidence and research based documents to prove that Laughter Yoga 
is beneficial to business outcome. 

Scientific research shows that laughter can help to resolve many major workplace 
issues, but until now there has been no reliable and effective system to deliver 
laughter. Humor was the only tool available, and it is not reliable and seldom 
leads to continuous hearty laughter. Laughter Yoga is a breakthrough laughter 
delivery system that can enable a person to laugh continuously for 15 to 20 
minutes with short breaks of yogic breathing. 

With new research on laughter, the business world is beginning to consider 
laughter seriously as a tool to improve workplace performance. However, 
business people are cost conscious and analytical and may wait for further 
scientific evidence of Laughter Yoga methods to emerge before adopting it 
widely. Therefore, it was in 2006 in Bangalore, India that we did the first scientific 
study to confirm the benefits of Laughter Yoga in the business world. In 2007 
another study in the US validated the concept and proved that Laughter Yoga 
can definitely improve capability profiles among business people. 

35 



Laughter Yoga Research 

Two studies completed in 2007 may help convince the business world of the potential 
of Laughter Yoga for business. Both studies used a series of Laughter Yoga sessions 
(rather than funny movies or humor) to generate laughter in the workplace and 
measured stress and emotional variables before and after the course of the study. 

Bangalore Study 

In December 2006, Laughter Yoga International commissioned a scientific 
research project involving 200 IT professionals in Bangalore, India, to study the 
effects of Laughter Yoga on their stress levels. Seven Laughter Yoga sessions 
were administered to half the group over an 18 day period, with physiological, 
immunological and psychological tests performed on each person before and 
after the Laughter Yoga sessions. 

The study was undertaken by one of India’s leading scientific research 

organizations. 
The results of the Bangalore study were extremely positive. In the Laughter 
Yoga group there was a significant drop in heart rate, blood pressure dropped 
significantly, cortisol levels were significantly reduced, positive emotions 
increased by 17 percent and negative emotions dropped by 27 percent, 
perceived stress dropped significantly, and Alexithymia dropped by almost 9 
percent, indicating a significant improvement in emotional intelligence. 

A copy of the research document will be available on the resource pack CD. 

US Study (Beckman, Regier & Young) 

Another important 2007 study in the United States looked at the effects of 
Laughter Yoga on personal efficacy in the workplace. 

Self-efficacy is the belief in one’s ability to organize and carry out courses of 
action necessary to achieve a goal or manage a situation (Bandura, 1986). This 
personal belief influences the choices people make, the effort they put forth into 
working toward a goal, how long they persist when confronted with obstacles, 
and how they feel during the process of working toward goals. Self-efficacy 
beliefs affect performance in the workplace. Personal efficacy testing was done 
the week before, the week after, and 60-90 days after the series of daily Laughter 
Yoga sessions. Laughter Yoga was administered for 15 minutes a day for 14 days. 

The results show significant improvements of the Laughter Yoga group in all 
areas, with positive changes of 100 percent occurring in a number of areas. 
It is particularly interesting to note the long-lasting effects of the laughter 
interventions. 

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Concerns of the Business World 

To sell Laughter Yoga services to businesses, one must first identify and then 
address the client’s major concerns. During your initial discussions make a point 
of asking what their main concerns are and then focus your sales presentations 
and your Laughter Yoga sessions around helping to address those concerns. 

Business concerns that Laughter Yoga can address include: 

 Stress management 
Creating a happy, healthy and energetic workforce 
Peak performance 
Teambuilding 
Positive work environment of hope and optimism 
Motivation and enthusiasm 


 Increasing productivity 
Communication skills 
Leadership 
Innovation and creativity 
Learning skills 
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How Laughter Yoga improves Business and Performance 

By introducing Laughter Yoga sessions for all staff, companies have reported a 
happier workplace, increased efficiency, better communication, increase in sales 
and productivity, increased creativity and better teamwork, decrease in illness 
and absenteeism, and a reduction in employee turnover. 

Stress in the workplace: In this high pressure, high tension modern world 
stress levels are higher than ever before. Many people are facing an enormous 
amount of stress and burnouts in the workplace. Even highly talented and skilled 
people cannot perform well if they are emotionally imbalanced and stressed. 
There are many methods being used to reduce stress but Laughter Yoga is most 
cost effective, less time consuming and is a single exercise routine which reduces 
physical, mental and emotional stress simultaneously and brings an emotional 
balance. 

Stress in the workplace can be divided into three types: 

Physical Stress results from working beyond one’s physical capacity. Working 
continuously without sufficient rest or recharge makes one physically tired and 
exhausted. 

Mental Stress in the workplace stems largely from heavy workload with tight 
deadlines, from fear of losing one’s job or pushing too hard to fulfill basic needs. 
Competing with others or competing with yourself to improve your performance 
also leads to mental stress. 

Emotional Stress is deep-rooted and caused by bad relationships at home or at 
the workplace. Even highly talented and skilled employees cannot perform well 
if they are emotionally disturbed. Emotional problems at home reflect at work 
and vice versa. Emotional stress is more difficult to cope with (and to reduce) 
than physical and mental stress. 

One needs to deal with emotional stress at two levels: 

1. Develop skills to express emotions freely without fear: Laughter Yoga helps 
to develop emotional expression through physical playfulness and a playful 
mental attitude. While playing, you focus entirely on the play process and one’s 
personality takes a back seat. One is creative, dynamic and playful. Most people 
spend a lot of time and energy holding on to their masks and personalities. 
Physical playfulness helps to shed these masks and enables free expression of 
emotions without fear. 
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2. Increase one’s ability to release pent-up emotions: Suppressed emotions 
cause ongoing physical or mental pain and reduce physical and mental 
performance. Laughter Yoga provides a simple, painless and effective release 
mechanism to help rid the subconscious mind of pent-up emotions through 
catharsis during intense laughter. Such release helps to build performance and 
improves one’s emotional intelligence and communication skills. 
Peak Performance 

At a given time, performance depends upon mood and Laughter Yoga has the 
power to change the mood state within minutes by releasing neuro-peptides 
from the brain cells called endorphins. Science tells us that the brain needs 25 
percent more oxygen than other body organs. Laughter Yoga increases the net 
supply of oxygen which helps in optimal performance and boosts energy levels. 

Team Building 

“People who laugh together, work together” John Cleese, a renowned British 
comedian, once said during his visit to Mumbai that Laughter is a great connector 
of people. It breaks all hierarchies and is a force for democracy. Laughter Yoga is 
a powerful tool that can give you a highly motivated and energetic workforce 
for maximum productivity and profitability. It also develops a positive mental 
attitude, hope and optimism and increases communication skills to help in 
teambuilding. 

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Motivation and Communication 

For people working in front office and sales and marketing, Laughter Yoga helps 
to bring a smile on their face and generate good feelings within the body. This 
enhances their communication and motivational skills thus increasing their 
client base and customer satisfaction. 

Innovation and Creativity 

The essence of Laughter Yoga system is to cultivate childlike playfulness. This 
playfulness stimulates the right brain activity which is the seat of creativity. 
This helps to generate new ideas and new insights about workplace issues and 
problems. In this highly competitive market one needs constant innovation 
to stay ahead. Laughter Yoga will help people to become more creative and 
innovative. 

Increasing Attention Span in HR Trainings 

Human brain cannot concentrate for more than 90 minutes after which the 
attention span reduces. Even a 5-10 minute Laughter Yoga session can provide 
a great energy boost during long HR training sessions and conferences. It helps 
to increase the attention span, enhance learning skills, concentration powers 
and potential. 

Positive Work Environment 

Job dissatisfaction and hostile work environment compel people to change 
jobs more frequently thus affecting productivity and profitability. Laughter 
Yoga creates positive energy and improves communication between people. 
The Bangalore study also confirmed the increase in positive emotions and 
decrease in negative emotions, thereby developing an emotional intelligence. 
This helps to create a more constructive work environment and ensures loyalty 
and commitment. 

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Five Corporate Benefits of Laughter Yoga Five Corporate Benefits of Laughter Yoga 
1. Quickest way to reduce stress: Of the many ways to reduce stress, 
Laughter Yoga is the fastest and most cost effective because the benefits can 
be felt in even just a few minutes. It is a single exercise that simultaneously 
reduces physical, mental and emotional stress while improving emotional 
intelligence. This reduces stress-related illness and contributes to employee 
wellness and job satisfaction. 
2. Healthy exercise for busy people: According to several scientific studies, 
including research by Dr. William Fry of Stanford University, sustained hearty 
laughter exercises can be a powerful cardiovascular workout comparable 
to any other aerobic activity. Laughter Yoga helps to stimulate heart rate, 
increase blood circulation, supply oxygen to the brain and eliminate toxins. 
3. Peak Performance: There are two important factors that impact 
performance - mood state and oxygen supply. Laughter Yoga can change 
your mood state in minutes by releasing neuro-peptides called endorphins 
in the brain. Science tells us that the brain needs 25 percent more oxygen 
than other body organs even though the brain is only 2 percent of our 
body weight. Laughter Yoga increases the net supply of oxygen to improve 
efficiency and performance. 
4. Team Building: Laughter Yoga is a great team building exercise because 
it is a powerful tool that easily connects people with each other. Laughter 
yoga fosters a positive mental attitude, hope, optimism, and enhances 
team building. It makes people smile and feel good, enhancing motivation 
and communication within the team and with customers. So we say “People 
who laugh together work well together.” 
5. Innovation and Creativity: The childlike playfulness in Laughter 
Yoga stimulates right brain activity, the seat of creativity. Laughter Yoga 
helps people become more creative and innovative to stay ahead of the 
competition. 
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CHAPTER 8 

Laughter Yoga for Seniors 

There is a distinct rise in life expectancy due to advances in medical science, 
creating a much larger population of senior citizens who long to find emotional 
comfort and solace. As the joint family structure crumbles and youngsters steer 
away from parents, seniors, particularly in the West find themselves alone either 
in aged care facilities or old-age homes. They are prone to frequent bouts of 
depression that often leads to a debilitating condition. Faced with age and age 
related troubles, seniors find that their physical and mental faculties decrease. 

As far as laughter goes one finds that as we grow older our capacity to understand 
humor decreases because of Senile Dementia, Alzheimer’s and other diseases. 
The degeneration of the brain cells makes it difficult for many seniors to 
understand and organize facts, let alone humor. Simple tasks become difficult 
and frustration levels rise. 

Under such conditions, Laughter Yoga is ideal for seniors to reap the scientifically 
proven benefits of laughter to improve their health and well-being. It helps to 
provide an emotional bonding and is one of the most powerful tools against 
depression. 

Since humor is an intellectual phenomenon, seniors find it difficult to laugh 
without a reason. This is where Laughter Yoga enables them to laugh and start 
living a life full of joy once again. Being physically oriented process Laughter 
Yoga does not require any mental abilities thus helping the older people to 
comprehend humor without using their mental faculties. 

Benefits for Seniors 

Scientific studies have proven that Laughter Yoga increases the net supply of 
oxygen to our body cells giving a sense of well-being. According to Dr. Otto 
Warburg a Noble Laureate, his findings about the importance of oxygen confirms 
that the reason we fall sick frequently is because there is a lack of oxygen in the 
body cells. Laughter exercises and yoga breathing help to attain good health by 
increasing the supply of oxygen. It also helps to release special hormones from 
all brain cells called endorphins also known as feel good hormones. 

Guidelines for Laughter Yoga session with Seniors 

Most seniors are not aware of the fact that you can laugh without a reason. 
Sometimes they find it silly and can be put off. Hence, there is a need to explain 

42 



to them that the session is not about real laughter, jokes, humor or comedy. It is 
not an entertainment session, but laughter exercises based on scientific facts. It 
entails creating a connection with them, building a rapport by talking, listening 
and physical touch. Since they are lonesome they will appreciate your connection 
with them and will be more willing to participate and co-operate in the Laughter 
Yoga session. To achieve this, it is advised that the trainer reaches the session half 
an hour before the actual exercises begin. 

Older people are more fragile and melancholic because of health reasons. 
Therefore, you must find out about their health status or any medical conditions 
they are suffering from that might be contraindicative to take any physical 
exertion. 

Creating a Positive Environment 

We normally don’t use tools or humor in Laughter Yoga sessions but for seniors 
it is important to create a lively atmosphere with color, sight and humor props. 
This helps them to lighten up. Leaders should wear bright colors and avoid black, 
grey drab colors. Props like balloons and familiar music from yesteryears can 
create a happy environment. 

Normally in Laughter Yoga sessions we encourage people to move around and 
have eye contact with others. With seniors we often conduct sessions sitting 
in chairs. Position chairs in a tight circle so that people can see each other and 
connect with each other. This also prevents them falling and hurting themselves. 

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Introduction: Meet and Greet 

Allow plenty of time to go from person to person and introduce yourself getting 
to know their names and something about them. Seniors are generally hungry 
for company and will respond more easily if you make an effort to get to know 
them. 

Warming Up and Clapping 

Laughter Yoga sessions for seniors start with group singing as a form of exercise. 
Let them join hands and sway together while singing in a chorus. This warms up 
their lungs and helps build a loving and connecting atmosphere. 

Chanting 

Since most seniors are slow, we deviate from our regular ho ho ha ha ha ha chant 
to a much slower ho ho ha ha. Instead of 12-123, chant ho ho twice followed by 
ha ha or ‘ho ho way to go’. Chant ‘very good, very good, yay’ in between different 
laughter exercises. Do this as an exercise several times in the beginning to raise 
their energy levels. Clap as you say ‘very good very good’ and then raise your 
arms up in the sky with your thumbs up to say ‘yay’. Another affirmation we use 
with seniors is the positive chant of ‘I am incredible’…. ‘You are incredible’. 

Laughter exercises for Seniors 

Greeting Laughter: Make the seniors sit on chairs in a circle. The leader goes 
round the circle shaking hands and laughing with each and every person in the 
group. Make sure not to leave anybody in the circle while doing this. 

Argument Laughter: This is a very playful laughter exercise as people love 
pointing fingers at each other while having fun. 

Cell phone Laughteror Mobile Phone Laughter works well. 

Rollercoaster laughter: Bring the chairs closer and ask the senior participants 
to join hands and move them up and down with the sound of Aee… aeee..Tell 
them to laugh together while raising their hands jointly. 

Bicycle laughter: An excellent way to exercise lower limbs. Imagine holding the 
handle of a bicycle with both hands and move your legs as if you’re peddling and 
laughing. 

Laugh away your aches and pains: Since seniors usually suffer from aches and 
pains, this is a good whimsical exercise that gives a positive perspective. 

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Deep breathing: In between laughter exercises do some deep breathing. One 
of the creative ways of making seniors do it is to pick up a flower, take a long 
inhaling smell and a long ‘haaaa’ exhale. 

As the session progresses you will see positive feelings develop and happiness 
and joy a spread among group members. Their will to live and love is aroused. 
Their emotional and physical well being improves noticeably with regular 
Laughter Yoga sessions. 

Five Benefits of Laughter Yoga for Seniors 
1. Adds more laughter to life: With advancing age, older adults stop 
laughing due to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. As a physically oriented 
technique, Laughter Yoga is an ideal exercise to get many health benefits 
without using mental and cognitive abilities. 
2. Promotes physical health: Because of the wear and tear of old 
age, many seniors develop ailments like high blood pressure, diabetes, 
arthritis, and other age-related illnesses. Laughter Yoga facilitates healing 
by strengthening the immune system, improving blood circulation, and 
increasing oxygen to the body’s cells. It provides a powerful cardiovascular 
workout, especially for seniors unable to move their bodies for physical 
exercise. 
3. Improves mental health: Isolation, loneliness and depression are also 
common among older adults as they lose loved ones and their health. 
Laughter Yoga improves mental health by boosting neurotransmitters 
dopamine and serotonin. 
4. Building social bonds: Laughter Yoga encourages strong social bonding 
with friends, relatives, fellow residents at care facilities, as well as care givers 
and medical personnel. Retirees and able bodied older adults attending 
Laughter Clubs develop friendships that decrease loneliness and increase 
quality of life. Even people with dementia or others in assisted living facilities 
forge meaningful connections and communicate more. 
5. Laughter Yoga adds to longevity: Laughter Yoga gives the elders a 
reason and purpose to living fully every day. This simple and easy to do 
exercise routine is being practiced even by people in their 70s, 80s and 90s. 
As the population becomes increasingly older every day, Laughter Yoga is a 
tool for transformational aging and increased longevity. 
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CHAPTER 9 

Laughter Yoga For Children 

From time immemorial childhood has been a time for children to lead low-
stress lives full of personal exploration and group play. It is a time of joy and 
unconditional laughter, with many children laughing more than 300 times a day. 
Modern studies reveal that through this period of play we develop emotional 
intelligence, now recognized as being the single major factor in our long-term 
life and career success. 

Growing bodies require the intense physical exercise of play to learn motor skills, 
develop and cope with rapid growth. In play we develop emotional and social 
skills and learn how to cope with different situations – skills that determine and 
influence much of our future life. 

Children today are increasingly subjected to new and very different childhood 
realities. Play and physical activity is restricted, new stresses are imposed, adult 
behavior is demanded at very early ages, group play and child-to-child interaction 
is being replaced with electronic games and remote communication devices. 

Stresses faced by children 


Children whose natural energy is traditionally expressed in movement, 
laughter and play are being forced to sit still and concentrate for extended 
periods from an early age. 
Studies show a huge leap in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). 
Children with this disorder are extremely hyperactive and find it difficult to 
concentrate for even short periods. They act on impulse and often appear to 
have no sense of danger. 
Children faced with a competitive academic environment from early age are 
being pressured by their parents and teachers to attain excellent grades. 
Schoolwork results in several symptoms of stress and high social anxiety. 
The increase in broken homes and the consequent lack of emotional 
bonding and long-term relationships with parents or responsible adults combine 
to cause a host of emotional problems. 
Working parents and the reduction in family size leaves children alone for 
long stretches of time, rather than in healthy group play. 

