Questions & Answers

General Questions

Q: I can't do Yoga. I'm too stiff
A: Laughter Yoga combines simulated laughter with gentle Yoga breathing techniques. There are no contorsions, no fancy movements. Any body can do it. Watch this.

Q: I already laugh a lot. Why do I need this?
A: A good sense of humor is a blessing, and what do you laugh at? Humor nowadays has become “horizontal” rather than “vertical”. It is “aimed at” and puts people down, involves sarcasm and overall aims to ridicule. This is not empowering at all. Laughter exercises are a form of “vertical” humor. You laugh with others for the pure joy of it, never at them. They empower all and boost self-confidence.

Q: These exercises are silly and ridiculous. I find them most embarrassing. Why do them?
A: You think too much. Let your body play. These exercises are not “silly and ridiculous”, they are “fun and playful.” Take the scientific approach and give them a try. When you do please leave your mind at home. Just bring your body. Not being able to do what you want (e.g. play in a childlike manner) in a safe setting is a sure recipe to strengthen your own inhibitions and keep your heart in a concrete cage.

Q: I can't laugh. Terrible things have happened to me. Can this method help?
A: Forgive us if this sounds too harsh, and how long do you want to keep punishing yourself? Ashes are ashes and nothing can be done about it. How you feel now is and always remains your personal choice. Get whatever weighs on you out of you: keep a journal, join a support group, just cry, redefine normal, get some professional help even. These exercises work for all because they are a body-mind approach to health and happiness, not mind-body. As long as you can breathe you can laugh. Go through the motions. Fake it. Before you know it you will genuinely laugh. We have seen this happen more times than we can remember.

Q: How can I laugh when I am sad
A: Take it for what it is: a form of exercise. You don’t need to be happy to walk. Same with laughter. Go through the motions of health and happiness and the emotions will naturally follow. You can’t be depressed after running for 1h. Same with laughter exercises, except that here the results are much master and much easier.

Q: Do people laugh more when they drink alcohol?
A: People who run while pulling a heavy weight behind them still benefit from the exercise. People who run without pulling anything run faster and enjoy the process more. The analogy is the same with laughter and alcohol. Yes you will laugh more, and what’s the point when you can achieve a much greater “feel-good” result without drinking, at no cost and with no side-effects whatsoever?

Q: How do you plan to achieve world peace through laughter?
A: One person at a time. Be the change you want to see in the world. The strength of the Laughter Club movement is that there is no agenda. Individuals are touched and transformed in a personal and non-verbal way through the simple and regular practice of these simulated laughter exercises. Darkness has no identity of its own. It can only be defined by the absence of light. Become that light. Practice. Be patient. Persevere. Faith does move mountains.

Q: How can I learn more about this method?
A: Visit Dr Kataria’s website www.laughteryoga.org for a list of laughter clubs near you. Our own website is www.laughangeles.com. We offer two days experiential trainings and professional certification for laughter class instructors. The next level up is to attend a “trainer of trainers” week-long course with Dr Kataria himself.

Health Related Questions

Q: Are there any contra-indications to these exercises?
A: Nothing should be painful or uncomfortable. If in doubt don’t do it and ask your physician. This method has no brain. Use your own.

Q: Will laughter heal me?
A: Don’t know and that is not our claim. Laughter as a form of exercise is a powerful form of complementary medicine. We do not recommend nor suggest in any way shape or form that you discontinue your current treatment plan if you have one. Please share what you are doing with your doctor and follow his/her advice.

Technical Questions

Q: Should I / we practice these exercises every day?
A: Of course not. Only if you want to feel good.

Q: How long should a laughter session last?
A: You decide. For us 1h of non-stop laughter exercises is pushing it, and 1 minute a day is better than nothing. Our preference is for 45 minutes group sessions.

Q: How long should each exercise last?
A: Most laughter exercises will naturally last on average anywhere between 20 and 60 seconds. Keep your sessions dynamic! Listen and start clapping to regain control as soon as the laughter starts to die or you yourself have had enough.

Is this kind of laughter real?

Whether your laugh becomes real or not does not really matter. The body does not make the difference between simulated laughter (as long as you are willing to laugh) and real laughter and produces the same "happy" body chemistry. You will find when you experience Laughter Yoga that laughter is very contagious. Considering that laughter is hard-wired into your system (it is the very nature of life to be joyful), laughter seen / heard or even just felt in a group setting creates more laughter as the body quickly overrides the artificial limitations imposed by the mind (e.g. shyness, inhibitions, etc.) and reconnects in a way with its true nature.

