Laughter Yoga’s Gain in Popularity Brings International Yuks

What’s the Latest?

For everyone who thinks yoga is something of a joke, here’s a heck of a punchline.

Laughter yoga, a humor-focused offshoot of the popular spiritual exercise, is experiencing a global boom in popularity. A firm called “Inspire 2 Aspire” has brought the practice to Hong Kong. A Japanese “Laugh Captain” named Koji Tajima has taken to sharing Laughter Yoga in the UK and looks to trek across the world. The practice has popped up countries such as Iran, Israel, and the U.S., among others. Unlike traditional yoga, laughter yoga focuses less on physical movement and more on the release of endorphins through voluntary laughing.

What’s the Big Idea?

Laughter yoga is performed in groups and often consists of shorts activities bent on producing positive emotions and humor. Although participants are meant to begin by producing contrived laughter, the voluntary chuckles have a tendency to morph into full-blown involuntary mirth. 

The practice was developed by an Indian cardiologist nearly 20 years ago yet has seen rapid growth in popularity over recent years. You can see a video of a class in the UK by following the Belfast Telegraph link below. Whether laughter is or isn’t the world’s greatest medicine, it’s definitely a pleasant way to temporarily escape the stress of everyday life.

Read more at CNTV, Huffington Post, & The Belfast Telegraph

Photo credit: wavebreakmedia / Shutterstock