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 and laughed for no reason. Initially, my mother scolded me, but after seeing us happy and full of joy, left us free to run and laugh as we wanted. This was my first encounter with laughter. Life gave me a lot of pain but thanks to laughter and the positive thoughts, I faced it all with great dignity and serenity.

Later, I came across Laughter Yoga and being highly inspired by the concept, I trained to become a Laughter Yoga teacher and helped to spread this wonderful technique in the world. I did some sessions of free Laughter Yoga in a therapeutic community, a senior center, a center for people with disabilities and many times in public gardens, but the greatest gift I had was by the elderly, the disabled and the suffering people who have filled me with affection and gratitude and love.