When I was in US last year, I met Dr. Andrew Weil and Dr. Gulshan Sethi in the University of Arizona. Fascinated by Laughter Yoga, they were very keen to start a research project on the concept. And here is the news…ha ha ha
- Dr. Kataria

US Army plans to use "Hasya Yoga" or Laughter Yoga to help Iraqi war soldiers overcome post-traumatic stress disorders.

Turning to Yoga to treat US soldiers returning from Iraq is the project planned to be started by a hospital for Army veterans in the American State of Arizona, which has so far found post-traumatic stress difficult to manage.

The Laughter Yoga, which is called "Hasya Yoga" in Sanskrit, is being modified a little bit to make it more relevant for the Iraq war veterans, a large number of whom are said to be suffering from this difficult syndrome, by Dr. Andy Weil, Director, Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine and an Indian American doctor.

Weil believes that this branch of yoga coming from India has the potential to successfully treat the Iraq war veterans suffering from such syndrome.

"A colleague of mine, Dr. Gulshan Sethi, a cardiothoracic surgeon in Tucson, a recent graduate of our integrative medicine fellowship, and I are proposing a research project with a group of Iraq war veterans at the VA (Veteran Affairs) VA Hospital out there, who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder," Dr Weil told a Senate panel on Thursday.

Testifying before the Senate Committee on Health, Education and labour on a hearing on integrative care, Weil said that he is fascinated by Laughter Yoga.

Press Trust of India
Saturday, February 28, 2009, (Washington)