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A general decrease in parenting skills deprives children of strong moral and 
emotional guidance and role models. 
Video games, television and the internet have taken over the free and 
interactive play. High tech communication skills have eroded the fun of laughing 
at simple things. 
Teenagers in particular are faced with demands of college and parents to 
perform and achieve goals that may be unrealistic. Not meeting these goals 
often leads to anxiety that is detrimental to physical and mental health, in some 
cases even resulting in suicidal tendencies. 
The Need for Laughter 

A desperate and increasing need for laughter and playfulness exists in children 
of all ages today. Laughter can help children to cope with stress and also 
replace some of the play and laughter time that they are losing to formalized 
educational systems and changes in lifestyle. Laughter Yoga can bring more 
laughter into children’s lives and therefore it should be promoted and integrated 
into educational systems. 

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Laughter Yoga is Fun, Easy and Economical 

Laughter Yoga is a very economical addition to any school or educational 
institution. Training costs are low and the major investment is time. Because 
Laughter Yoga is fun, it is normally welcomed and enjoyed by students and staff. 
No known downsides or negative side effects have been reported. 

Laughter Yoga introduced in school books 

With the growing popularity of Laughter Yoga, many school books have 
incorporated Laughter Yoga as a chapter. In India and South East Asia there is a 
full chapter on ‘Fundamentals of Laughter Yoga’ in Central Board of Secondary 
Education (CBSE) X standard course book. A Japanese high school book has 
introduced Laughter Yoga for the students, while Cambridge University language 
book also carries an article on Laughter Yoga. But, just the knowledge about 
Laughter Yoga is not enough for children, we are now creating a Laughter Yoga 
program which will soon be incorporated as a curriculum for school children. 

At the end of the manual, in the appendix, you can find different categories 
of laughter exercises, which may be suitable for school children. For example, 
children love all the exercises related to animals, having fun on the beach, 
birthday party theme etc. 

Techniques for Laughter Yoga session with Children 

For Young Children (Below 15) 

The best technique to laugh with young children is to play ‘follow the leader’. 
Children are very good imitators and love copying. Use this technique to make 
laughter a game. Ask the kids to mimic your actions and then create a one minute 
sequence of laughter, funny gestures, funny faces and funny sounds. Try to use 
laughter sounds for 60 to 70 percent of the sounds. Give them time to finish, 
then immediately start a new sequence. 

For Older Children (Above 15) 

For older children we normally use standard Laughter Yoga exercises, but be 
warned it can be hard work. As children reach adolescence, it becomes harder 
for them to simulate laughter. They are very self-conscious and less open to 
laugh without reason. Making teenagers laugh can be daunting and unnerving. 
It’s a challenge to cut them loose from their inhibitions and shyness, but it can 
be done. Remember that they’re just kids trying to set foot in the adult world, so 
be patient and work hard to establish a bond and an understanding which will 
bring them closer and help them express more freely. 

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Five Benefits of Laughter Yoga for College and 
University Students 
Five Benefits of Laughter Yoga for College and 
University Students 
1. Stress Release: Students in college students experience a higher 
academic workload than in high school and often take on large financial 
burdens for the first time. As they look to enter the workforce they also 
encounter greater competition than ever. Laughter Yoga exercises are the 
fastest way to release stress and anxiety. 
2. Emotional Intelligence: IQ often influences the ability to get a job, while 
emotional intelligence plays a big role in the ability to thrive at it. Laughter 
Yoga is a great tool for developing emotional intelligence in college students 
to create healthy social, academic and professional relationships. 
3. Develops Self-Confidence: Laughter Yoga helps overcome shyness 
and inhibitions, improves the ability to speak in public and develops self-
confidence. This will help them the children perform well in extracurricular 
activities. 
4. Preserving Creative Edge of Childhood: Laughter Yoga encourages us 
to be childlike and playful. For college students transitioning from youth to 
adulthood, Laughter Yoga is a reminder to take life less seriously and use 
the creativity naturally possessed in abundance as kids. 
5. Improves stamina for sports: Since Laughter Yoga is an exercise for your 
lungs that improves the breathing capacity, it builds stamina for sports and 
other physical activities. 
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CHAPTER 10 


How to lead a Laughter Yoga Session Effectively- 
Systems and Procedures 

Pre-session Guidelines 

Frequency: In India laughter sessions are held every day, while in the West it takes 
place just once a week or once in 15 days. From our experience, the benefits of 
Laughter Yoga are greatest when practiced every day. This is why Laughter Clubs 
members in India are getting the maximum health benefits. 

Venue: While selecting the venue for a laughter session, especially indoors, 
remember high roof venues are not suitable as there is a lot of echo and the 
energy of laughter gets lost due to large space. Another factor you should keep 
in your mind is the size of the group. Do not select big venues if you have a small 
group size, because it is better to be close to each other while doing laughter 
exercises. 

When doing a laughter session outdoors, e.g. in public parks, make sure they are 
away from residential buildings so as not to disturb other people. Even indoors 
Laughter Yoga can get noisy so ensure that the doors and windows are closed to 
minimize the noise levels. 

Group size: To run a Laughter Yoga session we need at least 5 to 15 people 
to make a good group dynamic. The more the merrier as it makes the laughter 
session more infectious, and becomes easy for people to laugh. As a leader, one 
has to spend little energy and effort to keep the group dynamics and energy 
going of a large group. But, when there are less people, the leader has to spend 
more effort and energy to keep up the group dynamic. 

Clothing: Wear loose clothing which does not restrict your abdominal 
movements. Avoid tight strings or belts above the navel area. 

Utilization of Space: Put posters/banners on the walls. If you use only a part 
of a large space, try and partition the area with a row of chairs. Also have chairs 
available for people who cannot sit comfortably on the ground. Make sure all 
people coming for the first time sign a liability release form and you have your 
proper insurance. 

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Session Guidelines 

Duration: 30 - 45 minutes 

Laughter Leader or Anchor Person: Laughter Yoga sessions are led by a laughter 
leader or teacher who controls the session, explains and gives commands to 
start and complete different exercises. The leader guides members to start and 
complete exercises together for improved group dynamic. 

Introduction: Briefly introduce yourself and Laugher Yoga. Explain 
contraindications and make sure people have signed the disclaimer. 

Caution the group: They have to clap, breathe and laugh which may lead to 
some strain. Tell them if in doubt, they should not do it. They can just watch or 
walk out if they lose control. 

How should people stand: While conducting a Laughter Yoga session, make 
sure people do not stand in a circle as they need to keep moving and have an eye 
contact with other group members. In a circle, people feel more self-conscious 
and try not to move much. This affects the quality of laughter as there is lack 
of interaction and eye contact. Therefore, ask the group to stand randomly and 
close to each other to help maintain the group dynamic. 

Less force more enjoyment: Most sessions focus on enjoyment rather than force 
when doing laughter exercises. So remember don’t strain or force out laughter. 

Childlike playfulness: We strive to cultivate childlike playfulness during 
Laughter Yoga exercises. 

Open your mouth a bit wider: While doing laughter exercises, ho ho ha ha 
clapping and chanting ask people to open their mouth a bit wider to experience 
the sounds of laughter and ho ho ha ha coming from the belly. This will help the 
diaphragm to move which in turn brings more relaxation. 

Remember the exercises: To run a successful laughter session, one needs to 
practice and remember at least 30 to 40 Laughter Yoga exercises. You can learn 
these from our 40 Foundation DVD. In case you can’t remember, keep a little 
card with the names of exercises in your pocket and refer to it while taking the 
session. 

Giving Commands 

The most important skill of a leader is to give commands for participants to start 
the exercise together and laugh at the same time. He has to constantly maintain 
the group dynamic and energy. This requires clear commands. Therefore, as a 

51 



leader, always embody good energy levels, be audible and clear. Remember 
powerful people have a powerful voice. How much people laugh will depend on 
your energy levels as they are copying you. 

How to end the exercise is equally important. Use clapping or other techniques 
like ho ho ha ha chant to stop the exercise. In case the group responds well to a 
particular exercise, you can allow them to continue a little longer. But, remember 
never to stop the exercise midway or prematurely. Stop it when you feel it is 
complete. 

Before starting any exercise, tell its name, explain how to do it and demonstrate. 

Every leader will develop a personal style. A command to start may be ONE.... 
TWO....THREE or ONE... TWO.... START... delivered slowly, loudly and building in 
volume. 

For deep breathing, participants must start together as the timing of inhalation, 
holding and expiration should be carefully controlled to remain within group 
limits but push these limits gently. The command may be: ‘Now we’ll take a 
deep breath.... Ready.... Start’. 

Demonstrate Stretching and New Exercises 

Practice giving instructions for stretching and other exercises. Especially with new 
participants, the leader should demonstrate an exercise to show the movement, 
speed and timing. Always keep them moving and you must also move so people 
follow your example. Clap dynamically (motion creates emotion). Swing from 
side to side, introduce easy dance movements and keep smiling. Move them 
around to avoid people sticking with friends or in one area throughout a session. 

Sometimes you can promote good sustained eye contact by dividing the group 
into two facing each other. This format is interactive and playful and works well 
for certain types of exercises. 

Pay compliments. Keep telling them how great they are --- ‘I Like It’, ‘You Are 
Great’, ‘Very Good’ etc. 

We generally do not instruct or correct members during sessions. This is not a 
martial art and people will not have negative side effects from finding their own 
style. 

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Be Creative 

Vary the exercises to control the pace: start slow, build up, slow down, build 
up, slow down and build up again. Having a theme like ‘At the airport’, ‘In 
the kitchen’, ‘In a hospital’ etc helps some people to visualize more easily and 
become caught up in the playfulness. 

Keep it fresh and try to change the exercises every session. Challenge 
participants to develop their own exercises but try them before the class 
begins, to decide whether to use them. It can be fun to hand the group over 
to participants sometime, but be careful. Some people may get out of hand 
or behave inappropriately. Ask ahead before the session what they plan to do. 
Interrupt and take over if you feel things going off course. Introduce dancing or 
singing. Laughter Yoga is about joy and dance and music can help build the joy. 

Other Factors 

Mind the time: A laughter session should start and end on time. Excessive 
laughter may create distress in some. 

Be mindful: If your group responds well to an exercise let it continue. When you 
believe it is time, stop it. 

Keep religion and politics away: Do not use religion or politics in any exercises 
or explanations. We are non-political, non-religious, non-parochial, and non-
judgmental. We love everyone equally. 

Conclusion 

Involve your members. Ask for feedback. What did they like best? What don’t 
they like? 

Invite active participation. You must actively work to develop a ‘core group’ of 
people who are willing to lead exercises and in the course of time, lead sessions 
so that you can take time off occasionally without canceling sessions. These 
people will also help and support you in special events. 

Successful leaders develop their core members to take over a club or session, 
and then start another. Some leaders in India have started dozens of clubs in 
this way. 

Keep the interest of the group in mind. If your group wants more exercises, 
longer or shorter sessions, sessions at another time, listen to them and discuss 
it with the group before making a decision. 

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CHAPTER 11 

Role of a Laughter Leader 

Leadership Qualities: A successful laughter session requires a skilled leader. 
Their main function is to explain, start and stop different exercises and to control 
and adjust the ‘pace’ of the session varying stretching and breathing with hearty 
laughter. The leader is an example to all and laughs more easily and infectiously 
than others. In addition, a good leader is one who leads people from behind helping 
them to become leaders. In order to have a good relationship with other co-leaders, 
never find faults, instead look for positive qualities and profusely appreciate them. 
In other words, do not correct people; connect with them. 

Motivate: The leader motivates others to drop their inhibitions and be more playful 
so that simulated laughter can change into genuine peals of hilarity using techniques 
including ‘motion creates emotion’. Be careful to interact with each person through 
eye contact and even physical proximity, especially those that require help getting 
into laughter. 

Promote Punctuality: Try to start on time and encourage your participants to be 
there. Punctuality is a sign of respect and getting to a session on time will reinforce 
their self-esteem. However, if most people are unusually late one day due to a traffic 
jam, accident, sports event, etc., then ask the others if they mind waiting ten minutes 
to start (you will end late) and play a game to occupy and amuse those who have 
arrived. 

Maintain Discipline: Try to keep control through a loving attitude rather than 
through forceful behavior. Avoid confrontation during a session. If a member gets 
out of hand talk to them privately after the session and ask them to modify their 
behavior as a mark of respect towards the group. 

Stay Current and Tune In: Laughter Yoga is evolving continuously worldwide. Try 
to keep up to date with improved techniques so you can deliver maximum benefit 
to your participants. Laughter Yoga International is constantly building ways to 
capture the latest developments and deliver these to all Laughter Yoga leaders 
and professionals through a new website that promotes networking and sharing. 
Please visit www.laughteryoga.org regularly and be sure to add your insights and 
experience so that all can benefit. 

How to become a better Leader 

The joy and benefits you receive through laughter are passed to others. Try to laugh 
often in laughter sessions, when socializing, with your family, or by yourself. Dr. 
Kataria has developed a system to make it easier and more effective to laugh alone. 

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Trust and do the best you can. You will not always succeed; you will not always 
achieve your objectives. If things don’t go your way, don’t become disappointed 
or gloomy. Be thankful for what you achieved and look at the positive side. 

Actively listen. Develop your empathy. When you listen to people, try to imagine 
how they feel, try to stand in their shoes. Take the time to hear people out. 

Devote 30 minutes a day to introspection/meditation/laughter/time spent in 
contemplative stillness/writing a journal/walking in creative silence/doing one 
thing perfectly and with full attention. Any of these activities will positively 
impact your life. Spend some time each week thinking about Laughter Yoga and 
your role, achievements and plans. 

Work smart. Learn to tap into the creative powers that are manifest in your group. 
Involve your members and be open/willing to change. 

Develop a core group of committed members and develop their skills in leading 
parts of the session until they can lead occasional sessions. Lead by inspiring 
them to do this good work. Make your club a team effort rather than a one-man 
show. Develop common or shared goals. Find people who are retired or have 
lifestyles that allow them to volunteer and devote time. 

Acknowledge people with good ideas. Good leaders recognize and praise others 
for their contribution. 

Practice Lion Laughter on a regular basis to develop your voice, and try to 
improve your skills in leading exercises. 

Practice opening your mouth a little wider. A wide open mouth brings laughter 
deeper from the abdomen. Laugh from your belly (not your throat). 

Be aware of your body language. Try to use full-arm movements and use your 
body to express yourself. 

Make eye contact with as many different participants as possible. This promotes 
laughter and tells you who may need more help. 

Be dynamic in your exercises with almost exaggerated movement. You are the 
role model -- swing your arms and upper body and move around. Bend your 
knees in rhythm and encourage group rhythm. 

Don’t talk too much. Laughter Yoga is about doing and experiencing. 

Walk the talk. Laughter Yoga is about developing joy, becoming more emotionally 
sensitive, developing feelings of caring and sharing, and improving your mental 
attitude. Develop these qualities in all aspects of your life. 

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CHAPTER 12 

How to Start a Laughter Club 

Laughter Clubs are a worldwide network of social clubs run by volunteers under the 
aegis of Laughter Yoga International based in Bangalore, India. People get together 
in groups in public 

places or indoor venues and practice Laughter Yoga exercises along with breathing 
and stretching exercises to reap the enormous health benefits. 

What’s Free? 

Laughter Yoga Clubs are social clubs that are free for all anywhere in the world. We 
do not charge any membership fee. However, members of the club should share 
expenses towards hiring of venue or equipment. 

What’s Fee Based? 

Outside of Laughter Clubs, any teaching, coaching and training conducted by 
laughter leaders or teachers for personal and business development are chargeable 
as per the skills and abilities. 

No Control on Laughter Clubs, No Posts, No Hierarchy 

All Laughter Clubs are individual entities and are free functioning units. They are 
not under control of any other organization of a group or an institution anywhere 
in the world. Although there are no rules and regulations but on behalf of Laughter 
Yoga International we do offer important guidelines for social Laughter Clubs. 

All Laughter clubs must follow three guidelines- 

1. Non- political 2. Non-religious 3. Not for profit, 
Laughter Club Registration 

The registration of Laughter Club is FREE. You can register your clubs Laughter Yoga 
International website www.laughteryoga.org. 

Starting a Laughter Club in India 

In India, most Laughter Clubs function on a daily basis and the members meet at 
public parks. If you want to start a Laughter Club, find a place in your locality where 
people can assemble early morning, after their regular walk. It can be a public park, 
an open ground or a beach. The chosen place should not be in the immediate vicinity 
of residential complexes so as to prevent any disturbance to others. Apart from 
social Laughter clubs, Laughter Yoga exercises can be combined with traditional 
yoga classes at the end of their sessions, as well as with any other health building 
activities like aerobics, gymnastics, dance and singing. 

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In Western Countries 

The concept of Laughter Clubs is slightly different in the West where club members like 
to meet for 1-2 hours every weekend or fortnightly. They laugh together for 30 minutes 
along with breathing and stretching exercises, followed by Laughter Meditation for 30 
minutes. Later, there are humor activities, fun games, brain storming on psychological 
and philosophical aspects of laughter and dancing with music. 

Training for Leaders 

You need to be trained as a laughter leader to start a Laughter Club. Laughter Yoga 
workshops and trainings are being done all over the world by qualified Laughter Yoga 
professionals. You can find the details on www.laughteryoga.org. 

Core Group: If you take the responsibility of running a social Laughter Club, it will too 
much of work and commitment. It is better to form a core group of 4- 5 like-minded 
people, who can lead the club by taking turns and also jointly promote different 
activities. 

Frequency and Timing: Daily meetings are best in terms of benefits for yourself and 
participants, but for many this will not be practical. Consider meeting once or twice a 
week, or even less frequently. The days of the week are also important. Weekends may 
be easier for many people (and for you if you work also). 

Venue: Finding a free or very cheap venue can be a challenge. During some seasons 
you may be able to meet outdoors, but rainy and the winter season would make it 
difficult. Even in a park you may require permits, so do your research. Church halls, 
community centers, scout halls, public libraries, museums, hospitals or clinics may 
provide free venues if you do not charge. Another option is to meet at someone’s 
home. If there are companies or organizations with an ideal space, ask them to donate 
the space in exchange for sponsorship promotion. They will generate goodwill among 
members. 

Make sure the venue matches your group size, that it has adequate ventilation, toilet 
facilities and heating if you have cold winters. Be careful not to disturb neighbors as 
Laughter Clubs can get very noisy. Is the floor suitable for sitting or lying down? Also, 
beware of very high ceilings as laughter energy could be dissipated and echo may be 
a problem. 

