Ana Banana, Portugal: Portugal has been known as the ‘land of sadness’ for a long time and people found it difficult to laugh. But today, it is a perfect example of how Laughter Yoga can change attitude and even culture. It was introduced in 2004, but was faced with a very hard start and a reluctant community. Gradually, the dam of centuries of repression exploded and a tidal wave of l...

Loretta Bert, Italy: After graduating I worked as a technical trainer in the IT industry for a short while, after which I became an Education Manager, and since 2000 have been working as a free-lance in training and coaching for companies and universities. In my job, I’ve always tried to have a positive and smiling attitude. With NLP (Neurolinguistic Programming) I modified my view of lif...

Taizo Yokokawa, Japan: I came to know about Laughter Yoga through a television program in August, 2009. I was greatly inspired by laughter professionals Mary and Takashi Tadokoro, and the unique concept of Laughter Yoga in which anyone can laugh without relying on humor, jokes, or comedy. I just felt, “That’s it!” For a long time, I used to think that just smiling can make me ...

Charlotte Eaton, UK: I was among the 24 participants in the Laughter Yoga course together with a journalist, from New Yorker magazine. We spent five days learning about the health benefits of laughter, how to run sessions including anything from corporate teambuilding to those for seniors in care homes and laughing more than I’ve ever laughed before. It was an incredible experience, a physic...

Francine Shore, NYC: My mother always said that her two children had very hardy laughs. While my brother became an investment banker, I had to find something else to fall back on.As a recovering class clown, and a former talent agent and casting associate, who worked with lots of comedians and actors I was always for all things laughter related. However, my laughter story came full circle when nin...

Pedro Hernandez, Mexico: I am a registered Hatha Yoga teacher and have been teaching it for the last 10 years. I also run a Yoga studio with Caty, my soulmate. In January, 2008, I got the opportunity to experience my first Laughter Yoga session. The effect was so profound, almost similar to some of the rare experiences I have had during either Hatha Yoga or meditation sessions in 30 years. So, at ...

Diane Shalom, USA: I was a very highly strung, spoilt, and emotionally neglected child who grew into a rebellious teen and a temperamental adult. Much of my life was a cycle of angry, hateful outbursts that would morph into long episodes of self-loathing and self-hatred. I would seek oblivion and comfort by sleeping up to 18 hours a day. When I would wake up, the cycle would begin again. My mother...

Sue Ansari, USA: Two nights ago, I was awakened with what I know was a major panic attack – heart racing and crying hard. I didn’t know what to do and how to control it. I finally started deep breathing and decided to add some “Ho Ho Ha Ha’s” to the mix, and also decided to start tapping. I tapped systematically, the many different acupressure points on my face and he...

Helen T. Whitley, Psychotherapist: I was feeling very burned out in the summer of 2006, when I discovered this new form of body-mind fitness. To cope with my stress, I went to a peaceful yoga retreat in the mountains of North Georgia. After settling in, I looked at the class schedule and found a class on Laughter Yoga. Just seeing the name brought a smile to my face and I couldn’t wait to se...

Ingrid, Austria: I’ve been suffering from acute rheumatism since I was 15, and two serious whiplash injuries worsened my discomfort. At the age of 43, I was forced to stop working as a Nurse and needed home help and domiciliary care. For several years, I was doing pain therapy, and it was my therapist, who introduced me to Laughter Yoga. In September 2009, I visited Salzburg’s Laugh...

Craig Whitley, USA: The beginning of 2006 was a trying time for my wife and me. I’d left my job to re-enter private practice as a hypnotherapist and life coach, and it wasn’t going nearly as well as I’d expected. Then we decided to buy an office, but the stress of preparing the new office while still seeing clients and trying to move had us getting on each other’s nerves. ...

PT Hinduja, Mumbai, India: I want to share my journey from a serious Company Secretary to a Laughter Champion. I lived in the same building as Dr. Kataria in Mumbai. I was a very serious and introverted person, and hardly laughed. I worked as a Company Secretary dealing with law and legal matters, and barely had a sense of humor, but today, I am a ‘Laughter Champion’!! This amazing tra...