Dr. Kataria’s Laughter Yoga Diary

The Annual Laughter Yoga Conference, 2007 was held from September 6th - 8th in Trivandrum, India. Attended by more than 300 delegates from the country, the conference was an exhilarating experience for all.

Each day began with a rejuvenating laughter session early morning and ended with fun filled cultural programs and competitions.

Opening ceremony: The conference began with a colorful procession led by traditional percussionists from Kerala with their ‘Panchvadiya’ drums. The participants went round the hotel singing and chanting the magical mantra of ho ho ha ha ha. There was excitement in the air as the pageant culminated in the conference hall for the opening ceremony. After the formal introduction, Dr. Madan Kataria and his wife Madhuri made an impressive entry as they danced their way on stage. This was followed by the customary lighting of the lamp and a spectacular performance of ‘Kathakali’, a traditional dance form of Kerala.

Other highlights

Inter club exchange program: Dr. Kataria stressed on the need for more inter club exchange programs both in India and abroad. These programs would help leaders and the members to connect with each other and gather more information about the movement.

Laughter magazine: A new quarterly E- magazine on Laughter Yoga will be launched in January 2008. It will be a comprehensive journal giving all relevant information about Laughter Yoga, new trends and development and much more.

Stress on Laughter Yoga for children: Laughter Yoga among school children was a major highlight of the conference. Reports proved that Laughter Yoga is very beneficial to school children as it helped reduce their pressures and tensions in academics and interpersonal relations.