Try at all times to avoid costs or keep costs very low. Laughter Clubs need to be 
provided as a free service. If there are costs for venues and other necessities, these can 
be defrayed by making a small charge or asking for donations. You can also look for 
sponsors who will gain considerable goodwill from members of the club by helping 
to keep it free. 

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CHAPTER 13 

Laughter Yoga Alone 

As the Laughter Movement gained momentum, Dr. Kataria traveled to different 
parts of the world spreading the word of laughter and helping people to start their 
own clubs. There were times when he traveled almost six to seven months in a 
year, which finally took its toll and he became very stressed out. He started missing 
his moments with laughter. It was then he decided to do laughter exercises on his 
own. After trying a few exercises he continued experimenting different techniques 
every day. He felt great, and the result was similar to what he got from Laughter 
Clubs. Highly motivated, he started laughing alone for few minutes on a regular 
basis... That was the beginning of Laughter Yoga Alone. 

Laughing Alone confirms that Laughter Yoga not only heals when practiced in 
a group but also when practiced alone. This exercise regime which comprises 
laughter and breathing exercises is very beneficial to people looking for alternative 
methods to laugh daily and also for patients suffering from chronic ailments and 
for those unable to move and exercise. Especially, in the West where Laughter Clubs 
meet just once a week, this is an innovative way of practicing laughter exercises 
and reaping the same health benefits as from the Clubs. 

Many leaders and teachers tried Laughing Alone and the results were positive. 
People loved this new technique of Laughing Alone that helped release their 
feelings and maintain steady health. 

Willingness Factor 

It is very important to have the willingness to laugh. This factor sets a positive frame 
of mind and helps the person to open up and willingly do laughter exercises. While 
Laughing Alone, try to put feelings in your laughter which will enable you to fully 
express yourself and release suppressed emotions. 

Have a Self-Dialogue 

Do not judge the quality of your Laughter. Tell yourself it’s not about real or 
spontaneous laughter. You are laughing and playing like a child only as a form of 
an exercise, which has scientifically proven benefits and gives more oxygen to the 
body to remain healthy. Appreciate and give yourself a pat each time you laugh 
more and without a reason. 

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40-Day Formula 

If you continue to do Laughter Yoga Alone 40 days it will become a new habit. The 
brain develops new circuits and the act becomes a part of your unconscious mind. 

Laughter is all about Playfulness 

As laughter is all about cultivating childlike playfulness, it comes straight from the 
body and does not make use of any intellectual capacity of the brain. This clearly 
indicates that the source of laughter is within the body. Thereby, one can use it 
whenever necessary by moving the body at will. Even when alone, one can devise 
methods and exercises which help induce laughter in the body, which will soon 
be followed by the mind. 

Though Laughter Clubs are an ideal platform to cultivate this playfulness, one can 
also practice the exercises while alone. In effect, Laughing Alone is the easiest 
way to overcome psychological barriers and inhibitions. Once you learn to play, 
laughter is a natural outcome. 

Laughing Alone is a revolutionary technique that helps develop a positive 
conditioning of joy and bodily experience of laughter by doing laughter and 
breathing exercises over a period of time even without going to a Laughter Club. 
The brain develops new neuronal connections to produce happy neuropeptides 
and hormones in the body that can be triggered by the repetition of this physical 
action. 

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In NLP language, eliciting such a bodily reaction is called an “ANCHOR”. By 
performing a joyful anchor action with the body, the mind can experience the 
emotion of joy complete with the chemical reactions it triggers. Our body and 
mind can be trained to laugh at will. It’s like learning to ride a bicycle. Once learnt, 
you never forget it. 

Every Person is Different 

There is no one way of laughing. People can develop their own comfort zone with 
different sounds and gestures and different postures which facilitate Laughing 
Alone. As each person is different, it is important, that you create your own 
exercises and develop new ideas to discover what works best.More and more 
people are enjoying Laughing Alone. In fact, there has been quite a significant 
success in techniques that are playful, amusing and motivating. Once you start 
laughing and playing you become more creative. 

Guidelines 

Open your mouth wider and wear loose clothing: Don’t try to keep your 
jaws tight. Each time you do Laughter exercises; open your mouth a bit wider 
to enable laughter from the belly. If your mouth is tightly closed, laughter will 
come from the throat or the upper chest. Wear loose and comfortable clothes for 
breathing and laughter exercises. The trousers should be tied below the naval 
and should not obstruct the abdominal movements. Try and avoid tight belts 
that restrict belly movement. 

Duration and ideal time: Ideally one should spend 15 minutes each on yoga 
breathing and laughter exercises, with short breaks of relaxation. But you can 
begin with 10 minutes and gradually increase the duration. Laughter Yoga 
Alone should be ideally practiced the first thing in the morning as it will carry 
the cheerful mood and good feelings right through the day. If you don’t feel 
like laughing early in the morning, begin with some warming up and breathing 
exercises. This will help to charge the body and soon facilitate laughter. You can 
also do it at anytime of the day to boost your energy levels. 

Warming Up Exercises 

Before you start laughter exercises, you 
must do some warm up exercises like ho 
ho ha ha ha, gibberish talking and tongue 
swindling and very good very good yeah 
are few bodily expressions of joy which 
you can practice. These exercises will be a 


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lot more fun if you do them alone in front of a mirror. Do them gently in the 
beginning and gradually increase the intensity until you get comfortable with 
screaming with joy. You can change the pitch and tone of your voice to find your 
comfort levels. 

Five Laughter Exercises for Laughing Alone 

1. Fake It Until You Make It 
The slogan of all Laughter Clubs is, ‘Fake it until you make it’. This is based on a 
scientific fact that even if you are faking a particular emotion, the body cannot 
differentiate between real and make belief emotions. 

Try faking laughter by making different sounds of laughter ha haha; he hehehe; 
ho hoho.... and keep playing with these exercises. It is a kind of silliness. You will 
discover that you start laughing genuinely while hearing absurd sounds of your 
own laughter. 

Keep trying different ways of fake laughter sounds and you’ll find some of them 
affordable and amusing. Stick to them and practice it more and more.Initially 
fake laughter may seem awkward but with repeated practice your body will get 
conditioned and the moment you start faking laughter it will get into the real 
laughter mode very quickly. 

Voice Reinforcement Technique 

Sound of Laughter: As children, we shout and scream to express ourselves fully, 
but as adults we have learnt to control the pitch and tone of our voice. As a result, 
we are not able to express our feelings to the fullest. 

The freedom and expression of the voice affects the freedom of emotions in the 
mind and vice versa. This is the reason that everyone has a distinct sound of 
laughter which keeps on changing according to our state of mind and personality 
type. The way one laughs is a signature of one’s character. Since there is a two 
way link between the body and the mind, by opening up your voice and sound 
of laughter, you can bring about a change in your emotional expression. 

Keep the following points in mind while doing Laughter Yoga exercises: 

The purpose of laughter and breathing exercises is to prolong the exhalation 
in order to empty the lungs out completely. This will help to inhale deeply and 
get more oxygen flowing into your body. While doing laughter exercises, try to 
keep on laughing until you run out of breath. This will remove the residual air 
from the lungs. 

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While laughing alone, keep your chin up as it becomes much easier to laugh if 
you are looking upwards. It makes the respiratory tract straight and facilitates 
the flow of air. 

Spreading your arms out and looking upwards creates a happy body language. 
Because of the body mind link, this happy posture leads to release of happy 
chemicals in the brain. 

Voice Reinforcement Helps Bring Laughter Easily. 

You can try this technique in two ways: 

a) Take a long breath and start saying HaaaaHaaaaHaaaaHaaaaaHaaa five to 
seven times. Then try to laugh and keep laughing until you run out of breath. 
Keep in mind that the sound of HaaaaaHaaaaa and laughter should continue 
within the same breath so as to empty the lungs out completely. In the beginning 
it might feel a bit awkward but soon you’ll start getting bouts of real laughter. 

b) Use the vowel sounds Aeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee and prolong it while raising your 
arms over your head. Keep your chin up and laugh ha hahaha Repeat the same with 
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa......and Ooooooooooooooooo............ 
Do it five to six times and take a few deep breaths in between. 

Voice Reinforcement Techniques are best performed while standing but you can 
also do them lying down. Some people find it easier to laugh in this position, as 
bringing the knees towards the chest helps to expel the air easily. 

Childlike giggling is also a great way of doing Laughter Yoga exercises alone. 

2. Breath Holding Technique 
Take a long breath, raise your arms over your head and hold your breath while 
stretching the spine backwards. As you try to hold the breath a little longer, you will 
burst out laughing. It builds up pressure inside the lungs and facilitates laughter 
and gradually the brain develops new connections of combining breathing, 
stretching and holding the breath with laughter. It becomes a conditioned reflex. 
You can easily do it alone at home because it has been programmed into your 
body. 

Variation: Keep your eyes closed and take a long breath. Try to hold it as long 
as possible and hold the urge to laugh. In your anticipation of laughter, you 
will really burst out laughing. In the beginning do it deliberately or pretend to 
laugh but soon you will experience the real feelings and laughter will be more 
spontaneous. 

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3. One-Meter Laughter 
It is preferably done in a standing position 
but can also be done while sitting. Stand 
with your feet a little apart and take both 
your hands to the left. Then slide one 
arm over the other and stretch it to the 
opposite shoulder as in measuring one meter piece 
of fabric. There are three stages as you do this: First 
is when you touch the elbow while sliding, second is 
when you reach the opposite shoulder and the final position is when you stretch 
both your arms, push your chin up, open your mouth a bit wider and laugh heartily. 

This technique helps the movement of he diaphragm and allows laughter to flow 
easily straight from the belly. It has a cathartic effect you can release all pent up 
emotions and feelings and experience a sense of joy and freedom. 

4. Aloha Laughter 
Derived from the traditional Hawaiian 
greeting this exercise is very 
stimulating and provides for better 
circulation as the body movements 
facilitate an improved supply of blood 
to the brain. If practiced alone it also 
give you freedom of space to share 
moments of laughter all by yourself, 
thus giving you a feeling of well being and joy. 

It is ideally performed in the morning, right after you wake up, straight on the bed. 
Sit on your knees and place some cushions in front of you. Raise your arms, push 
up your chin and start saying a pronged Aloooooo in a crescendo. Then end it by 
saying a loud Haaa and laugh heartily. Go down as you do this and dig your head 
into the cushions---carry on laughing and don’t stop if you’re enjoying it. As you 
dig into the cushions you can also cover your head with your arms and continue to 
laugh. This helps in the flow of air and lots of people find it very stimulating. They 
even go hysterical and laugh longer to experience a total feeling of release. 

This can also be performed while standing. Just raise your arms, put up your chin 
and say Aloooo in a crescendo. End it with saying Haaaa and laughing out loud. 

This exercise should not be attempted by people suffering from positional vertigo 
as hey might feel giddy on bending down. Also remember to pad your bed well 
with cushions so that you don’t hurt yourself as you bend down. 


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5. Holding your Knees Laughter 
This exercise helps facilitate 
the upward movement of the 
diaphragm by pressing the 
abdominal muscles. It also helps to 
increase the blood flow to the brain 
thus improving the circulation. It 
involves simple steps of pulling in 
the knees and releasing them as 
you exhale and inhale. 

Lie on your back, hold your knees 
together with both your hands 
and slowly bring them closer to 
your chest. While doing this, push 
your chin upwards and keep your 
mouth a little open and exhale. 
This helps to straighten the 
respiratory tract and allows better and free flow of air. 

In the next step, release your knees and inhale while taking in deep breaths. 

How do we use this technique in Laughter Yoga Alone? 

As you bring your knees closer and push your chin upwards use the sound 
reinforcement technique of laughter. Say a prolonged Haaaaaaa in a crescendo 
and then start laughing. Take a few deep breaths in between bouts of laughter. 
While laughing you can either keep your eyes open or closed depending on 
whatever makes you more comfortable and helps you laugh easily. 

Application 

Laughter Yoga Alone is a great way of releasing stress and negative thoughts. It is 
a very useful technique to dissipate anger and helps focus on meditative activity. 
It also helps develop self -confidence as it reduces shyness and inhibitions.It 
helps to deal with minor irritations that come across our way in daily lives. Broken 
vending machines, traffic jams, rude teenagers, long queues in supermarket can 
cause major stress reactions. Learning to laugh alone helps to face these ‘free 
floating anxieties’ in a much positive way. 

It not only helps to communicate with others effectively but also creates a safe 
environment for others to connect with you and come closer. This goes a long 
way in achieving success in business, personal and social life. 

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Laughing Alone in the Bathroom 

The bathroom provides for privacy and safety. You can be as funny as you 
want to and have no fear of anyone watching. Regular laughing while having a 
shower gets programmed into the body. The moment you turn the tap on, you 
will start laughing automatically. This is the benefit of repeating any activity and 
combining physical behavior and with it. 

Walking and Laughing 

While walking alone, you can find a safe place and laugh at the top of your voice 
and experience the feel of freedom. 

Laughing in the Car 

Laughing Alone exercises can be very effectively used during trying times on the 
road with traffic snarl-up and other daily irritants. Instead of losing patience you 
can laugh away these situations and change your feelings. You can do the hoho 
ha ha exercise without any sound. It all depends upon your level of comfort as 
you might be aware of other people watching you laughing. You can also pick up 
your mobile phone and pretend to laugh for a few minutes. 

Laugh At Your Own Self - Ha Ha Mantra 

Laughing at your own self is not about degrading but is a gentle reminder that 
life is serious and we must take ourselves lightly in order to keep our spirits high. 
Instead of laughing you can just say haaaaahaaaaahaaaaa a few times and it will 
make you feel good. It will change your negative perspective of the situation. Try 
it in case you mess up something or drop food on your shirt or when something 
falls from your hands. 

Ha Ha Mantra for Free Floating Hostilities 

Our lives are flooded with innumerable situations that give rise to irritability 
and stress. We call them ‘free floating hostilities’ as they are freely available 
everywhere. These infuriating situations bring a big change in your temperament 
and attitude. The best substitute for these hostilities is Ha Ha Mantra. Every time 
you find such a situation you will remember doing haaaaaahaaaaaahaaaaaa.. 
and it will protect you from getting into a bad mood. 

Laughing with Household Chores 

You can laugh while doing repetitive household chores like washing dishes, 
mopping floor, vacuum cleaning, hanging clothes, cleaning windows and many 
others. This is not a loud laughter but a gentle giggle which will help to change 
your perspective towards mundane chores and will make them less daunting. 

65 



CHAPTER 14 

Skype Laughter Clubs 

What is Skype Laughter Club 

Do you want to add more laughter to your life but can’t find time to join a 
Laughter Club? No problem. Now, you can laugh from the comfort of your home 
or even on your cell phone. Skype laughter sessions are happening many times 
in a day suitable for different time zones. Just choose a convenient time and 
laugh several times in a day if you wish to. 

Skype Laughter Club is an online community of laughter lovers from all over the 
world who connect and practice Laughter Yoga on Skype for 15 – 20 minutes 
every day. 

On January 2009, Laughter Yoga professionals Ines Schwarz from Austria and 
Anu Saari from Finland created Skype Laughter Club and invited several laughter 
lovers from all over the world to join them and since then it has caught up 
globally. 

Why Skype Laughter Club 

The demand for Laughter Yoga has increased exponentially and we are getting 
inquiries from all over the world from people who wish to practice Laughter Yoga 
and get multiple benefits from it. At many places there are no Laughter Clubs, no 
laughter leaders or teachers and no laughter classes. So how does one practice 
their laughter exercises? Skype Laughter Club is the answer where you can do 
Laughter Yoga every day. 

You will get the benefits of laughter exercises only if you laugh every day for at 
least for 15 – 20 minutes. Laughter Clubs in the West happen only once in a week 
and that’s not good enough to reap the benefits. Therefore, Skype is a great way 
to practice laughter every day, especially for Laughter Yoga teachers and leaders. 

Laughter Yoga on Skype 

How to Join Skype Laughter Club 

What you need is a computer with Skype (it is free to download www.skype.com) 
internet connection, a headset or a microphone and speakers. Joining Skype 
Laughter Club is easy. 

Step 1 – Add “laughterclub” to your Skype contacts. We will accept your request 
and you are on. 

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Step 2 – Choose 
a convenient time 
according to your 
time zone and you 
will find a list of 

different laughter 
sessions on our 
website. 
Step 3 – Before 

starting a session, 
the coordinator of 
Skype Laughter Club 
sends out a message 
inviting the online 

contacts to join. If you wish to join the session please send a message saying “I 
am in… ho ho hahaha… Please call” or send a smiley sign. At the scheduled time 
you will get a call and you can join in. 

How long does a session last: Normally, Skype laughter session is for 15 minutes 
but if there are some latecomers the session is extended for another five minutes. 

What can you expect from a Skype Laughter session: It is a conference call 
where we just laugh for no reason and focus on laughter as a form of exercise. 
You can laugh gently, hear others laughing and wait for your laughter to become 
spontaneous. Even if it does not, just keep laughing in order to prolong your 
laughter. In between, you can take breaks and do deep breathing while you hear 
other people laugh. 

You can also have a look at the chat box and interact with people from different 
parts of the world and get to know each other. You can even write if there is any 
problem with the Skype call. Normally, we hear other people laugh on audio 
and do not encourage people to show up on video chat as it affects the quality 
of transmission and the Skype calls start breaking. However, at the end of the 
session if there are less than 10 people you can show up on video and say hello 
to each other. 

If your call drops during the session due to a connection error you can call again 
and join the group or send a chat message again saying “please call”. 

Important: During the session make sure that is no disturbance in the form of 
funny sounds and noises in the background. Let the laughter be pure laughter. 
Nevertheless, you can play with fun stuff, gibberish talking, animal sounds and 
anything playful. 

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CHAPTER 15 

World Laughter Day 

History 

World Laughter Day was created in 1998 by Dr. Madan Kataria, founder of the 
worldwide Laughter Yoga movement. The celebration of World Laughter Day is 
a positive manifestation for world peace and is intended to build up a global 
consciousness of brotherhood and friendship through laughter. Its popularity 
has grown exponentially with that of the Laughter Yoga movement now counting 
thousands of Laughter Clubs in more than 100 countries. 

The first World Laughter Day gathering took place in Mumbai, India, in 1998. 
Twelve thousand members from local and international Laughter Clubs joined 
together in a mega laughter session. 