What has laughter to do with yoga?

Much can be said on this subject. In a nutshell, "Yoga" means "union" (between the left and right brain, the masculine and the feminine, the mind and the body) and aims to create balance & harmony in all aspect of human life. Laugher Yoga shares the same goal.

Laughter puts us intensely in the moment. The ability to fully live and experience the “now” is of utmost importance because it is the only moment where we can experience happiness.

Yoga teaches that the mind and body are mirror one to another and that the breath is the link between the two. In Laughter Yoga, "Laughter" is used as a form of breath work and an excuse to breathe deeper into the abdomen. It gently expands the lung capacity by increasing abdominal breathing. It effectively flushes the 2/3 of "stale air" that most people unknowingly keep inside. Repeated practice teaches one to become more and more consciously aware of his/her own breathing pattern, bringing one into the fearless, trusting and loving "here" and "now" (a mind that is consciously aware of the physical breath cannot go anywhere else).

Awareness is the first step to improvement. Mastery of the breath (in due time) is effectively mastery of the mind and the body.

Read more about the connection between laughter and Yoga.

Is it possible to laugh alone for no reason?

You bet. And it is easy too. Try this:

We run Certified Laughter Yoga Leader trainings that explore this subject in greater depth. Please check it out. The key is to take the critical mind out of the equation / let your heart laugh and you will be amazed at what happens.

Learn more about the Certified Laughter Yoga Leader training.

About Laughter Clubs

Do I need to bring a Yoga Mat and wear anything particular?

• No, you don't. All you need to bring is a big smile and the willingness to laugh for no reason. Comfortable clothes feel of course nicer, and you can still practice Laughter Yoga in any form of clothing you may have to wear. The only rule to what you can and will do is "no new pain".
• Note that you may sweat, and if you do it is only because you will laugh a lot.

Do I need to register / sign up?

No, you don't. Just come.

How much does it cost?

Generosity leads to abundance
Selflessness leads to joy

Laughter Clubs are free and public. Thousands around the world volunteer their time to make them happen, freely and unconditionally, from the heart as an act of service.

Why?

From the volunteers' perspective, Dana or donation is one of the few deep values of generosity left in the world, where something precious is offered without charge. Laughter Clubs strive to honor this noble tradition of Dana, so that the practical wisdom they share on the art of living is kept free from pollution and misunderstanding.

From the student's perspective, Dana is a way to attempt to act in the same way as the teaching is offered, freely and unconditionally from the heart without expectation of return. Through Dana as students we offer our support to the ongoing work of the teachers. So when we give Dana, we do not give for ourselves, but so that others may continue to benefit from the teachings. If donation is given with this attitude, then it is purifying both individually and collectively.

How many times in a day do we give to others our time and money with the thought of getting something in return? We are trained habitually to expect a return; we work and expect remuneration, we are kind and polite expecting friendship and civility, we buy expecting a certain kind of product. If the expected or planned return does not materialize then we suffer!

The giving of motiveless or pure donation transcends our habitual patterns and as a result is free from the suffering of expectation and instead full of the joy of selfless action. The practice of giving unconditionally in all aspects of our lives is a very deep Yoga. To give is to let go; the sorrow and tension lie in holding on and holding back.

The Dalai Lama was once asked why he is always so happy, he replied after contemplation “Perhaps it is because I spend every waking moment thinking about the welfare of others”. There is no higher gift that can be given to others than these sublime Yoga teachings. So by giving donation we are aiding the welfare of everyone. We should give what we feel we are able to while also maintaining the attitude described above. It is not so much to do with how much we give but the attitude of mind as we give.

The Buddha once said “Some provide with the little they have, others who are affluent don’t like to give. An offering given from the little one has is worth a thousand it’s value”. There is a universal law that requires great courage to explore. This law says, the more we give the more the divine provides for our true needs. The more we forget ourselves in the service of others, the more secure and fulfilled we feel. The more we stay present, the more the future is taken care of.

As students our gifts of time, money and energy to the Laughter Club we attend, upholds it and bears well for it’s future.

I Want To Start A Laughter Club. What Do I Do?

Great question! Click here.