Wow, a lot has happened since 1995, when Dr. Madan Kataria and his wife Madhuri joined three of their best friends to start up their first laughter club in a nearby Mumbai park!

Never would they imagine that their idea would give birth to a whole Laughter Yoga movement, which has now spread around the world and is helping people of all ages and backgrounds come together to laugh through stressful situations, manage anxiety and pain , cultivate inner joy and playfulness AND SO MUCH MORE. Who would have thought that something so simple like unconditional laughter, could be cultivated, nurtured and be used to help us feel uplifted, energized and empowered? It really works.

For it to be effective, these laughter exercises need to be practiced every day . If Laughter Yoga is new to you, it might feel strange to laugh so often, for extended periods but focusing on your breath (accessing the power of your diaphragm) and giving yourself permission to experiment with your laughter can feel very liberating.  Join a laughter club near you.

I encourage you to be more mindful of inserting more laughter into your everyday routine. Soon you will be laughing more readily and it will become part of you. Let the laughter flow out of you.

Ho ho ha ha,  twenty four laughs for you! Take a deep breath in…… and blow out the candles!