“HAPPY-DEMIC” was the first World Laughter Day gathering outside India. It took 
place in the year 2000 in Copenhagen, Denmark where more than 10,000 people 
gathered at Town Hall Square. It was the largest ever gathering that laughed and 
bonded together and the event went into the Guinness Book of World records. 

Why World Laughter Day 

The main objective of Laughter Yoga is to promote world peace through 
laughter. Some people find this idea fanciful, but an understanding of the 
science of emotions and emotional contagion in particular shows how this might 
be achieved. The practice of Laughter Yoga causes the body to release certain 
‘Feel Good’ hormones into the bloodstream related to feelings of happiness, 
warmth, unconditional love, bonding, tolerance, forgiveness, generosity, and 
compassion. Let’s call this a joy cocktail. The presence of this ‘Joy Cocktail’ of 
hormones and neuro-peptides precludes the production of other hormones and 
neuro-peptides that correspond with hatred, fear, violence, jealousy, aggression 
and the emotions associated with war and oppression. 

By practicing Laughter Yoga in groups, the level of this Joy Cocktail is raised to 
high concentrations through the multiplier effect: people leaving Laughter Yoga 
sessions go forth and interact with many people who are in turn affected to 
varying degrees by this powerful emotional state of joy. They in turn ‘infect’ other 
people they come into contact with. You can experience this ‘chain reaction’ after 
your very first Laughter Yoga session. Not only will you cheer up your friends 
and family but you may also cheer up the bus driver and others on your bus, the 
people you work with, the staff at the shop and more. They in turn will cheer up 
others, and so on. By having tens of thousands of Laughter Clubs all over the 

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world, it will create a positive energy which will change the consciousness of the 
globe for the better. Actually, the formula for world peace is very simple – one 
person at a time multiplies it and spread it... 

Format 

The usual format of WLD celebration is the congregation of Laughter Club 
members, their families and friends at some important landmark in their city 
like big squares, public parks or auditoriums and laugh collectively. They pray for 
world peace and read out the message from Dr. Kataria. 

In India, Laughter Club members gather in public 
parks and take out a procession or a Peace march. 
They carry banners and placards such as 


“World Peace Through Laughter”, 
“The Whole World Is An Extended Family”, 
“Laugh & Make Others Laugh”, 
“Join Laughter Club – It’s FREE!” etc. 


During the march all chant “Ho, Ho, Ha, Ha, Ha” and “very good, very good, 
yeah!”clapping and dancing. After walking some distance, they stop to do a 
few Laughter Yoga exercises and then move on. At the end of the march, they 
assemble on a stage or platform where laughter leaders conduct a brief 10 min 
laughter session followed by reading of Dr. Kataria’s message for World Peace. 


This is followed by a variety entertainment program of music, dance and laughter 
contests. One can organize contests with prizes like: Best laughing man / woman 
/ child / senior, Horrible singing contest, etc. Winners are those with the most 
infectious, natural and effortless laughter for no reason. 



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CHAPTER 16 


Different types of Trainings at Laughter Yoga 
International University 


Since group laughter without reason is a new concept, one is required to 
understand the basic philosophy and learn different skills in order to conduct 
a successful laughter session. We need proficient laughter leaders who can lead 
a group of people through Laughter Yoga exercises along with yogic breathing 
and Laughter Meditation. To facilitate knowledge and skills, we have developed 
different types of trainings, seminars and workshops conducted by trained 
Laughter Yoga professionals. 

There are four levels of trainings: 

1. Basic Learning Course – This is a one day experiential workshop which 
can be offered by certified leaders, teachers and master trainers. This is not a 
certified program but participants will get basic knowledge about the concept 
and philosophy of Laughter Yoga. They will learn how it works and what benefits 
it brings to the body and mind. Participants will also experience a Laughter Yoga 
session and Laughter Yoga Meditation, plus how to get involved in different 
areas of application of Laughter Yoga. They will also learn how to laugh alone 
at home and get practical ideas about how to bring more laughter into daily 
life. This course can be taught by Certified Laughter Yoga leaders, teachers and 
master trainers. You can find the course agenda in Appendix 15. 
2. Two - Day Certified Laughter Yoga Leader Training (CLYL): This training 
is done by certified Laughter Yoga teachers for two days, at the end of which 
participants are certified as laughter leaders. 
What you will learn in this training: This is a basic training on how to lead a 
laughter session for social clubs, corporate organizations, seniors, school children 
and people with special needs. You will acquire the basic facilitation skills of how 
to lead a group of people through laughter session and meditation. You will 
also learn the history, concept, philosophy and different steps of Laughter Yoga 
and Laughter Meditation. During this course, you will also learn why we need 
to laugh more today, scientific research on laughter and its effects on human 
physiology and behavior, essential link between yoga and laughter and the multi 
health benefits of Laughter Yoga. 

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3. Five- Day Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher Training (CLYT): During the 
course, you will learn how to lead a group of people through simulated Laughter 
Yoga techniques and skills of converting this simulated laughter into real 
infectious and spontaneous laughter without using jokes, comedy or humor. 
You will be given an opportunity to lead a laughter session during practice 
sessions. You will also learn the powerful technique of real and deeper Laughter 
Meditation, where you do not have to make any effort to laugh and laughter 
flows like a fountain. You will be taught how to lead the people through guided 
relaxation and other grounding techniques. You will get the opportunity to 
watch video presentations 
This is a five- day intensive training course for laughter leaders conducted 
primarily by Dr. Kataria and some authorized laughter teachers or master trainers. 
At the end of the training, laughter leaders are certified as laughter teachers and 
have been given an in depth knowledge about leading Laughter Yoga in different 
areas of application along with promotion, marketing, PR and training skills. 

Who needs it: Anyone who is committed to spreading Laughter Yoga will benefit 
from this training. It will be of special interest to: 


Yoga and fitness teachers 
HR and management training professionals 
Health care professionals 
Teachers and sports coaches 
Psychologists and psychiatrists • Entertainment 
professionals 

 
Senior care workers 
Marriage and family therapists 
Life 
coaches and alternative therapists 
Sales managers 
Tourism professionals & 
tour guides 
4. Certified Laughter Yoga Master Trainer -This is the highest level of 
certification and you will be authorized to conduct five- day Certified Laughter 
Yoga Teacher trainings. Master Trainer courses are conducted only by Dr. Madan 
Kataria, the founder of Laughter Yoga and are offered by invitation only at his 
discretion depending on the knowledge, experience and skills of the Teacher. 
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CHAPTER 17 


Prozone Membership: Continued Education for 
Laughter Yoga Professionals 


After taking this training, you will be certified as a Laughter Yoga leader. Laughter 
Yoga is spreading exponentially all over the world and is constantly evolving. 
We have a special section on our website called Prozone, which is dedicated to 
update your knowledge and skills of Laughter Yoga methods on an ongoing 
basis. As a certified leader you will get six months free Prozone membership. We 
will receive your user name and password as soon as your teachers submit your 
names to our admin team. 

Highlights of Prozone membership 

Laughter Yoga Prozone is a premium membership program dedicated for 
continuing education for Laughter Yoga professionals. It is a way to stay current 
with new concepts and programs of Laughter Yoga which include laughter 
exercises, techniques, business tips, training tips and articles on scientific 
research. It is also a way to connect to news about Laughter Yoga Foundation 
and Laughter Yoga International University. Use your membership to maximize 
your potential in the growing new fields of Laughter Yoga’s different areas of 
application, such as social Laughter Clubs, seniors, schools, corporate, and 
special needs. In addition, you will receive a monthly newsletter from Dr. Kataria. 

Value added services 

We are enhancing several value added services for Prozone members. With 
the help of our designers at Laughter Yoga International University we offer 
complimentary design services for you in the following: 


Your business card 
General Basic Learning Course Flyer 
Training Flyer 
Corporate Flyer 
E-Flyer / E-Brochure 
You supply us with the text information and your professional photograph and 
we do the rest. Any artwork and design requested beyond this will be chargeable. 

Here are other subscription options: 

1 year USD 99 
2 years USD 170 
5 years USD 395 

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CHAPTER 18 


Promotional Seminars / Free Public Seminars 

To get more people involved in Laughter Yoga, whether it is a social Laughter 
Club, teaching, coaching, trainings or you want to develop business with 
Laughter Yoga, you need to do several promotional seminars, mostly free of 
cost. The objective is to make more and more people aware about the benefits 
of Laughter Yoga and give them an experiential session. Once they have gone 
through the experience, they will be motivated to get involved in different 
activities of Laughter Yoga. These public seminars will also be a great opportunity 
to invite media, which will further help to spread the message. 

Who should organize Public Events? 

If you organize the event you might have to incur heavy costs and there will be 
a lot of work. A better idea is to find a suitable sponsor, who will take away your 
burden of organization and promotion. There are many such social organizations 
like NGOs, Rotary Club, Lions Club, Cancer self-help groups who are always on 
the lookout for free speakers and will be willing to organize the entire seminar. 
You just need to deliver the seminar and promote yourself and your services. This 
is the most cost effective way of promoting Laughter Yoga. 

Guidelines in case you want to organize / promote your own event 

Promote your seminar with some low-cost flyers that you can put up in public 
places and possibly distribute to homes in the area. Try to put up notices in cafes, 
supermarkets, takeaways, pubs and other local places that many people visit. 
Check your local papers; many run free notices for community events if you 
place them in good time. 

Prepare a press release with basic details and send them to your local radio and 
TV stations, magazines and newspapers. Free publicity is a great way to get a 
crowd. Don’t neglect radio as it is generally an easy medium to get featured on. 
They might ask you to come in for an interview and also feature your seminar in 
repeated community announcements. 

Planning and Material 

Before you plan for a public event, make sure you have all the basic material 
required for free distribution - like the one page trifold flier and your business 
card, which should be professionally designed. You can find free templates in 
the Resources Pack. It will be great if you can make one banner and one or two 
standees, which can be displayed during your public seminar. 

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In addition to planning and scheduling your event, prepare and practice your 
presentation carefully. Keep it short. Get friends and family to listen. If you lose 
their attention, then go back and cut it shorter. Make sure you answer these 
questions: How did you become involved in Laughter Yoga? What is your story? 
What is Laughter Yoga? How does it work? Why is it ‘Yoga’? How did it start? What 
are the benefits? Who is this for? Are there contra-indications? Will it change my 
life? 

Try to get a few experienced Laughter Yoga professionals or participants to 
help you out at the event. They can help with tickets, seating and welcoming 
people. Keep them close during your presentation and session as they will help 
you spread the laughter. If you are lucky, they will include one or more ‘laughter 
blasters’. To boost your spirits and get over the anxiety of the presentation you 
may want to do a short laughter boosting session before show time. 

The Presentation 

Welcome people, introduce yourself and quickly outline the planned sequence 
of what will happen during the event. Ask them to take a moment to survey 
their body and mind as to how they feel right now, or use a short form for this. 
Call attention to their breathing, energy level, aches and pains, state of mind, 
enthusiasm for life and stress level. 

Try to show a few video clips about Laughter Yoga as this increases credibility. 
Talk about your personal experience, why and how you were drawn to laughter 
and what is has done for you. Quickly outline the history and benefits, and then 
talk about your new club. Keep it short. If your audience is not actively engaged, 

74 



try to incorporate a few simple laughter exercises to get their attention focused. 

Don’t sell. Inspire with your personal story and emotions. Speak from you heart. 
Allow your vulnerability to show, but be positive. Emotions are infectious, and 
if yours (and those of your team) are positive and demonstrate that you believe 
absolutely what you are saying, you will get a positive response. 

Start your Laughter Yoga session and build a strong energy, if possible moving 
into laughter meditation. After the laughter, have a quick question and answer 
session. Don’t let people become bored and start to leave. If there are complicated 
questions, reschedule them for personal discussion after the event. 

Now, tell them you have a question for them. Can they please take a moment to 
scan their body and mind to see how they are feeling, and compare these feeling 
with those before the laughter session. You will get some wonderful responses 
from the floor! 

Thank people for attending and invite them to follow through by coming to the 
club meetings and trying Laughter Yoga themselves. 

Seminar Timetable (60 – 90 minutes) 

Your seminar timetable may be something like this: 
Introduction, welcome and event schedule, personal body-mind scan - 5 minutes. 
Video presentation – 5-10 minutes. 
Your story, Laughter Yoga history, concept and benefits - 15 minutes. 
Laughter exercises - 20 minutes. 
Laughter meditation – 10 minutes. 
Q&A – 10 minutes. 


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CHAPTER 19 


Frequently asked questions by Laughter Yoga 
professionals 

While conducting Laughter Yoga sessions in a Laughter Club, trainings, seminars, 
workshops etc. you might face some awkward situations which may make you a 
bit nervous. Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions: 

1. How to deal if a group member gets injured, becomes ill or has mental 
health problems? 
Set an example for everyone else by staying calm. Pause the session and 
immediately pay attention to the sick or injured person. Notice their vital signs 

- breathing, pulse - but do not overcrowd that person. Offer water if they are 
conscious. Open windows if indoors. Pause to assess improvement. If trouble 
persists, call 911 (emergency phone in your country) or make other arrangements 
to get person to proper medical care. One person can leave with the person and 
the rest can resume the session, if it feels appropriate. In some cases, people may 
prefer to just have a group discussion. This is a reason why leaders should have 
insurance. 
2. How to handle disruptive group member? (Drunk, talks too much, 
inappropriate touching) 
Take this person to the side and make a personal request to stop the undesired 
behaviour. Suggest that any issue needing discussion can be addressed after the 
class. Do not confront this person in front of the rest of the group. Approach 
the conversation in a loving way. If the person continues disruptive behaviour, 
take the person aside again and tell them they have to behave or leave. If the 
behaviour was really severe in the beginning you can skip directly to telling 
them to leave. 

3. What to do in case club/class location is unexpectedly unavailable at the 
last minute? 
Find nearby alternate location - roof or basement of building, park or terrace, 
any open space. If you receive a little advance notice from the venue of the class, 
send an email to current group members to cancel or give alternate location. 

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4. How to handle complaints from nearby offices or groups when club is too 
noisy? 
Close main doors and windows to reduce noise. Ask members to laugh more 
quietly. This is a lesson to consider when evaluating possible locations for clubs 
to hopefully avoid this problem in advance. 

5. What to do if someone attends a training and later asks for a refund? 
This is why your registration form should have a cancellation and refund policy 
in the terms and conditions addressed in advance. Stick to your policy and try to 
address whatever they were not happy with to make it more satisfactory so they 
withdraw their request for a refund. But if you are threatened with bad publicity, 
a lawsuit, or in any other way, you may consider if returning the money may be 
a simpler and easier way to be done with the situation to maintain your peace 
of mind. 

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Appendix 1 

The Importance of Oxygen 

Extracts from scholars on the importance of oxygen 

“Deep breathing techniques increase oxygen to the cells and are the most important 
factors in living a disease-free and energetic life. When cells get enough oxygen, 
cancer will not and cannot occur.” 

– Dr. Otto Warburg, President, Institute of Cell Physiology, Nobel Prize Winner (Dr. 
Warburg is the only person to ever win the Nobel Prize for Medicine twice and 
was nominated for a third). 
“Breathing correctly is the key to better fitness, muscle strength, stamina and athletic 
endurance.”

 - Dr. Michael Yessis, Ph. D. President Sports Training Institute, Fitness Writer – 
Muscle and Fitness Magazine. 
“Oxygenation through deep breathing boosts the immune system and can rid the 
body of chronic illnesses.” 

- Dr. Sheldon Hendler, MD, Medical Researcher Cell Oxygenation, author ‘The 
Oxygen Breakthrough’. 
“All body functions are breathing-related. Proper oxygen delivery to all parts of 
your body is crucial to health and wellbeing. Aerobic exercise increases the body’s 
available oxygen and therefore promotes wellness. Delivering oxygen to the body 
is the responsibility of the respiratory system. Breathing is the process by which air 
enters the bloodstream via the lungs. Thus proper breathing and correcting common 
breathing disorders is the ultimate form of aerobics.” 

- Dr. Robert Fried, Breath Connection, Insight Books, 1990, p. 52. 
“Oxygen tension in tissues enhances the action of some antibiotics — notably 
amino-glycosides — and the immune system and stimulates cellular metabolism.” – 
Linda Collison, Hyperbarics: When Pressuring Patients Helps, Health Index. 

“Deep diaphragmatic breathing stimulates the cleansing of the lymph system by 
creating a vacuum effect which pulls the lymph through the bloodstream. This 
increases the rate of toxic elimination by as much as 15 times the normal rate.” 

– Dr. J.W. Shields, MD, Lymph, Lymph Glands, and Homeostasis. Lymphology, 
v25, n4, Dec. 1992, p. 147. 
“Oxygen plays a pivotal role in the proper functioning of the immune system. We can 
look at oxygen deficiency as the single greatest cause of all diseases.” 

– Stephen Levine, a respected molecular biologist and geneticist, and Dr. Paris M. 
Kidd, Ph.D., Antioxidant Adaptation. 
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Appendix 2 

Laughter Yoga Best Practices 

Certified Laughter Yoga professionals agree that they shall: 

I. Promote and practice Laughter Yoga according to the principles and practices 
declared by Laughter Yoga International and Laughter Yoga University. 
2. Have a sincere commitment to provide Laughter Yoga services of the highest 
quality to those who seek their service. 
3. Acknowledge the confidential nature of all professional relationships and 
respect them accordingly. 
4. Strive for professional excellence through regular assessment of personal 
strengths, limitations and effectiveness. 
5. Any prospective participant with a medical condition which might make 
participation difficult will be advised to consult with their healthcare professional 
prior to participation. 
6. Present themselves and the work they do with professional integrity and 
honesty. 
7. Always develop their relationship with clients and participants in the best 
interest of the client or participant. 
8. Ensure that all persons’ basic rights are upheld at all times. 
9. Conduct themselves in their professional lives in a manner that will enhance 
the status of Laughter Yoga and Laughter Yoga professionals as a group. 
10. Strive to keep international headquarters updated with the details on 
themselves, their Laughter Clubs and Laughter Yoga services and activities. 
11. Maintain the Laughter Club format as a free community service, which is 
offered not for personal profit. A donation may be requested to cover actual 
costs that are incurred, such as room rental or liability insurance. 
12. When non-Laughter Yoga ideas and practices are incorporated into a service 
that is described as Laughter Yoga, such ideas and practices will be clearly 
described as being different from and not part of Laughter Yoga. 
13. Maintain Laughter Yoga as inclusive for all, and refrain from exclusive 
affiliations with religious, political, racial or other divisive groups. 
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14. Work to achieve the goals of Laughter Yoga as a means to world peace. 
15. Comply with the rules and regulations of the country where the program 
is presented, including Liability, Insurance, required Permits, etc. Refer to the 
approved Liability Release Form in the Training Manual, which can also be 
obtained from the Laughter Yoga international headquarters. 
16. Agree that the copyright, trademark and service mark for the term “Laughter 
Yoga”, in English and in translation, is the property of Laughter Yoga International 
Foundation, and Laughter Yoga University. Certification grants permission to 
use the term “Laughter Yoga” in the name of workshops, retreats, seminars and 
classes; however, the term “Laughter Yoga” may only be used in the name of a 
business or internet domain if the applicant first receives permission to do so in 
writing from Laughter Yoga international headquarters. 
In the event of a clear and serious break from adhering to these practices, a 
party may be contacted by an authorized representative of Laughter Yoga 
international headquarters. Failure to return to harmonious cooperation may 
result in disciplinary action, even loss of status as a Laughter Yoga professional. 

