Why laughter is the easiest way to more serenity

Imagine you just start laughing – no joke, no reason, just because it feels good. That's the idea behind laughter yoga . Sounds strange? It is a little. And that's precisely what makes it so effective.

Where does laughter yoga actually come from?

The Indian physician Dr. Madan Kataria developed this method in the 1990s. His observation: The body reacts to consciously induced laughter in the same way as to genuine, spontaneous laughter. The heart, breathing, and nervous system can therefore be deliberately tricked – in a positive way.

What happens during a laughter yoga session?

In the group, simple laughter exercises alternate with breathing techniques , often based on classical pranayama. At first, the artificial laughter feels unfamiliar to many – after a few minutes, it usually turns into genuine, contagious laughter.

3 laughter yoga exercises for in between

Want to try it right away? These short exercises require no preparation:

• Greeting laughter: Go up to someone, look them in the eyes and laugh at each other – without words.
• Lion's laugh: Stick your tongue out far, open your eyes wide, stretch your arms out like claws and laugh.
• Phone laughter: Pretend you're listening to a super funny story on the phone – and just start laughing.

Who is laughter yoga suitable for?

Laughter yoga is particularly accessible: you don't need any yoga experience, a high level of fitness, or flexibility. It fits well into stressful phases of life, the office, team events – or simply moments when you long for more lightness.

Find a laughter yoga class near you

If you're now tempted to join in the laughter yourself: On findedeinyoga.org you can find laughter yoga courses and teachers near you – from in-person courses to online offerings.

And the next time you think you have nothing to laugh about: maybe that's exactly the right moment to do it anyway ;)