Laughter Yoga at Mumbai Street School

Mumbai, the biggest metropolis in India provides dramatic examples of the great divide between rich and poor. It's common to see modern skyscrapers skirted by slums.

The pavement is home for thousands of families. Many children are deprived of basic neccessities of life like shelter, clothing and education. These harsh conditions and economic disparity turn many innocent children to acts of criminality. To curb this social evil, Asha Kiran is an NGO that provides basic education to homeless and slum children. It runs a chain of schools on the streets of Mumbai.

A few months ago, Dr. Kataria took a group of Korean students to laugh with this special school on the roadside. They were surprised at the discipline maintained by the young children and their teacher. Even amidst a noisy sidewalk, loads of pollution and trash, the children were totally engrossed in their studies, unmindful of their surroundings.

Dr. Kataria did some playful Laughter Yoga exercises which helped them to open up and lose their hesitation and shyness. Together they laughed and chanted very good, very good, yeah! and clapped and danced to the sound of ho ho ha ha ha. Laughter Yoga brought a smile on their faces and gave them a sense of joyfulness and happiness.