To Laugh for Health

World Laughter Day is celebrated every first Sunday of May. This is a special day designated to build up global awareness of health, happiness and world peace through laughter. On this day, laughter club members and their friends and families get together in squares and public parks to laugh. World Laughter Day was created by Dr. Madan Kataria, the founder of the worldwide Laughter Yoga movement. The celebration of World Laughter Day is a positive representation of world peace. Now there are up to over 6,000 laughter clubs in more than 100 countries with the popularity of Laughter Yoga. The first World Laughter Day gathering took place in India in 1998. 12,000 people from local and international laughter clubs joined together in the laughing event. One of Dr. Madan Kataria’s objectives for Laughter Yoga is to promote world peace through laughter. The practice of Laughter Yoga causes the body to release certain “Feel Good” hormones into the bloodstream related to the feelings of happiness, warmth, love, tolerance, forgiveness, generosity and compassion. By practicing Laughter Yoga in groups, not only will you cheer up your friends and families but you may also cheer up those around you. They in turn will cheer up others. By having thousands of laughter clubs all over the world, it will create a positive energy which will change the consciousness of the world for the better. Famous writer Mark Twain said, “Mankind has only one really effective weapon, and that is laughter.” Laughter is a universal language we all speak without any language barrier. We should believe that only laughter can bring the world together and help people become good friends. “When you laugh, you change, and when you change, the whole world changes around you,” said Dr. Madan Kataria. Let’s join Laughter Yoga: the global movement for health, happiness and world peace.