What are the Benefits of Laughter Yoga?
Do you have a memory of what tickled your funny bone after a hard day at work and made you feel a little lighter? What if you discovered laughter yoga, one of the wellness activities, could help you feel likewise every day? Just like how sharing a joke with friends and giggling over your favourite comedy show lifts your spirits and mood, laughter yoga too has profound effects on your overall well-being. The benefits of laughter yoga extend beyond stress reduction, to supporting heart health, strengthening social relationships, improving breathing capacity and thereby contributing to happiness and fitness. Let’s delve deeper into laughter yoga for mental health, the above benefits and related aspects.
What Is Laughter Yoga?
Laughter yoga is a scientifically proven approach to improve an individual’s physical, emotional and mental well-being. Among the stress management exercises, laughter yoga emerges as a set of exercises that combines unprovoked laughter with yoga breathing techniques (Pranayama).[1] This practice does not use humor or jokes to evoke laughter.
It was developed by Indian physician Dr. Madan Kataria in 1995.[2] It is based on the concept that stimulated laughter can become a genuine laughter and can be included as one of the wellness activities that can be practiced daily. Indulging in this yoga 10-15 minutes daily energizes the body, strengthens immunity and develops mental calmness and positivity.[3]
It is usually practiced in a group setting. For example, at clubs or a workshop or wellness sessions where a trained instructor helps attendees perform yoga for mental health that promotes laughter and enjoyment.[4]
Top Benefits of Laughter Yoga
There are numerous health benefits of laughter yoga. Some of them are mentioned below.
· Reduces Stress Hormones: Busy schedules, family responsibilities and stressful work environments can lead to stress, burnout and fatigue.
Laughter yoga may help reduce the levels of stress hormones like cortisol by affecting specific brain regions through sympathetic (fight-or-flight response) and parasympathetic (rest and relaxation) response in the central nervous system. These regions include:[5]
o Amygdala (emotional control center)
o Thalamus (region passing sensory information)
o Hypothalamus (region that regulates body temperature and stress responses)
As one of the stress management exercises, laughter may promote relaxation, help increase self-esteem, improve problem-solving abilities and also creative thinking abilities.5
· Improves Mood: Research suggests laughter yoga for mental health is beneficial as it boosts serotonin, dopamine and endorphins, the feel-good brain chemicals which contribute to feelings of well-being and stabilize mood.[6] Indulging in laughter yoga helps you let go of the consciousness and gives you the freedom to just be yourself and enjoy the moment, making it one of the effective stress management exercises.
· Supports Heart Health: One of the benefits of laughter yoga is that it supports cardiovascular health. The release of the body’s natural feel-good chemicals during laughter results in vasodilation (expansion of blood vessels), improving the circulation and lowering the strain on the heart.[7] Laughter can lower both the systolic and diastolic blood pressure and improve the heart rate variability — the variation in time between two consecutive heart beats. According to research, laughter-based interventions are also effective in reducing the cardiovascular-related risk factors and improving the quality of life in the elderly population.[8]
· Strengthens Social Connections: Whether as part of workplace wellness activities or community gatherings, laughter yoga serves as an amazing icebreaker in helping people relax and open up with each other better. The session, involving exercises like childlike play, eye contact and group movements, allow participants to create a safe and judgment-free ambience that fosters trust and camaraderie. This constant engagement and interaction in a fun way helps maintain strong ties among friends, family members or colleagues over time.[9]
· Improves Breathing Capacity: Of the various benefits of laughter yoga, improved pulmonary function is one of them. The rhythmic, deep and repetitive breathing exercises which are performed during the session strengthen the respiratory muscles, including the diaphragm and abdominal muscles. As the lung ventilation efficiency improves, a greater volume of oxygen can enter the alveoli and more carbon dioxide is expelled from the body.[10] Just like aerobic exercise, laughter yoga significantly improves pulmonary function parameters.10 Therefore, incorporating a laughter yoga session can be a joyful way to boost your emotional happiness and fitness.
Who Can Benefit from Laughter Yoga?
It can benefit a wide variety of groups, ranging from stressed individuals and office workers to older adults, children and students, people experiencing depression or low mood and communities looking for social connection.
