Dr. Kataria’s Laughter Yoga Diary

In normal life it is very difficult to express your anger because it might affect other people. Psychotherapists introduced shouting and screaming exercises to release the energy of anger but these often have strong negative side effects.
Laughter yoga breathing and laughter exercises open the layers of your subconscious mind and allow you to release pent-up emotions including anger and strong emotions with no dangerous side effects. Read more…

Today I and my wife Madhuri visited a laughter club in the suburbs of Mumbai India.

Nearly 70 men and women standing in two lines welcomed us with Indian greeting laughter, called namaste laughter. We walked like a king and queen greeting and laughing with them.

After joining and witnessing their laughter yoga session, I learnt quite a few things.

Read more…

Dr Kataria discusses three types of stress that are prevalent in today’s world, and how they leave us feeling physically, mentally & emotionally exhausted. Emotional stress is especially difficult to release.
He explains how laughter yoga releases all three types of stress and provides a fast energy recharge, and why laughter yoga works faster and more effectively than other forms of stress release. Read more…

On the occasion of Diwali popularly known as festival of lights, I and Madhuri invited, a group of ladies from my building to join us for a dinner celebration.

There were 12 ladies present who had never been to a laughter club. When I suggested that before dinner we do a laughter session they agreed with great excitement.

I explained that you have to force yourself to laugh in the beginning, but Read more…

How can you laugh when you don’t feel like laughing?

I see in laughter clubs that very often people are not in a good mood to laugh. Many group members are not very funny and don’t have a great sense of humor. Some are very shy and inhibited while others have problems in their lives.

I have observed in thousands of laughter clubs that even if you start laughter yoga exercises forcibly, after a few minutes real laughter begins to flow, bringing with it a good mood and positive outlook. With that the laughter exercises becomes easier to continue.

For example, Read more…

Today my wife Madhuri and I met with film producer Ram Dayal from Bollywood who is 75 years old.

While having lunch he and his wife told us the story about their amazing recovery from depression through laughter yoga.

Eight years ago he suffered from severe depression. He was very upset Read more…

Today a producer of a BBC team making a travel show for BBC1 called me. They are coming to visit laughter clubs in Mumbai on 3rd November for the BBC show. Media interest in laughter clubs is picking up very quickly.

Today a photo journalist from Marie Claire US magazine came to visit me in Mumbai. Marie Claire is writing an article on how woman in India are coping with life through laughter yoga.

We went to two laughter clubs near my home. He took pictures of groups of ladies dressed in Indian sarees and suits. He was taking photos of only woman and the men were asking why not even one picture of men? They came to know and laughed about it when I told them towards the end of session.

While having breakfast the journalist asked me why there are more women in laughter clubs and very few men? Good question. I replied as follows:
Read more…