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Appendix 3 

40 Foundation Exercises 

1.Greeting Laughter : Namaste Laughter – Since Laughter Yoga started from 
India, the first laughter exercise is to greet each other by joining both the hands 
and looking into the eyes and laughing. Handshake Laughter: Alternatively, 
one can shake hands with different group members and laugh as in the western 
way of greeting. We can also combine Namaste with handshake laughter. 

2. Milkshake Laughter: Hold two imaginary glasses of milk. Pour one into the 
other saying, “Aeee...”, pour the second into the first, saying (a little higher) “Aeeee 
…”; then pretend to drink saying “Aah-ha-ha-ha-ha!”. Variations: 1. If you don’t 
like milk, just pretend to mix it and throw it behind you or onto the ground in 
front of you. 
3. Cell Phone Laughter: Imaginary cell phones “rings,” put it to your ear and 
laugh as though you heard the funniest joke ever. Move around and share with 
others, laughing. You can also pretend to hold two imaginary phones in both 
your hands laughing alternately on each one. 
4. Credit Card Bill Laughter: Hold an imaginary bill in your open hand (palms 
facing towards you) and laugh at what you see and show it to others. 
5. Just Laughing: Imagine someone is asking you why you’re laughing and you 
don’t know. Put your palms up, shrug your shoulders and pretend as if saying, “I 
don’t know why I am laughing; I’m just laughing. 
6. Argument Laughter: Laugh by pointing and wagging index fingers at each 
other as if you are arguing and laughing at the same time. Variation: This 
laughter can also be done between two groups facing each other and laughing 
competitively, while pretending to argue. 
7. One Meter Laughter: In this exercise we pretend to measure imaginary one 
meter of fabric. Left arm out to the right hand sliding over arm like shooting bow 
and arrow. Right hand slides over in three jerks, chanting “Aeeeh!” until both arms 
open outstretched. Tilt head up and belly laugh. This cycle is repeated twice. 
8. Lion Laughter: This particular laughter has been derived from a Yogic posture 
known as Simha Mudra (lion posture). Stick your tongue out fully, while keeping 
your mouth wide open. Stretch both your hands like the paws of a lion, roar 
loudly and laugh from the belly. 
9. Gradient Laughter: This laughter is practiced at the end of the session. The 
members are asked to come closer to the leader. Starts with a gentle giggle and 
then slowly and gradually increase the intensity of laughter and then burst into 
hearty laughter for about a minute. 
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10. Hot Soup Laughter: Stick out your tongue, shake your wrists up and down 
and wave the heat off your tongue as if you have just had very hot and spicy 
soup. Keep laughing as you do this. 
11. Hearty Laughter: One laughs by throwing their arms up and laughing 
heartily. One should not keep the arms stretched upwards all the time during a 
hearty laugh; instead keep them up for a while, then bring them down and raise 
them again. 
12. Swinging Laughter (aka Arm Swinging): Stand in a wide circle holding 
hands. On instruction from the laughter leader, move forward towards the 
center by mimicking prolonged vowel sound of Ae... Ae... Aeeeee..... After a bout 
of laughter, move back to their original position. Second time, move forward by 
saying Eeee. Similarly, the third and fourth time make the sounds of Eh... Eh... E.... 
and Oh... Oh... O... Variation (a) - For a large group, come forward as a big cluster 
of people not holding hands, raising the free arms to the sky. (b) - Use vowel 
sounds from other languages. 
13. Appreciation Laughter: This is a value-based laughter where the leader 
reminds the participants of how important it is to appreciate others. In this 
exercise, the tip of the index finger is joined with the tip of the thumb, making 
a small circle, while the hand is moved forwards and backwards, looking at 
different members and laughing in a gentle manner, as if you are appreciating 
your fellow beings in the group. It is followed by ho ho ha ha ha chanting along 
with clapping. Variation: put both hands in a thumbs up position and look at 
others as if appreciating and laughing. 
14. Forgiveness / Apology Laughter: Indian way – Cross your arms and hold 
your ear lobes with index finger and thumb. Bend at the knee, bow down and 
laugh. Western way – spread both your arms out as if saying sorry and laugh. 
15. Laugh At Your Own Self: Point one finger towards your heart and laugh. 
Move around and look at other people as if you are laughing at yourself. This is 
the best ego busting exercise. 
16. Electric Shock Laughter: Reach as if to shake hands and pretend that you’ve 
got an electrostatic shock from the other person’s hand. Laugh at the surprise! 
17. Silent Laughter: Laugh very quietly as if someone is sleeping in the adjoining 
room, so as to not wake them up. Open your mouth wide open, and look at each 
other while laughing without sound. 
18. Guru Laughter: This is a value based exercise which conveys that one can 
learn from one’s own mistakes as well as from the mistakes of others. Place one 
hand on your head saying, ‘I learn from my mistakes ha ha ha’. Then put the other 
82 



hand on your head and say, ‘I learn from others’ mistakes ha ha ha ’. By placing 
both hands on your head keep laughing and moving and meeting other group 
members 

19. Aloha Laughter: This comes from the Hawaiian greeting called Aloha. 
Inhale while raising your arms towards the sky saying prolonged “Alooooooo” to 
end of breath, and then bend down saying “haaaaaaa” while bringing your arms 
down and laugh. 
20. Laughter Cream: Pretend to squeeze a tube of cream into your hands (or 
scoop it out of a jar), then apply (to self and to others) and laugh. 
21. High Five Laughter - Walk around and give High Fives to each other (slap 
palm of your hand to palm of other people’s hands). Can do with both hands for 
High Ten. Can also try to connect and miss. 
22. Wi-Fi Laughter - Place both index fingers pointed up from head like antenna 
trying to get Wi-Fi signal. Walk around laughing. 
23. Mental Floss Laughter: Move your hands sideways on either side of your 
head as if you were flossing your brain and laugh. 
24. No Money Laughter: (precedes “Jackpot Laughter”) Pull your pockets 
inside out and laugh with palms up pretending to have no money. 
25. Jackpot Laughter (follows “No Money Laughter”): Imagine you have won a 
lottery. Start jumping and laughing as if you have become rich. 
26. Magic Laughter: Hold up both index fingers. Move them together and apart 
three times saying “Aaaay” and on the third time turn one hand into the peace 
sign while laughing. Do a second time to create two peace signs. Do a third time 
and put up four fingers on both hands. 
27. Waxing Laughter: Pretend to apply wax on your forearms thrice and the 
fourth time pull it out as if removing hair from your arms. You can do the same 
on your legs and laugh. 
28. Laughter Center: Point a finger to your head as if trying to find the brain’s 
“Laughter Center” (could be anywhere: temple, crown, occipital ridge in back). 
Variation: “Find the Laugh” – point to various body parts, questioning “Where 
is it?” 
29. Crowded Elevator Laughter: Pretend you’re in an elevator, which is 
overcrowded. Stand close together shoulder to shoulder making different 
laughter sounds. 
30: Motorboat / Lawnmower Laughter: Bend a bit with both hands close and 
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pull as if trying to start a motorboat / lawnmower engine. First time say “ha” a 
bit shorter, next time prolong the haaa a little bit and third time still longer and 
finally burst into laughter as if the engine has started. 

31. Laughing at Aches & Pains: Point to any part of your body that is hurting 
and uncomfortable (e.g. knee pain, backache, tummy ache, shoulder pain, neck 
pain and headache) and laugh your pain away. 
32. Airport & Flight Laughter: Laugh at the following situations faced during 
flight: 
AIRPORT: 1. Pretend you’re late and run around with bags. 2. Get Boarding Card. 

3. Wave goodbye to your bags, disappearing on the conveyor belt. 4. Board the 
airplane. 
FLIGHT: Demonstrate: 1. Show emergency exits (in front; behind; two sides). 2. 
How to operate the seatbelt. 3. Pull down oxygen mask; put on self, then another. 

4. How to inflate life jacket (blowing into it)... + 5. Ask (and offer) directions at 
destination (all in gibberish). 6. Show pictures you took, but you left the lens cap 
on and they’re all blank... ; throw them away, you’re free! (etc.) 
33. Household Chores Laughter: Keep laughing as you pretend to do 
household chores like washing dishes, using the vacuum cleaner, cleaning 
windows and folding clothes etc. 
34. Animal Kingdom Laughter: Imitate movement and sounds of different 
animals and laugh. For example, monkey, penguin, chicken, elephant etc. 
35. Sports and Games Laughter: Imitate movement of different sports and 
games while laughing. For example, weight lifting, short put / discuss / javelin 
throw, archery, boxing, karate, swimming, volleyball and cricket etc. 
36. Laughter Yoga Ritual and Food Blessing: This exercise is done before 
finishing the laughter session and has two components. 
a) Laughter Yoga Ritual: This goes in alignment with our mission statement of 
Laughter Yoga which is health, happiness and world peace. 

Place both hands in front of your chest with palms facing outwards. Move them 
while chanting ho ho ha ha 4 times in all 4 directions ( up, down, left and right). 
Then join your palms together, bow your head as if doing namaste and say ha 
ha ha thrice. This symbolizes people from all over the world coming together 
through laughter. At the end put your hands upwards, move them in a circular 
motion and do Hearty laughter thrice – (first hearty laughter means: let everybody 
in this world be healthy; second one means: everyone in this world be happy and 
the third time it symbolizes: let there be peace in this world) 

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b) Laughter Yoga Food Blessing: This exercise started at Laughter Yoga 
University, Bangalore and is becoming popular worldwide. Imagine you have 
a plate full of food in front of you. Place both your hands above the plate and 
move your palms up, down, left and right saying ho ho ha ha ho ho ha ha. By 
this exercise you acknowledge that the food given to you provides energy to 
your body – it is a source of prana, which makes us live. Then move your hands 
in a circular manner above the plate thrice while laughing. This symbolizes that 
you’re grateful to all the people who have worked behind to serve you this plate 
of food. 

37. Head On Belly Laughter: Lie down on your back, bodies at right angles 
(with your head on someone’s belly, and someone else’s head on your belly) and 
laugh. 
38. Bull’s Eye Laughter: Participants lie on the floor with heads towards the 
center of the circle and feet towards the periphery (looking like the petals of a 
flower or a target board) and do Laughter Meditation. 
39. Centipede Laughter: Lie in a line on the floor with everybody’s heads in the 
center and feet facing outwards. Every alternate person’s legs should be placed 
in the opposite direction. Now kick your legs in the air like the multiple legs of 
a centipede. Variations: 1. Kick legs like riding a bicycle in the air. 2. Arms up, 
hold/touch others’ hands. 3. Hold knees close to chest. 4. Arms up; kick legs and 
shake the arms/waggle the fingers of the outstretched hands. 
40. Rowing Laughter: Sit in a straddling position with arms in front; pretend 
you are rowing a boat and say, “Aeee; aeee...”; after 2 to 4 times, lean back and 
laugh, resting on the belly of the person behind you. 
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Appendix 4 

Categorizing Laughter Exercises 

Here are the categories of different laughter exercises. You can find the videos of 
some of these exercises in our YouTube channel and inside the Prozone section 
of our website. Keep checking the Prozone video section for new exercises as we 
will be uploading many new exercise videos from time to time. 

De-stressing Exercises 

1. 
Contract the whole body muscles, 
release with laughter 
2. 
Where’s the problem? 
3. 
Too many problems 
4. 
Blow your problems in a balloon 
and pop it 
5. 
Laughing at your own self 
6. 
Windshield wiper laughter 
7. 
Minefield laughter 
8. 
EGBOK cheer (Everything’s Gonna 
Be OK) 
Mistakes and Embarrassments 

1. 
Pigeon poop laughter 
2. 
Doggie doo-doo laughter 
3. 
Drop food on your shirt laughter 
4. 
Trousers fall off laughter 
5. 
Smelly armpits laughter 
6. 
Lose your towel laughter 
7. 
Itching powder laughter 
8. 
Parking ticket laughter 
9. 
Someone walks in while you’re 
changing clothes laughter 
10. Drunk laughter 
Group Exercises 

1. 
Wave Laughter 
2. 
Necklace Laughter 
3. 
Swinging Laughter ( Vowel 
Movement) 
4. 
Roller Coaster 
5. 
Red Carpet (Car Wash/Royalty/ 
Appreciation) 
6. 
Row Boat 
7. 
Centipede 
8. 
Target (Bull’s Eye) 
9. 
Orchestra 
10. Laughter Blessing 
Car Exercises 

1. 
Red Light/Green Light 
2. 
Gear Shift 
3. 
Stuck in Traffic 
4. 
Car Wash 
5. 
Driving crazy 
6. 
Winter car won’t start 
7. 
Windshield Wipers 
8. 
Bumper Cars 
9. 
Changing flat tire 
10. Flat tyre Laughter 
Moods and Emotions 

1. 
Bored Laughter 
2. 
Shy Laughter 
3. 
Crying Laughter 
4. 
Flirting/Winking Laughter 
5. 
Celebration Laughter 
6. 
Worried Laughter 
7. 
Afraid Laughter 
8. 
Falling in Love Laughter 
9. 
Meeting a friend after a long time 
(surprise) 
10. Love Yourself 
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Beach Exercises 

1. 
Kids run from sea waves 
2. 
Sand castles (making and breaking) 
3. 
Hot sand 
4. 
Swimming 
5. 
Eating ice cream 
6. 
Too tight swim suit 
7. 
Losing your towel while walking 
8. 
Sun screen lotion laughter 
9. 
Crab Laughter 
10. Clam Laughter 
Medical Exercises 

1. 
Ambulance laughter 
2. 
Revival laughter 
3. 
Laughter pill 
4. 
Injection 
5. 
Stethoscope 
6. 
Aches & pains laughter (knee, back, 
shoulder, headache, etc) 
7. 
Laughter gargling 
8. 
Oxygen mask 
9. 
Hiccup Laughter 
10. CPR Laughter 
Exercises in Pairs 

1. 
Mirror Laughter 
2. 
Milking the cow 
3. 
Bullfight Laughter 
4. 
Standing on one leg 
5. 
Back to back laughter 
6. 
Airport screening 
7. 
Two people on a motorbike 
8. 
Eye gazing 
9. 
Clam laughter 
10. Reading the palm 
Corporate Laughter Exercises 

1. 
Milkshake (cocktail) 
2. 
Visa bill 
3. 
Cell phone (two cell phones at a time) 
4. 
Too much stress laughter 
5. 
Boss in/boss out laughter 
6. 
No Money Laughter 
7. 
Jackpot Laughter 
8. 
Wifi 
9. 
High Five/High Ten 
10. Mental Floss 
11. Brain Wash 
12. Zipper Laughter 
13. Super Brain 
14. All Brain Gym Exercises 
Household Chores 

1. 
Washing dishes 
2. 
Vacuum cleaning 
3. 
Cleaning Windows 
4. 
Ironing 
5. 
Shower 
6. 
Brushing teeth 
7. 
Laughter cream 
8. 
Cutting veggies 
9. 
Cooking 
10. Lawn Mower 
Food Exercises 

1. 
Peel and eat banana (small, 
medium, big) 
2. 
Milkshake (coffee or cocktail) 
3. 
Hot soup 
4. 
Ice cream 
5. 
Spaghetti/Noodles 
6. 
Watermelon and spit seeds (also 
song) 
7. 
Squeezing fresh juice (lemon or 
orange) 
8. 
Food fight 
Beauty Parlor Exercises 

1. 
Waxing 
2. 
Manicure/Pedicure 
3. 
Head massage (body massage) 
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4. 
Hair cutting 
5. 
Tight facial mask 
6. 
Botox 
7. 
Laughter cream 
Animal Exercises 

1. 
Lion 
2. 
Panting Dog 
3. 
Penguin 
4. 
Elephant 
5. 
Chicken (flying bird) 
6. 
Kangaroo 
7. 
Monkey 
8. 
Gorilla 
9. 
Milking the cow 
10. Dog pee 
Sports Exercises 

1. 
Boxing 
2. 
Karate 
3. 
Throwing exercises (Shot put / 
Discuss/Javelin) 
4. 
Archery 
5. 
Swimming 
6. 
Rowing the boat 
7. 
Weightlifting 
8. 
Golf 
9. 
Sumo Wrestling 
10. Jogging/Jumping 
Breathing and Laughing Exercises 

1. 
Three parts of the lungs (upper, 
middle, lower lobes) 
2. 
Pick a flower and smell it 
3. 
Three quick inhales and laugh 
4. 
Hundredth birthday (blowing 
candles without teeth) 
5. 
Balloon Laughter 
6. 
Accordion Laughter 
7. 
Breathing in and to the ground 
8. 
Inhale, hold it, run around 
slapping thighs 
9. 
Quick inhale, hahaha (Fire Breath) 
10. Fishing 
Value Based (Spiritual) Exercises 

1. 
Laugh at your own self (ego 
busting) 
2. 
Guru laughter 
3. 
One door closes, another door 
opens 
4. 
Appreciation laughter 
5. 
Forgiveness laughter 
6. 
Generosity laughter (Give away 
everything; Namaste; Open heart 
laughter) 
7. 
Oneness (I belong to everyone, 
everyone belongs to me) 
8. 
Life is a change, everything is 
changing 
9. 
I have lots of good qualities, very 
few weaknesses 
10. Red Light/Green Light 
Exercises for Children 

1. Jumping Jack/Jump Rope 
2. Animals 
3. Any Narrative/Sequence/Theme 
(go to beach, zoo and birthday 
party) 
4. Breathe in, hold it, slap thighs and 
run around 
5. Age laughter - child, parent, and 
grandparent 
6. Peek -a -boo laughter 
7. Blowing laughter bubbles 
8. Magic Laughter (peace sign) 
9. Centipede 
10. Row, Row, Row Boat (and do Row 
the boat laughter) 
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Popular Fun Games 

1. 
This is pineapple 
2. 
Pizza/Pasta 
3. 
In the bedroom 
4. 
Whiff/Biff 
5. 
Apple, Banana, Orange 
6. 
Toaster, Washing Machine 
7. 
Swish, Boing, Bang (Ha Ho He) 
8. 
Taiwan Triad Fun Game 
9. 
Hot Potato 
Singing, Laughing, Dancing 

1. 
Fruit Salad (Banana, Mango, Kiwi) 
2. 
Mixed Vegetables (Pumpkin, 
Capsicum, Tomato, Potato) 
3. 
Laughter Magic 
4. 
Watermelon Song 
5. 
Mexican Ha Dance 
6. 
Ha-va Nagil-ha (Jewish 
celebration song) 
7. 
Take Me Out to the Ball game 
8. 
Row, Row, Row Your Boat 
9. 
Tak Jhumm 
10. Old McDonald Had a Farm 
Brain Gym Exercises 

1. 
Double Double Ho Ho 
2. 
Nicht Nicht, Dies Dies 
3. 
Right Brain, Left Brain 
4. 
Finger tips 
5. 
One finger makes circles around 
fingers on other hand 
6. 
Belly Ho Ho 
7. 
Shaka Raka 
8. 
Kitty Ha Ha 
9. 
One Little, Two Little, Three Little 
Ha Ha 
10. Body Percussion 
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Appendix 5 

List of more Laughter Exercises 

We have given the description of most of these exercises but some are more 
visual, which you can understand better by watching videos. Please refer to 
Laughter Yoga Prozone videos from time to time. 

