Try Laughter Yoga Exercises to Liven Up Life on World Laughter Day

World Laughter Day of Indian origin is going to be celebrated on May 3, 2026. Laughter Yoga exercises, developed by Dr. Madan Kataria of Mumbai in 1995, combine intentional laughter with yogic deep breathing or pranayama to boost health and joy. These sessions, usually practiced in groups, use childlike playfulness, clapping, and eye contact to turn simulated laughter into genuine, contagious laughter, as the body cannot differentiate between the two.

Three key laughter yoga exercises are as follows

1. Lion Laughter Yoga is done by stretching out tongue and hands

2. Greeting Laughter Yoga is shaking hands while laughing

3. Gradient Laughter Yoga is done by building from a giggle to a belly laugh.

These three exercises are interspersed with clapping and chanting "ho-ho, ha-ha-ha," stimulating the diaphragm, reducing cortisol, and releasing feel-good endorphins, significantly reducing stress.