However, people with the following medical conditions should first consult their healthcare provider before engaging in vigorous laughter therapy or deep diaphragmatic exercises:[11]
o Uncontrolled high blood pressure
o Hernias
o Heart disease with chest pain
o Epilepsy
o Any recent major surgery
How to Start Practicing Laughter Yoga
A laughter yoga session lasts for about 40 minutes and comprises deep breathing exercises (5 min), warm-up exercises (10 min), childish play activities (10 min) and laughter exercises (15 min).1 Get started with these simple steps:
· Inhale deeply while raising your arms, hold for 4-5 seconds, then lower your arms and exhale slowly by whistling or laughing.
· Begin with gentle clapping that stimulates acupressure points in the hands and increases energy levels. Add a rhythm in the form of 1-2, 1-2-3 and chanting “ho, ho, ha-ha-ha” by looking at others while smiling.
· Opt for any playful activity that lets you laugh freely like a child. You may raise your arms up along with others in a “Y shape”, clap and chant excellent (clap), excellent (clap), yes.” to perk up your energy levels and enthusiasm.
· Progress gradually towards a variety of stimulated laughter exercises that involve acting out funny situations as guided by the instructor. This is followed by a 3-minute deep breathing exercise at the end of the session.
The body responds to intentional laughter the same way it does to spontaneous laughter. However, to gain the benefits of laughter yoga, choose an approach that feels fun and enjoyable and move at your own pace which works for you. For happiness and fitness, combine laughter yoga with other stress management exercises like walking alongside balanced nutrition and adequate sleep for overall well-being.
Author: Nurture Health Solutions
Reference:
[1] Çeli̇K, A. S., & Kılınç, T. (2022). The effect of laughter yoga on perceived stress, burnout, and life satisfaction in nurses during the pandemic: A randomized controlled trial. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 49, 101637. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2022.101637
[2] What Is Laughter Yoga? Available at https://laughteryoga.org/about-us/what-is-laughter-yoga/. Last accessed on 12th October 2026
[3] Laughter Yoga. Available at https://laughteryoga.org/. Last accessed on 12th October 2026
[4] Laughing Yoga: What Is It and Does It Work? Available at https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/laughing-yoga#what-it-is. Last accessed on 12th October 2026
[5] Erkin, Ö., & Kocaçal, E. (2024). The impact of laughter yoga as a NIC on health parameters in nurses and nursing students: a systematic review. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 24(1), 378. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-024-04663-3
[6] Scientifically Proven Benefits of Laughter Yoga. Available at https://yogachaitanya.com/benefits-of-laughter-yoga/?srsltid=AU7gw4U9YinJ6gg0exgLVi3HQrH0BkNswzqhXWolbE8dbCqkNHMYIszB#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-3. Last Updated: 5th December, 2024. Last accessed on 12th October 2026
[7] Laughter Yoga: A Heart-Smart Addition to Cardiac Rehabilitation. Available at https://thehappydemic.com.au/laughter-yoga-a-heart-smart-addition-to-cardiac-rehabilitation/. Last accessed on 12th October 2026
[8] Ohira, T., Funakubo, N., Eguchi, E., & Shirai, K. (2024). Abstract P284: Effects of a Laughter Program on Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Community-Dwelling Older Adults. Circulation, 149(Suppl_1). https://doi.org/10.1161/circ.149.suppl_1.p284
[9] Laughter yoga: A powerful tool for social connection. Available at https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/lifestyle/the-social-benefits-of-laughter-yoga/story. Last accessed on 12th October 2026
[10] Mottaghi, S., Farsani, Z. H., Habibi, N., Habibi, Z., & Choopani, M. (2025). The effect of 8 weeks of laughter yoga training on cardiorespiratory indices in adolescent girls aged 13–15 in Shahrekord. Annals of Medicine and Surgery, 88(1), 303–310. https://doi.org/10.1097/ms9.0000000000004479
[11] Who Should Not Do Laughter Yoga. Available at https://www.laughteryoga.org/knowledge-hub/laughter-yoga-blogs/who-should-not-do-laughter-yoga/. Last accessed on 12th October 2026