Alien Laughter 

Pretend to be from outer space; or pretend to be human and you’ve met 
someone from another planet. 

Alien Greeting 

Put your hands on your head like an antenna and move around saying 
“AAAHHH-EEEEE!!” to one another in greeting. 

Ants in your pants Laughter 

Run around shrieking and laughing as if your pants were filled with ants! 

Army Greeting Laughter 

March around like soldiers and salute others, laughing as you do. 

Balloon Laughter 

Use real balloons and bat them, kick them, bounce them on your knees like a 
hacky sack. Every time someone makes contact with the balloon, they must 
laugh. This is a real workout and can keep you laughing a while. 

Balloon Popping Laughter 

Pretend you have balloons attached to your ankles. Try to pop each other’s 
balloons and laugh. 

Barbaric Yawp 

One at a time or as a group, run out to the middle of the space, plant your feet 
in a wide stance, extend arms out and give a long loud “yawp!” then run to the 
other side of the space. 

Beauty Pageant Laughter 

Have the group stand as if they’re all finalists for a beauty pageant and then call 
each person’s name (or have them call their own name) and let them react and 
carry on as if they’re the winner. 

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Bouncing Laughter 

Bounce around laughing with one another. 

Bowling Laughter 

Pretend to throw a laughing bowling ball and cheer if you get a strike. Do it all 
in unison for the biggest impact. 

Bunny Hop Laughter 

Stand in a line with arms on the person’s shoulders in front of you and laugh 
the bunny hop. Ha haha! 

Bumper Car Laughter 

Put your arms out in front of you and your hands straight up like they are 
bumpers. Run around and make contact with other people’s hands and bump, 
laughing as you do. 

Boss quit office Laughter 

It is allowed to laugh - laugh with enthusiasm and volume now that the boss is 
gone. 

Body shaking machine Laughter 

Laugh as you pretend to be strapped to an exercise machine that shakes your 
body. 

Ballet dancing Laughter 

Dance and do ballet dance moves. 

Blooming Laughter 

Laugh as you pretend to be a plant slowly blooming. 

Buddha Laughter 

Sit in meditation pose and laugh from the belly. 

Bumper car Laughter 

Walk around laughing with hands out in front, bump into other people by 
pushing off of their hands and redirecting yourself. 

Blowing laughter bubbles 

Pretend to blow bubbles and laugh; pop the bubbles in the air and laughter 
comes out. 

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Back massage Laughter 

Make a circle where everyone can laugh while rubbing the shoulders and back 
of someone in front of them and receive a shoulder and back rub from the 
person behind them. 

Binocular Laughter 

Make a circle with your fingers and look through it while laughing. Make lots of 
eye contact through these binoculars. Make circles bigger or smaller to adjust 
focus. 

Bag Pop 

Inhale, then exhale problems into bag. Repeat three times. Then count 1, 2, 3 
and pop the bag to release laughter. 

Boss in the office Laughter 

Don’t laugh - laugh quietly or hold it in because the boss is still in the office. 

Call-On-Me Laughter 

Raise your hands and carry on grunting to get called on by the teacher. Have 
one person pretend to be the teacher and call on others who cheer when they 
get called on. 

Car Laughter 

Pretend these scenarios are happening with the car while laughing: 
Startup car with four starts in belly 


Drive around and laugh and wave at other people 
Car stops, argue in gibberish with it 
Check oil dip stick that has no end, laugh about it 
Pump up tyre with laughter 
Drive away happy 
Celebration Laughter 

Everyone huddles in a small circle then the leader tells them a “secret” and 
everyone cheers and laughs wildly. Ask for other volunteers to share a secret. 

Chicken Dance 

Do the chicken dance with traditional actions and laugh. 

Chicken Laughter 

Impersonate chickens until you crack one another up! 

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Closed-Eye Laughter 

Close your eyes and walk around slowly with arms in front of you. When you 
bump into someone, laugh together and try to figure out who it is. 

Cocktail Party Laughter 

Pretend to hold a cocktail glass. Laugh with people in a stuffy, pretentious way 
and look over their shoulder to find someone better to go laugh with. 

Conga Line Laughter 

Make conga line by placing hands on the shoulders of the person in front of 
you. Dance around with the conga tune, singing with a “ha” sound. Be sure to 
kick your legs out at the end of each measure. 

Crack Up Laughter 

Walk around and look someone in the eyes with a serious, scowling face. 
Then, at the same time, crack each other up. Your scowl will give way to happy 
laughter. This can also be called the “turn that frown upside down laughter.” 

Creative Laughter 

Laugh in your own creative ways. Laugh all at once, or one at a time. 

Crab Laughter 

Laugh and move sideways like a crab and pretend your hands are claws. 

Cutting and eating watermelon 

Laugh while cutting and eating a watermelon and spitting out the seeds. 

Cleaning window glass Laughter 

Spray the window pane with a cleaner, wipe it and laugh. 

Cold shower laughter 

Laugh while pretending to take a cold shower. 

Celebrate for no reason 

Laugh give high fives, jump up and down and cheer without any reason. 

Clasping hands Laughter 

Inhale while swinging arms to one side (like a golf club), then exhale while 
swinging through to the other side and laugh. 

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Canned Laughter 

Leader gives everyone an imaginary can - “don’t open it!” One by one, 
everybody in the group takes a turn opening their can and being delightfully 
surprised at whatever laughter sound comes out. The group copies that laugh 
until the can is closed. Then it is the next person’s turn to open their can. 

Copycat Ho Ho Ha Ha He He 

Leader makes a short laughter sound and everyone copies. Then leader makes 
a slightly longer laughter sound and everyone copies. This continues with 
increasingly longer series of sounds until it is just ongoing laughter. 

Doo Wop (A Capella Singing) 
Separate into three groups. Leader assigns each group a pattern of laughter 
sounds. Each group sings their pattern at the same time, making a combined 
song. This can also be done with actual words, such as banana, mango and kiwi 
sung in a special rhythm. 

Driving crazy Laughter 

Laugh as you pretend to drive around the room wildly. 

Dysfunctional GPS Laughter 

Laugh at getting lost. 

Drunk Laughter 

Stagger around laughing and pretending to be drunk. 

Doggie Doo Doo Laughter 

Pretend that with every few steps, you land your foot in doggie doo doo, laugh, 
look grossed out and pretend to wipe it off. 

Doggie Leg Lift Laughter 

This is only for the adventurous! Get on all and pretend to be a dog, and then 
lift your leg as if you are peeing on others and laugh about it. 

Duck Waddle Laughter 

Tuck your arms up like wing and waddle around like a duck, quacking and 
laughing. 

Eating noodles Laughter 

Laugh while eating a bowl of noodles with chopsticks. 

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Echo Laughter 

Divide group into two. Have first group do a big hearty laugh and the second 
group will echo it. Groups love to run forward at each other for this. 

Electric Shock Laughter 

Pretend you are giving one another static electricity shocks that cause a jump and 
a laugh. 

Evil Laughter 

Do your best impersonation of an evil character’s laugh. The more over-the- top, 
the better. 

Fake Laughter 

Do a really fake laugh. Be obnoxious! 

Fall down dead Laughter 

Laugh so hard you fall down on the ground and roll around laughing. 

Filing the nails Laughter 

Laugh while pretending to file your nails. 

Flying Bird Laughter 

Flap and run around the room laughing like you’re a big bird. 

Find your Laughter Center 

Find the place in your abdomen from whence your laughter comes and hold it 
while laughing. See if you can laugh even deeper now that you’ve found your 
center. 

Food Fight Laughter 

Pretend to throw cheesecake and other yummy food at one another, laughing. 
Simulate a pie fight! 

Falling in love Laughter 

Walk around laughing while touching your heart and opening your arms for hugs. 

Funniest thing you’ve ever seen 

Put hands together, walk around and show people that inside your hands is the 
funniest thing you’ve ever seen. 

Full Moon Laughter 

Howl at the moon together until it cracks you up. 

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Five Weight Lifter Champion Laugh 

Pretend you are a champion weight lifter. Grab imaginary set of heavy weights 
and lift it in increments, grunting with each movement. When you get it 
overhead, laugh out loud. 

Gorilla Laughter 

Bang your chest with your fist and make gorilla sounds and movements while 
laughing. 

Gibberish punch line 

Have one person tell the punch line of a joke using gibberish instead of real 
words. When they finish, everyone bursts into laughter as if it is the best joke 
they have ever heard. 

Go-Team Laughter 

Stand in a huddle like a sports team. The leader puts his or her hand out and 
everyone else put their hand on the top. The leader says “1-2-3” then everyone 
pushes their hand down and laughs. 

Giving away everything Laughter 

Walk around laughing and pretending to give away everything you have. 

Gear Shift Laughter 

Drive a manual car, increasing energy and volume of laughter going from first 
gear to fifth, then reducing while down shifting gears. Return to neutral for 
breathing. 

Giggle Jiggle Laughter 

Hug self and laugh while twisting and jumping. (Same as Love Yourself 
Laughter) Inhale, then exhale problems into bag. Repeat three times. Then 
count 1,2,3 and pop the bag to release laughter. 

HoHoHaHaHa finger tip taps 

Place wrists together with finger tips slight apart. Touch thumbs and say “Ho.” 
Then thumbs and index fingers “Ho Ho” Then thumbs, index and middle fingers 
“Ho Ho Ha.” Then first four fingers “Ho Ho Ha Ha.” Then all five finger tips “Ho Ho 
Ha Ha Ha.” Repeat increasingly fast until you’re just wiggling your fingers and 
laughing. 

Half Laugh 

Laugh with just one half of your mouth open. Try the right, then the left. 

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Head Fluffing Laughter 

Run around playfully messing up one another’s hair with by giving it a gentle 
fluff and laughing. 

Heavy ball Laughter 

Try to pick up a big ball but pretend it’s too heavy and laugh. 

High-Ten Laughter 

Give each other high tens (slap both hands) and laugh. 

Hot Potato Laughter 

Sit in a circle and pass an invisible hot potato around as fast as you can, 
laughing when it is in your possession. 

Hot Sand Laughter 

Tiptoe around like you are walking on hot sand and react to the heat by 
laughing, running and carrying on. 

Hurricane Laughter 

Laugh and act scared of wind and rain. 

Hugging Laughter 

Run and hug one another and laugh (also known as heart to heart laughter). 
You can feel the laughter in one another as you hug if you’re laughing hard 
enough. Works well at the end of the session. 

Humming Laughter 

With lips closed, make a humming laughter sound and do silly gestures. 

I Love You Laughter 

Make the sign language sign for “I love you” with both hand (extend all fingers 
then pull the middle and ring finger down) at one another to non-verbally say “I 
love you” and laugh. 

Ice Cube Laughter 

Pretend you’re putting ice cubes down one another’s back. Be playful, laugh 
and shriek. 

Ice Cream Cone Laughter 

Pretend to lick an ice cream cone that is extremely drippy. Lick the cone and 
way down your arm, laughing. Perhaps even throw your cones at one another. 

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Itching powder Laughter 

Laugh as you discover your clothes are full of itching powder. 

Inspiration Laugh 

Rub your chin like you’re pondering a difficult question. Then suddenly 
inspiration strikes! Make an expression of surprise as you take a deep breath in 
and put one finger in the air, then laugh. 

Inhalation Laughter 

Laugh while inhaling. This makes a really funny, snorting sound. 

IPod Laughter 

Pretend to put headphones on. Dance around to the music in your own head, 
singing and laughing. 

Jack-in-the-Box Laughter 

Squat down, and pretend to wind up your crank. Sing the tune of “Pop Goes the 
Weasel.” Spring up on the pop part and laugh like a wild jack-in-the-box! 

Jelly bean Laughter 

Pretend you are holding a jelly bean between your lips so your mouth is open 
just a little. Laugh. Then replace with a marshmallow so mouth is open a little 
more. Laugh. Replace with a grapefruit and laugh. Then go back to jellybean and 
chew it up on one side of mouth, then the other, then swallow and laugh. Then 
stick your tongue out and lick all around your mouth and laugh. 

Jell-O Laughter 

Wiggle and giggle as if you are a Jell-O. 

Jump Rope Laughter 

Pretend you’re skipping rope and laugh with each jump. You can also have two 
people pretend they’re turning the rope and have other laughers jump through, 
laughing. 

Juggling laughter 

Laugh while pretending to juggle. 

Killing mosquitoes laughter 

Laugh while swatting mosquitoes or stomping them. 

Kangaroo Laughter 

Jump around like a laughing kangaroo. 

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Karate Brick Laughter 

Pretend to break a brick with your hand, then head, laughing as you make 
contact with the brick. 

Kick Boxing Laughter 

Pretend you are doing kick boxing and laugh with every kick or punch (be sure 
to kick the air and not anyone standing nearby). 

Knees Laughter 

Pretend you lose control of your knees but pretend to be normal otherwise. 
Smile, wave and walk around until with your wild knees to crack one another up. 

K-Mart Shoes Laughter 

Walk around with really tiny steps and hops like you have just tried on a pair of 
K-mart shoes with the plastic band holding the shoes together. Laugh at how 
silly you look. 

Laughter Ball 

Play catching the ball in pairs or as a group. Throw an invisible laughter ball to 
one another. Whoever is holding the ball laughs. You can also dribble the ball 
and laugh each time it hits the floor. In certain circumstances, it works well to use 
a real ball. A soft one is best 

Laughter Blessing 

The person to be blessed sits in a chair and the rest of the group stands in a 
semicircle around him/her. One at a time, each person says an affirmation about 
the person in the chair—but with gibberish instead of English. After all have 
had a chance to say/dance their affirmation, all lay hands upon the person —on 
head, shoulders, arms, knees and laugh to bless them with love and laughter 
energy. Leader begins and ends the blessing (about 10 seconds). 

Laughter Car Wash 

Have the group stand in two parallel lines, laughing with their hands moving 
in creative ways like they are brushes and mechanisms of a car wash. Then the 
person on the end gets to run through the “laughter wash” line. When they get 
to the end of the line, they become a “brush” again. Make sure everyone gets a 
chance to go through. 

Laughter Chorus Line 

Stand in a line with arms over one another’s shoulders like you are a chorus line. 
Bring right knee up with a laugh, then kick with a laugh. Repeat with the left leg 
and so forth. Call yourself the “Laughettes”! 

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Laughter Explosion 

Stand in a clump and whistle like a laugh is heading your way, then throw arms 
up and “explode” with laughter all at once. 

Laughter Leaps 

Have everyone stand in a line on one side of the space, then run forward with 
an “oooh” sound and leap with a big laugh. For a greater challenge, make two 
lines facing each other and run towards each other for the leap, being careful to 
not collide. Yet another option is to let everyone run and leap randomly in the 
space! 

Laughter Party 

Pretend to prepare for a party while laughing: blowing up balloons, frosting 
cake, wrapping gifts, etc. Then pretend to gather for the party, sing “Happy 
Birthday” with just “ha ha ha”, pretend you’ve got cocktails and you laugh with 
one another then quickly mingle off to laugh with others, etc. 

Laughter Pills 

Take imaginary laughter pills and laugh, and then try one another’s pills. You 
can try “over the counter” variety for a snicker or “prescription strength” for a big 
laugh. 

Laughter Snacks 

Hold your hand out pretending you have laughter snacks. Pop one into your 
mouth, chew it and laugh. Try one another’s laughter snacks and laugh. 

Laughter Snow Angels 

Lie on the floor and pretend to make a snow angel by moving arms and legs 
and roaring and laughing at one another (this is great for the thyroid gland). 

Laughter Wave 

Stand in a circle and do “the wave,” laughing as your arms go up. 

Lawnmower Laughter 

Pretend you’re pushing around a lawnmower with a laughing motor. Have fun 
starting the mower by laughing as you pretend to pull the pull cord. 

Lemon Laughter 

Pretend you’re holding a lemon; take bites of it, cringe and laugh. 

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Library Laughter 

Pretend you have a case of the giggles but you are in the library so try to keep it 
down, steak around and laugh quietly then shush each other. 

Loose trousers Laughter 

Hop and skip around trying to keep your pants up while laughing. 

