Anak Agung Gede Sukarena, Jakarta: For years, Anak Agung Gede Sukarena, a middle aged man in Bali, did the rounds of doctors, healers, acupuncturists and alternative therapists trying to understand his ailments, which included shoulder and back pain, severe stomach cramping, migraines, insomnia and crippling phobias. By his early 50s, he lived in a state of total panic and fear. He was unable to s...

Lauro Lestani, Italy: I am a massage therapist and also teach Hatha Yoga. When I was six years old, my parents owned a bar, but unfortunately they did not get along. I tried to protect my mother from my father’s constant abusiveness whenever I could, but being so young it was difficult. In order to stop myself from shouting and crying, I made-up little games for myself and my kid brother ...

Sharondz Ng, Malaysia: I got to know about Laughter Yoga a few years ago at a Yoga Studio where I attended a 2 days laughter workshop. Although I felt awesome during the sessions, I didn’t find out more about it until last year, when I felt inspired to enquire about Laughter Yoga leader training in Malaysia. The timing of the course was inconvenient and I was unable to attend, so this year, ...

Robert Rivest, USA: My background is in performing arts. I have been presenting comic mime, health, literacy and stress management educational programs in schools, libraries, and theaters for over 30 years. In 2009, Mary Rives and Keith Carlson offered a Laughter Yoga session at my performing arts guild. I loved it. I felt great on the drive home and for several hours afterward. That night, I r...

Liliana De Leo, Canada: It was June 2006. We were 15 people sitting in a circle, waiting for the class to begin. I was attending a 2-day training program to become a certified Laughter Yoga Leader. I had no idea what to expect or what Laughter Yoga was about. I was looking to bring new and innovative fitness programs back to the members of the YMCA. Linda, our teacher, began the class with introdu...

Andrea Magnabosco, Germany: I first got to know about Laughter Yoga in October 2015 and it was a life changing experience. Though my job and family was stable, my life was very boring and I wasn’t ok from within. I sensed I wasn’t complete and was not doing the right thing in my life – the thing I was meant to do. So I decided to attend a Laughter Yoga session hoping it would ...

Lalla Laura Ribaldone: Since 2013 my life had almost collapsed due to my husband’s illness and a subsequent divorce. I faced accusations of leaving him because of his sickness and many known people hurt my soul, which led me to self- destruction.  I needed a caretaker in the house because I’m deaf and was living all by myself. Having no parents anymore or close relations to rel...

Dorothy Pincus, USA: I always considered myself a spiritual person, but nothing could have prepared me for the loss of my mother. Instead of dealing with the reality of her passing, I was in search of anything that could take my grief away. I tried everything prescription drugs, food, and shopping to feel better. But nothing worked. So I turned within for answers and what was hidden underneath was...

Mike Forester, CLYL, Canada: I am a certified Laughter Yoga leader and work as a recreation therapist that includes working with seniors while running a senior’s outreach program in Hamilton, Ontario. I am also an advocate of mental health with a new found passion for Laughter Yoga. Laughter Yoga has not only changed my professional life but has had a huge impact on my personal life. I li...

Tiffany, CLYT: Laughter Yoga has been an empowering game changer in my life. From abuse and suffering, to freedom and abundance, my life was a disaster. I had neglected myself until nearly losing connection with several aspects of me, entirely. My physical health was a mess, my emotional stability in a constant quiver, and my state of peace was dynamically extreme. Laughter Yoga healed me physical...

Suman Suneja, Dubai: I first heard about Laughter Yoga when Dr Madan Kataria visited Dubai in 2002. I felt so relaxed and energetic after his laughter session that I decided to spread the word of laughter and its enormous benefits. I trained as a laughter professional in 2013, after going through some instability in my business, which affected my health. With Laughter Yoga, I could unwind and d...

Rainee, USA: I’ve always been a happy person, even when many things in my world have been painful. Many throughout my life have asked me, “Are you ever down?” Of course, being human, down times are bound to happen. Most of the time, I only talk about those things to choice people, for various reasons, but they’re very much there. Still, I’ve managed to surround myself...