Hudson Valley Laughter Yoga for Health and Happiness

Laughter Yoga (Hasyayoga) is a global laughter exercise program emphasizing laughter and playfulness, yogic breathwork, and mindfulness meditation. It was introduced in Mumbai, India, in 1995 by family physician Madan Kataria and his wife Madhuri. Dr. Kataria modernized some of the work of earlier laughter pioneers, who taught very similar concepts starting in the 1960s in a more structured and unique manner.

Dr. Kataria, his wife Madhuri, and three of their best friends started the first laughter social club at a local park. To keep the laughter flowing (after they ran out of jokes), Dr. Kataria created the 40 Foundation exercises based on everyday situations rather than on jokes or comedy. Kataria wrote about his experience in his 2002 book Laugh For No Reason. Additional scientific data and updated information can be found in Dr. Kataria's 2021 book, Laughter Yoga: Daily Laughter Practices for Health and Happiness.

A 2018 review concludes that group interventions based on laughter Yoga improved depressive symptoms over the short term. Still, there is no good quality evidence to assess that laughter yoga is more effective than other group-based interventions. A 2019 review and meta-analysis in the field of laughter-inducing therapies suggests that they are more effective than humorous laughter and can improve depression. However, the quality of the evidence was low. A meta-analysis published in 2020 concludes that laughter yoga has no adverse effect and could have benefits for older adults in terms of physical function (blood pressure, cortisol level, sleep quality) and psychosocial health (life satisfaction, quality of life, loneliness, death anxiety, depression, mood, happiness).