Laughter necklace 

Seven to ten people stand in a circle, close their fists with thumbs pointing 
outwards. Then everyone holds each other’s thumb and makes a circle of fists 
like a necklace. Raise this necklace up and down while laughing. Everyone takes 
turns to go in the middle and pretend to put this necklace around their neck. 

Laughter Train 

Make a line and move forward together with arms making circles along the 
sides of the line and sounds like “chugga chugga Ho Ho, chugga chugga Ha Ha” 

Light house Laughter 

Pretend to project a beam of light and laugh as it scans the horizon. 

Look moon in the sky Laughter 

Point to the sky, pretend to look at the moon and laugh. 

Leg is very heavy, can’t lift 

Laugh while pretending to be stuck in one place because your legs are too 
heavy to move. 

Losing swimsuit Laughter 

Laugh and try to cover up because you’ve lost your swimsuit. 

Laughter Finger Kisses 

Pretend to draw a smiley face on the tip of your index finger. Walk around and 
give laughter kisses with your finger. 

Laughter Crank 

Start with very small crank in front of belly. Turn it and get very small laughter. 
Get bigger crank, hold it by chest, turn it and laugh bigger. Exchange for 
biggest crank, hold it overhead for biggest laugh. 

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Laughter Boxes 

Put hands together and pretend inside is a laughter box. Everybody has a 
laughter box and they are very attracted to each other, drawn to laughing or 
having gibberish conversations together. 

Laughter Intervals 

This is a genuine aerobic exercise modeled after the way sprinters practice 
alternating between running and walking. First laugh for 10 seconds, then 
breathe for 10 seconds. Then 20 seconds laughing, 20 seconds breathing. Then 
30 seconds laughing, 30 seconds breathing. Then 20/20 and 10/10 again. The 
leader should watch the time, reminding everyone verbally what segment is 
starting and signaling with fingers (3, 2, 1) as each segment is ending. 

Making expressions Laughter 

Make different shapes with your mouth, along with different laughter sounds 
and facial expressions. 

Moon Walk 

Laugh while imitating the Michael Jackson dance move; or laugh while 
pretending to be on the moon where there is less gravity. 

Model Laughter 

Show people OK sign and thumbs up, admiring their beauty and laughing. 

Making and breaking sand castles 

Play and laugh as you make sand castles. (repeat) 

Magic Bag of Laughs 

Everybody pulls a bag out of their pocket. Everyone reaches in to their bag 
and pulls out a random laugh, then discards it and picks another. Repeat three 
times. 

Minefield Laughter 

Tiptoe around the room while giggling, imagining that you are avoiding 
landmines which are actually the challenges and problems in your life. When 
you accidentally set one off your giggle turns into bigger belly laugh. 

Magnet Laughter 

Pretend a giant magnet is pulling you all across the space. Laugh as you try to 
resist it but it will eventually pull you all to the other side. Play with having it 
pull certain body parts—head, foot, arm, backside, etc. 

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Meeting a friend after a long time 

Laugh with open arms and approach people as if they are old friends you 
haven’t seen in a while. 

Monster Laughs 

Laugh like one or more of these famous monsters: 
Cookie Monster - eat cookies wildly and laugh 

 
Dracula - show teeth and put cape up by face, laughing 
Frankenstein - put arms out of you and walk around making laughter grunts 
Godzilla - take big steps and laugh like a giant 
Nicht, Nicht, dies, dies 

Brain gym, in German! Clap twice while saying “Nicht, Nicht.” Then pat both face 
cheeks twice while saying “dies dies.” Double clap “Nicht, Nicht,” followed by left 
hand double patting top of head and right hand double patting under chin 
while saying “das das.” Next is single clap “Nicht”, single cheek pat “dies,” single 
clap “Nicht,” single head/chin pat “das.” Finally single clap “Nicht,” single cheek 
pat “dies,” single head/chin pat “das.” Repeat increasingly fast. 

Opera Singer Laughter 

Pretend to be a famous opera singer and sing with exaggerated ha ha ha-s. 

Orchestra Laughter 

The entire group assembles in the orchestra pit with one person as the 
conductor in front. Everyone pretends to play their instrument, which makes 
only laughter sounds, while the conductor guides the tempo, volume and 
emphasis of different sections or even calls for a solo. Take turns being the 
conductor. Participants can change instruments between songs. 

Octopus Laughter 

Purse your lips and move your arms like the tentacles of an octopus and laugh. 

Pendulum Laughter 

Clasp hands. Inhale while swinging arms to one side (like a golf club), then 
exhale while swinging through to the other side. 

Paint Brush Laughter 

Paint one another with invisible laughter brushes. Laugh only when your 
“brush” touches someone. 

Pat on your back Laughter (self-appreciation) 

Pat yourself on the back and laugh; walk around and pat each other on the 
back while laughing. 

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Picking dog poo Laughter 

Walk the dog and laugh as you pick up poo. 

Puppet Laughter 

Pretend you have a funny sock puppet on your hand and have it laugh and 
make funny faces at others’ sock puppets (or use real sock puppets if you have 
them). 

Pee urgency laughter 

Laugh while hopping and dancing around because you need to pee. 

Peanut Butter Laughter 

Pretend your tongue is stuck to the room of your mouth because of peanut 
butter. Laugh about it! 

Phantom Tickle 

Imagine a phantom is tickling you. Wiggle, giggle and try to get away from your 
invisible tickler. 

Pigeon Poop Laughter 

Look up in the sky and pretend pigeon poop suddenly falls into your eye. Act 
surprised, try to wipe it off and laugh. Then, look up and another bit of pigeon 
poop falls into your eye! 

Politician Laughter 

Run around shaking as many hands as you can quickly and smiling a big plastic 
smile and laughing. 

Regal Laughter 

Take turns playing royalty and walk between two rows of applauding subjects, 
waving like the queen or king. 

Relay Race Laughter 

Set up a few chairs in a line and have a relay race where team members have 
to weave in and out of the chairs while laughing. Remind them that the 
competition between teams is simulated and the real point is big fun and 
happy laughs. 

Robot Laughter 

Make abrupt robot movements and laugh like a robot would. 

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Roller Coaster Laughter 

Sit on the ground (or stand) in a double line like a roller coaster and pretend 
you’re ascending. Bring arms up and say “ooooh” then scream and laugh as 
if you’re going down the hill and loving it. If you are seated on the floor, flop 
down onto the floor as you come down the hills. If you are standing, try running 
around to simulate the hills. 

Riding a Unicycle 

Laugh while pretending to balance on a one wheeled vehicle. 

Sword fight Laughter 

Laugh while having a sword fight (this is also the sport of fencing) 

Reading the palm Laughter 

Walk around and show each other your palms for reading and laughing. 

Remote Control/TV Channel 

Break into groups of three or four. One person is separate and has the remote 
control. Point the remote at each group and tell them a category of TV show 

(i.e. Soap opera, Cricket match, Nightly news, etc), which they improvise with 
only laughter and gibberish. Click the remote and announce a different type of 
program, which they then switch to acting out. 
Right Brain/Left Brain Laughter 

Clap Ho Ho, then left hand on nose and right hand to left ear while saying Ha, 
and quickly switch right hand to nose and left hand to right ear while again 
saying Ha. Repeat this twice, then clap Ho Ho and double head pat Ha Ha. 
Repeat entire pattern or create new variations. 

Revival Laughter 

One person pretends to be unconscious. Everyone else argues in gibberish 
about calling emergency help. Group places hands over person, laughing 
gently. Person regains consciousness. Celebrate! 

Silly Walk Laughter 

Form a line. Person in front of the line walks in a silly way while making a 
unique laugh. Everybody copies the walk and laugh until the person in front 
gets to the back of the line. Then the next person at the front leads until 
everybody gets a turn. 

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Santa Claus Laughter 

Say “ho ho ho” and act like Santa. 

Serious Laughter 

Try to laugh like a very serious person would laugh. 

Shy Laughter 

Put hands in front of face as if you are really shy, then peek out and people, 
laugh and hide face again. 

Slow Motion Laughter 

Laugh in slow motion with big gestures. You can also combine silent laughter 
with slow motion laughter. 

Smile Greeting 

Walk around smiling at each other with a huge smile. Science says that even 
faking this kind of smile makes you happier. Try it for 1-2 minutes. 

Sneezing Laughter 

Instead of bursting into a sneeze, burst into laughter: “ah ah ah... ha haha!” 

Surfing Laughter 

Laugh while pretending to surf. 

Smelling a rose Laughter 

Pick a rose in your hand, smell it and laugh. 

Sumo Laughter - Face off with another person, lift one lag while slapping your 
thigh, then lift the other leg while slapping that thigh. Repeat a few times then 
move toward each other laughing and push off of each other’s hands. 

Spiderman Laughter 

Pretend you are Spiderman. Send out webs from your hands that will catch 
others in your laughter web. 

Standing on the very edge Laughter 

Stand in a line and pretend you are on the edge of a high cliff. Wave your arms 
about like you don’t want to fall off. Keep one another from falling off! 

Standing Ovation 

Give yourselves a standing ovation with lots of wild cheers. 

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Stethoscope Laughter 

Pretend to put a stethoscope on someone and listen for the laughter inside 
them. Laugh as if you hear it clearly inside of them. 

Stress Release Laughter 

Cup your hands together and imagine that all your problems, worries, anxieties 
and stresses are trapped inside your hands. Now, release them by opening 
and closing your hands quickly. A burst of laughter will come out with each 
opening. Move around releasing your problems until they are all laughed out, 
then open hands and shake off all remaining stress. 

Subway Laughter 

Have everyone stand in a clump with one arm up like they are hanging onto a 
loop in a subway. Bump around into one another gently and laugh. 

Spring doll Laughter 

Place your hands with palms facing upwards in front of your body and jump as 
if you have springs underneath your feet. 

Sea waves Laughter 

Pretend to run away from the incoming waves and chase them as they recede. 
Keep laughing as you do this. 

Sprinkler Laughter 

One arm bent in front, the other straight out going from one side to another 
making the sound “ch-ch-ch-ch” then coming back the other way saying 
“hahahahahaha”; repeat for the other arm; then both arms; then remove the 
nozzle from the hose and have a water fight with the group. 

Squeeze orange juice Laughter 

Laugh while making fresh orange juice. 

Sunburn Laughter 

Laugh while soothing sunburnt skin. 

Smelling laughing gas 

Wave your hand in front of your nose, pinch your nostrils, and laugh 

Something stuck on your shirt 

Laugh while being unable to remove something stuck on your shirt. 

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Swimming in the sea Laughter 

Pretend to swim in the sea and laugh. 

Sharp shell hurts your foot 

Laugh and hop around holding your foot as if you’ve got hurt. 

Sowing seeds of Laughter 

Laugh while pretending to sow seeds of laughter. 

Step into Peace Laughter 

Use one hand to make shape of peace sign in the air while making HA 
sound, complete the outer circle swinging the arm wide and laughing more 
energetically. Step into the peace circle and embrace self in a hug (“giggle 
jiggle”). 

Smiles Ups 

Smile while inhaling, return face to neutral expression on exhale. Each breath 
stretch a different part of the body. Get increasingly complicated (arm and leg 
together). 

Spin The HaHa Laughter 

This is a follow the leader game played sitting down and is patterned after the 
teenage party game “Spin The Bottle.” The first person pretends to spin a bottle, 
waving their arm around in circles until they stop and point to one person. That 
person then laughs and everyone copies their laugh. That person then “spins” 
and points to a new person who laughs while everyone imitates the laugh. 
Repeat until everyone has had a chance to lead a laugh. This exercise works 
well from groups of 6-15 people but with more or fewer people it is not a good 
choice. 

Telling joke in gibberish Laughter 

One person at a time tells a joke to the group in gibberish and everyone laughs. 

Throwing water Laughter 

Laugh and play dumping water on each other. 

Taking a photo Laughter 

Laugh while taking pictures of each other as well as selfies. 

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Tai-Chi Laughter 

Rub hands together to feel energy between palms and laugh while making 
slow movements of Tai-Chi. 

Telling a secret Laughter 

This can be for individuals to walk around and whisper gibberish in each other’s 
ears then laughing. Or it can be for the whole group to converge in a very 
tight circle and one at a time people can offer a secret that is actually a very 
obvious statement (“today is Saturday” or “my toes are painted green”) and then 
everyone laughs. 

Touching others with eyes closed 

Place your hands in front of your chest and move around. The moment you 
touch someone, just laugh. 

Tight swimsuit Laughter 

Laugh on finding your movement restricted because your swimsuit is too tight. 

Three on a bicycle Laughter 

Have three people in a line moving their legs in sync as if riding a single bicycle. 
Everyone laughs. 

Teeth Wired Shut Laughter 

Clench teeth like they are wired shut, open lips as far as possible and laugh. 

Twitter Glitter 

Pretend you’ve got a bag of magical twitter glitter that makes people laugh. 
Toss it on one another and twitter, giggle and guffaw. 

Volley ball on the beach Laughter 

Make two groups and pretend to play volleyball on the beach. Just two people 
can also do this exercise. 

Wide Mouth Laugh 

Open your mouth as wide as you possibly can, then walk around laughing that 
way. Get up close to the other laughers. Wipe On /Wipe Off Laughter 
With a hand gesture, put laughter on your face, and laugh. Then wipe it off and 
look really serious. Gesture and put laughter back on. 

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Walk and laugh like a model (aka Red Carpet) 

Make two rows with space in between for each person to walk down the 
catwalk, waving, laughing and pretending to be a model. 

Wagging the tail Laughter 

Laugh while imitating a dog or other animal with a tail. 

What’s the problem Laughter? 

Extend arms out at sides to indicate the size of your problems. Move hands 
toward center in chopping motion with HA sound, then brush hands together 
to indicate problem is gone and say “Where’s the Problem?” 

Windshield Wiper Laughter 

Laugh while waving hands up and down in front of the face to clear the view 
we have of the world around us. Vary the speed. Pause to look through fingers 
spread apart. Pretend to spit on finger tips and shine the windshield, then 
resume the wipers. 

Woody Woodpecker Laughter 

Pretend to peck like a woodpecker and laugh. 

Wonder Woman Laughter 

Pretend to be the powerful and glamorous wonder woman. Run around 
deflecting bullets with your wristbands and laughing. 

YMCA Laughter 

Laugh to the song “YMCA” by the Village People. Do the traditional arm 
gestures to the letters. You can use a recording of the song to heighten the 
impact. 

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Appendix 6 

Laughter Yoga Liability Release 

Laughter Yoga is a fun and healthy exercise regime with beneficial effects for 
the body, mind and emotions. Like any form of aerobic exercise, it should not 
be practiced by people with medical problems without first taking advice 
from their medical practitioner.Laughter Yoga should not be considered as a 
substitute for proper medical consultation for physical, mental and psychological 
illnesses. If during a session you feel sudden or new pain please leave the session 
immediately, or advise the leader if you require assistance. 

Please read this carefully and give your consent: 

The group is participating in Laughter Yoga sessions requiring physical exertion that 
may be strenuous and may cause physical injury. I will ensure that each participant 
is informed of the risks and hazards involved. 

Group members are physically fit and have no medical condition that would prevent 
their full participation in Laughter Yoga sessions, or if they have medical problems 
or conditions these will be fully revealed to the Laughter Yoga leader before each 
session. 

I assume full responsibility for any risks, injuries or damages, known or unknown, 
which might be incurred by all group members as a result of participating in the 
sessions, and knowingly, voluntarily and expressly waive any claim against the 
Dr. Kataria School of Laughter Yoga, Laughter Yoga International, their leaders, 
teachers, employees or assistants for injury or damages that may be sustained as 
a result of participation. Group members, their heirs or legal representatives forever 
release waive, discharge and covenant not to sue for any injury or death caused by 
their negligence or other acts. 

I have read the above release and waiver of liability and fully understand its contents. 
I voluntarily agree to the terms and conditions stated above. 

Laughter Yoga News 
To receive our e-newsletter please 
Provide your email address: 

Signature of adult: ________________________ 
authorized to act on behalf of the Group. 

Date(Day/Month/Year): _____/_____/_____ 

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Appendix 7 

How Do You Feel Form? 


Important Guidelines: 

. This form should be filled after the session 
. This is to evaluate the immediate effects of one particular session of Laughter Yoga 

. Breath awareness: Normally we are not aware of our breathing. After LY exercises you may feel you’re 
breathing more freely and easily and you become aware of breathing more deeply into your lungs. 

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Appendix 8 

Laughter Quotient Form 

Find Your Laughter Quotient 

The following questionnaire has been formulated according to the concept and 
philosophy of Laughter Yoga and it will help to determine your ability to laugh for 
no reason, your ability to express emotions, your communication skills and if you 
incorporate the 4 elements of joy like singing, dancing, playing and laughing in 
your life and other such parameters necessary to make life more joyful and happy. 

Rate each question/statement on a scale of 1 to 5: 
1 = Not at all true 
2 = Slightly True 
3 = Moderately True 
4 = Mostly True 
5 = Absolutely True 

1. I laugh a lot everyday 2 3 4 51 
2. My source of laughter is driven from my internal desire to laugh and have fun 
1 2 3 4 5 
3. I use humor daily to perceive, express and experience a given situation in a 
humorous way 2 3 4 51 
4. I add physical playfulness and a playful mental attitude while interacting with others 
1 2 3 4 5 
5. I sing for no reason everyday 2 3 4 5 
2 3 4 5 
1 
6. I dance for no reason everyday 1 
7. Every day, I express freely my positive and negative emotions 2 3 4 5 
2 3 4 5 
1 
8. Every day, I have a high percentage of positive thoughts 1 
9. I am peaceful and calm often 2 3 4 5 
2 3 4 5 
2 3 4 5 
1 
10. Frequently I feel excited and passionate about life 1 
11. I express myself as an extrovert often 1 
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12. I am satisfied and happy with life 2 3 4 51 
13. My physical, mental & emotional well-being is relaxed often 2 3 4 5 
2 3 4 5 
1 
14. I am able to communicate and interact with strangers easily 1 
15. I often feel refreshed and energetic 2 3 4 5 
2 3 4 5 
2 3 4 5 
2 3 4 5 
2 3 4 5 
2 3 4 5 
1 
16. I stay positive during challenging times 1 
17. I am connected to a lot of friends 1 
18. It is easy for me to laugh for no reason 1 
19. I often perform random acts of kindness 1 
20. I have the ability to be silly in the presence of others 1 
Scoring section: 
If your score is 80 - 100: You are a great laugher. Keep it up!! 
If your score is 60 - 79: You are good at laughing, but can be better 
If your score is 40 - 59: You laugh very little and need to laugh more. 
If your score is under 40: You have a serious problem and need to do something 


to bring more laughter in your life. 


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Appendix 9 

Laughter Yoga Training Evaluation Form 

Date __________ Location _________________ 

Please indicate your impressions of the items listed below. 

Strongly 
Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly 
Disagree 
1. I will be able to apply the knowledge learned. . 
. 
. 
. 
. 
2. The training objectives were identified and 
followed. . 
. 
. 
. 
. 
3. The content was organized and easy to follow. . 
. 
. 
. 
. 
4. The material distributed was relevant and useful. . 
. 
. 
. 
. 
5. The activities stimulated my learning. . 
. 
. 
. 
. 
6. The quality of instruction was good. . 
. 
. 
. 
. 
7. The trainer was knowledgeable. . 
. 
. 
. 
. 
8. The trainer was helpful. . 
. 
. 
. 
. 
9. Adequate time was provided for questions and 
discussion. . 
. 
. 
. 
. 
10. Class participation and interaction was 
encouraged. . 
. 
. 
. 
. 


11. How do you rate the training overall? 
Excellent Good Average Poor Very poor 
.. 
... 


12. 
What was most valuable about the training? 
13. 
What would you recommend to improve this training? 
14. Please provide other comments and testimonials? Use the back if you need more space. 
Thank you for taking the time to fill out this evaluation form. It is our desire to maintain a high degree of 
professionalism as we conduct these workshops. Your input will assist us in achieving this goal. 

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Appendix 10 

Photo / Video Release Form 

Project Description---------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I, ____________________________________, in consideration of your photographing, 
videotaping me / my children, or recording me/ my performance or voice for the above 
described project, hereby grant permission toLaughter Yoga International, which term 
shall include not only yourselves, but your employees, agents, successors, licenses and 
assigns, the irrevocable right and license to use my likeness and/or voice on videotape 
or film, photograph or audiotape; to edit such videotape or film or audiotape or crop 
photographs at your discretion, to incorporate the same in the above production and 
to use or authorize the use of such videotape or film, audiotape of photograph or any 
portion thereof in any manner or media at any time in perpetuity and to use my name, 
likeness, voice and biographical or other information concerning me in connection 
therewith, including promotion in all media. 

I agree to hold Laughter Yoga International, harmless against any liability, loss or 
damage resulting from the use of my image and/or voice, and I hereby release and 
discharge them from any and all claims whatsoever in connection with such use of 
my image and/or voice. 
I am signing this release freely and voluntarily and in executing this release do not 
rely on any inducements, promises or representations made by Laughter Yoga 
International. 

Signature:_____________________________________ Date: _________________ 

Address:______________________________________________________________ 

City/State/Zip:_________________________________________________________ 

Telephone:____________________________________________ 

Approval/Consent of Parent or Guardian 

Family Member Names: _________________________________________________ 

Parent’s Signature: _______________________________ Date: _________________ 

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Appendix 11 

Laughter Friendly Songs 

Laughter Yoga sessions are enhanced by spirited singing. Here are some songs I 
recommend. 

If You’re Happy and You Know it 

If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands (clap clap) 
If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands (clap clap) 
If you’re happy and you know it and you really ought ‘a show it 
If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands (clap clap) 


Happy Ha Ha to You (Tune: Happy Birthday) 

Happy ha ha to you, Happy ho ho it’s true Happy heehee dear -------------
Happy ha ha to you! 

The More We Laugh Together 

( Tune: The More We Get Together) 
The more we laugh together, together, together 
The more we laugh together, the happier we’ll be! 
I laugh with your friends and you laugh with my friends 
We’ll all be friends together and happier we’ll be! 


A Bicycle Built for Two 

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do 
I’m half crazy all for the love of you 
It won’t be a stylish marriage 
I can’t afford a carriage 

But you’ll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two 

The Hokey Pokey 

(You know the words) 

Simple songs to sing with “HA” instead of words: 

 
Frere Jaques 
Jesus Loves Me 


 Row Row Your Boat 
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William Tell Overture a.k.a. the Lone Ranger Song (gallop with this) 
The Old Gray Mare 
Roll Out the Barrel (polka with this) 


 
Head and Shoulders, Knees & Toes 
Skip to My Lou 
Yankee Doodle Dandy 
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star 


Every Little Cell In My Body Is Happy 

(Tune: Mama’s Little Baby Loves Shortnin’Bread) 

Every little cell in my body is happy 
Every little cell in my body is well 
Every little cell in my body is happy 
Every little cell in my body is swell 
Feel so good, feel so well 
Every little cell in my body is well 
Feel so good, feel so well 
Every little cell in my body is swell (repeat part 1) 

Do You Know How Much Your Love Means? 

Do you know how much your love means? 


(bobble index finger at someone) 
Do you know how many hearts you have lifted? 
(arms go up in front of body) 
Do you know your love is healing 
(arms come down and hands wiggle in blessing) 
What a wonderful feeling! 
(roll arms in front of body and move to a new partner) 


Laughter Yoga Anthem (Les Laughettes) 

( © Thomas Topolanek& Gabi & Rainer Fink 2010) 
Refrain: We spread joy, peace and laughter 
Happy ever after 
Laughing like a child 
Healthy, strong and wild 
It was in 1995 
When Doc Kataria and his wife 
They started laughing in Mumbai 
And many people asked him why 

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Five started laughing in the park 
From early morning until dark 
The scientists confirmed it’s true 
Laughter’s good for me and You 

Add some breathing exercise 
Give your lungs fresh oxygen 
No more stress and not depressed 
That feels really nice !! 

It’s contagious but it’s safe 
Let’s do a giant laughter wave 
It is easy to make this choice 
You decide to raise your voice 

Say: Ho Ho Choir: Ho Ho 
Say: HAHAHA Choir: HAHAHA 

Refrain: We spread joy,… 

People all around the world 
Listen to my voice 
Clap your hands and stomp your feet 
Let us make some noise 

HOHO 1,2,3 
It is good for you and me 
HAHA 3,2,1

 Let us have some fun 

Open heart and also mouth 
North, east, west and south 
Be sure you are divine my friend 
No beginning and no end 

Refrain: We spread joy,…. 

You can find Mp3 free audio in the Resources Pack pen drive courtesy Laughter 
Yoga team Austria. There is also a gibberish version of this anthem. You can play 
this audio with your group and sing along. 

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Appendix 12 

Fun Games from Laughter Clubs 

Pizza pasta 

This is very popular all over the world. It’s also a great game for picnics and 
parties. It helps people to laugh at themselves graciously and overcome their 
embarrassment at making mistakes. 

How to play: At least 8 to 10 people or more are required. Participants stand in 
a circle. One person calls out ‘One’, the person next to them (to the left or right 
--- you decide) calls out ‘Two’, and so on around the circle, with the person after 
10 starting with 1 again. Once they are comfortable counting ask them to: Say 
pizza instead of number six; say pasta instead of number seven…Then continue 
counting from eight onwards… You should hear 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, pizza, pasta, 8, 9, 10, 
1, 2, … 

Rules: Call out loud and clear without any pauses. Anyone who makes a mistake, 
fumbles or takes too long is out of the game and has to stand in the middle of the 
circle, point a finger at him/herself and laugh out loud then sit down in the circle 
to enjoy the rest of the game. Group members clap “Very Good, Very Good, Yay!!” 
in order to appreciate the gesture. As the game continues change the passwords 
to “Cola-Pepsi” “chicken rice” or any other combination of words. Besides food 
items you can also have bodily expressions and gestures like kissing, farting or 
whatever makes people laugh. If the group is very skilled try changing directions 
between 10 and 1. With gradual exclusion of participants the circle shrinks. The 
last person standing is the winner and gets a laughing ovation. 

Whiff/Piff -This is a Fun Game where one person at a time gives an impromptu 
one minute speech with their tongue either behind the lower lip or lower teeth. 
This will make it difficult to speak clearly so we laugh. However, we are never to 
make fun of people with speech impairments so this should be made clear by 
the leader before starting the game. 

Apple, Orange & Banana - Start in a seated circle. Each person calls out the 
name of a fruit like apple, orange, or banana in sequence, creating a group 
according to the fruit. The leader then calls out one name of a fruit and everyone 
in that group gets up and runs through the circle to a new spot, while the leader 
removes a chair. The person who couldn’t find a new seat then sits in the center 
of the circle. Everyone says Very Good, Very Good, Yay. Continue until only one 
chair remains and everyone else is sitting in the middle. 

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Swish, Boing, Bang - Stand in a circle. First person turns to one side and says 


“Swish” 
Each person keeps passing on the “Swish” until someone decides to say “Boing” 
or “Bang” 


“Boing” means the direction of the “Swish” reverses. “Bang” means the person 
saying it points to anyone else in the circle who then starts the “Swish”. When 
a person makes a mistake they sit in the center of the circle. Everyone says 
Very Good, Very Good, Yay and the “Swish” starts again. These words can be 
replaced by “Ho Ho,”“Ha Ha,” and “He He” 


Zip, Zap, Zop - Stand in a circle. Leader points to anybody at random and says 


“Zip” 
That person points to anybody at random and says “Zap”…..That person 
points to anybody at random and says “Zop”…..That person points to anybody 
at random and says “Zip” and it continues, getting faster and faster, with 
everyone laughing the entire time. 


Hot Potato - Stand in a circle. Leader tosses a “hot potato” to anybody at 


random. 
Person catching it can briefly play with it in any way and then toss it to 
someone else. 


This continues with everyone laughing the entire time and leader signals the 


end. 
Body Percussion - Stand in a circle or crowd. Make sounds and clap on body 
parts as indicated. 


Clap Clap (hands out in front). 
Ho Ho (clap hands on chest, one at a time). 
Do both above three times, then add next step. 


Ha Ha (clap hands on thighs, one at a time) 
Do all above three times, then add next step. 
He He (clap hands on butt, one at a time) 
Do all above three times, then add next step. 
Bom Bom (stomp feet, one at a time) 
Repeat faster and faster as indicated by leader, including possible variations. 


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Appendix 13 

Laughter Yoga Products 

Available on www.laughteryoga.org/shop 

Books

 
Dr. Kataria’s book, ‘Laugh For No Reason’ in English and other languages 
The Inner Spirit Of Laughter 
Five Secrets From The Laughing Guru 
DVDs 

 
Laughter Yoga Concept And Session 
Laughter Yoga Alone 
Laughter Yoga Training 
Laughter Yoga Learning 
Laughter Yoga One on One Coaching 
Laughter Yoga For Seniors 
Laughter Yoga for School Children 
Laughter Yoga In Business 
Laughter Yoga Bank (40 Foundation Laughter exercises + Laughter Bank vol 1 
+ Laughter Bank vol 2) 
Fun Games 
Audio CDs 


Yoga Nidra 
Humming Meditation 
Exhalex Relaxation Technique 
Breath Connect Meditation 
Ho Ho Ha Ha Dancing Laugh & Dance Party 
Other Products 

 
Laughter Yoga T- shirts 
Fun game cards 
‘It’s Time to Laugh’ watches and clocks 
Laughter Yoga badges 
Laughter Yoga key rings 
Laughter Yoga Umbrellas 
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Laughter Yoga Online Learning Center 

Laughter Yoga Online Learning center gives you the opportunity to get an in-
depth knowledge about Laughter Yoga methods, history, concept, philosophy, 
steps, benefits and different applications through videos, explained in detail 
by Dr. Kataria, the founder of Laughter Yoga movement. The unique features 
of online learning center are: no DVD player or DVDs, no shipping cost, most 
economical and life time membership. 

It is a great library for those who want to acquire a knowledge base and wish to 
become Laughter Yoga professionals in future. 

IMPORTANT: By watching these videos you cannot get any certification for 
laughter leader, teacher or master trainer. For that you have to undergo the 
training sessions in person. 

Laughter Yoga APP 

Laughter Yoga University has just launched its App on both android and i-phone 
application, which can be viewed on smart phones, i-pads and tabs. This App 
will keep you informed about Laughter Yoga activities around the world in text 
and videos. We will update the latest news, Laughter Club activities, training 
programs etc. You can also learn Laughter Yoga exercises by watching videos. 
This App is absolutely free. Download it by searching in Google Play Store and 
Apple Store by typing ‘Laughter Yoga University’ 

Laughter Yoga Learning Resources 

If you don’t have a Laughter Club in your vicinity, and it is difficult to start one, 
just dip into our resource center where we have numerous books, training 
videos learning kits, e-books and other products. You can learn Laughter Yoga 
methods and enhance your skills by buying these products from our online 
shopping center. 

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Appendix 14 

Resource Pack Inventory 

As a part of the training each leader must receive a Resource Pack USB drive 
containing the following documents: 

Folder: Basic Learning Course 

Basic Learning Manual e-version.pdf 
Basic Workshop Tri-fold Brochure 
Basic Brochure 
Laughter Yoga Business Card Sample 
English Leader Training Manual 
English Teacher Training Manual 
Laughter For No Reason (ebook) 
Liability Release Form .pdf 
Science of Breathing .pdf 
Laughter Yoga Info Booklet (Your Happiness Guide) .pdf 

Folder: LY Logos 

LY International Logos (.eps, jpg, png) —LY University Logos (eps, jpg, png) 

Folder: LY Research Papers 

US Study 
Impact of Laughter on Stress of Cancer Patients Before Chemotherapy —Article 
from Alternative Therapies —Australian Research on LY Clubs —Bangalore Study 
—Cindy Miles’ US Research on Blood Pressure in Seniors —Current Psychiatry 
article —Dialysis research from Australia —Effect of LY on Depression (German) 
—Effect of LY on Abdominal Muscles (German) —Iranian research on Cancer — 
Effect of LY on Depression (Korean) —Effect of LY on Dialysis Patients (Australia) 
—Effect of LY on Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar (Slovenia) —Effect of LY on Mental 
Health (German) 

Folder: Popular Newspaper Articles 

Photos 
Sub-folder - Dr. Kataria’s photos 
Sub-folder - Images of people laughing (permission granted to use these) 

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Folder: Resource Pack Videos 

20 Years of LY 
LY in Business 
LY in Business (3 minutes) 
LY In Business (1 minute) 
LY in Schools (2 videos) 
LY in Blind School 
LY with Deaf and Mute Children 
LY with Police 
LY in Prison 
LY Senior Songs 
LY 4 Elements 
LY Geo Laughter 
Science of Breathing video 

Folder: Sample Fliers 

Business Flyer (2) 
Basic Learning Flyer 
General Flyer 
Leader Training Tri-fold brochure 

Folder: Schools Books 

Cambridge University 
CBSE, India 
Japanese High School 

Folder: Standees 

LY in the News (2) 
LY Applications 
LY Worldwide 

Folder: World Laughter Day Banners 
Folder: World Laughter Day Logos 
Folder: World Laughter Day Placards 

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Appendix 15 


Laughter Yoga Basic Learning Course Agenda 
One Day Experiential Program For Beginners 
Duration : 6 hours (3 hours before & after lunch) 
Time: 9.30 am to 5 pm (Includes lunch and tea / coffee breaks) 
9.00 am - 9.30 am Registration Logistics / Filling Laughter Quotient form 
9.30 am -10.30 am Special Introduction: Tell your name and laugh & what you do 
and laugh. Talk about what we learn from this exercise. 
Watch videos on worldwide LY movement : (Resources Pack 
DVD, History, What is Laughter Yoga, 5 points 3 reasons, 
Concept & Philosophy & 5 unique features of LY) 
10.30 am - 10. 45 am TEA BREAK 
10.45 am -11.45 am Complete Laughter Yoga Session with Exercises, Meditation 
and Yoga Nidra Relaxation (20 mins each ) 
11.45 am - 12.30 pm Discussion: Why we need to laugh more today, how to laugh 
who will make you laugh, benefits of Laughter Yoga &talk about 
new research & studies being done on Laughter 
12.30 pm -1.30 pm LUNCH BREAK 
1.30 pm- 2.30 pm Learn how to Laugh Alone by adding laughter exercises with 
your daily routine e.g. while taking a shower, cooking, washing 
dishes, cleaning & driving etc. 
2.30 pm - 3.30 pm Learn to Cultivate the 4 Elements of Joy (Singing, Dancing, 
Playing & Laughing ) 
Participate in a Gibberish session & Ho Ho Ha Ha Dance, Fun 
Games and Laugh Dance party 
3.30 pm - 3.45 pm TEA/COFFEE BREAK 
3.45 pm - 4.30 pm Find out how to get involved in Laughter Yoga and learn the 
strategies to bring more laughter into your life 
4.30 pm - 5 pm Quick Laughter Session, networking photos & feedback 

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Appendix 16 

Laughter Yoga Introduction Worksheet 

Special Way of Introduction in Laughter Yoga Trainings 

Tell your name and laugh ha ha ha 
Tell where you come from and laugh ha ha ha 
Tell what do you do and laugh ha ha ha 

Sample Answers: 

My name is Madan Kataria ha ha ha ha 
I come from Mumbai, India ha ha ha ha 
I am a medical doctor ha ha ha ha 


At the end, the facilitator will set up a dialogue program on what we learn from 
this exercise: 
You can laugh for no reason simply by deciding to laugh 


Laughter makes you less self-conscious 
Laughter is contagious—one person’s laugh can easily get the whole 
group laughing 


Laughter helps you take yourself less seriously 
Laughter sets us free from our own labels, titles and designations 
Laughter works as an icebreaker to break down initial barriers and connect 


people right away 
Laughter can remove the competitive dynamic from introductions 
Laughter relieves stress 
Laughter helps create a safe environment 


This great exercise gives us a quick introduction to the concept and philosophy 
of Laughter Yoga. This answers most of the questions what we teach in Laughter 
Yoga. 


Questions for Discussion: 
How easy was it for you to laugh without a reason? 
Do you feel differently after this exercise than you did before it? 
How has this exercise changed your perception of the other people in the group? 
Has the depth of your breathing changed as a result of this exercise? 


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