Laugh the Pain Away (Srsly)

As a doctor, Madan Kataria knows that there isn't much laughter in medicine, but he has found plenty of medicine in laughter. That’s what led him to create “laughter yoga”—a unique practice that combines yoga breathing exercises, childlike games and non-stop giggling. Kataria developed the practice during a particularly stressful period of his life. To counter that stress, he embraced laughter and discovered that even a fake laugh can lower stress and boost the body’s immune system. So laugh it up. It does a body good.

SUBSCRIBE: https://goo.gl/vR6Acb

This story is a part of our Human Condition series. Come along and let us connect you to some of the most peculiar, stirring, extraordinary, and distinctive people in the world.

Got a story idea for us? Shoot us an email at hey [at] GreatBigStory [dot] com

Follow us behind the scenes on Instagram: http://goo.gl/2KABeX
Make our acquaintance on Facebook: http://goo.gl/Vn0XIZ
Give us a shout on Twitter: http://goo.gl/sY1GLY
Come hang with us on Vimeo: http://goo.gl/T0OzjV
Visit our world directly: http://www.greatbigstory.com

(laughing)

Laughter is like a
spiritual practice for me.

I laugh
everywhere I go.

What I believe, the world
can be a better place

if more and more people
start laughing.

(laughing)

(chanting)

My name is
Madan Kataria.

I'm a medical doctor
and creator of Laughter Yoga.

(laughing)

It's time to laugh.

Laughter Yoga is
a unique concept

where anyone can laugh
for no reason at all.

(laughing)

We don't need to rely on jokes,
sense of humor or comedies.

Laughter unwinds
the negative effects of stress

and makes our immune
system stronger.

And brings more oxygen
to our body and brain.

(laughing)

The reason we call it
Laughter Yoga

is it's a combination
of laughter exercises

with deep breathing
techniques from yoga.

Scientifically, our body
doesn't know the difference

between real laughter
and fake laughter.

We will still get
the same health benefits.

(laughing)

I created Laughter Yoga
because my life was very stressful.

Being a leader of
a health magazine

and a medical
practitioner,

I could not find any
relief from the stress.

Then I found
a breakthrough

that there is lot of
medicine in laughter.

Based on this idea I created
laughter as a form of exercise.

(laughing)

I wake up at four in the morning
and the first thing I do

is I laugh for 30,
40 minutes every day.

I'm laughing
in my daily routine,

laughing
with my staff.

(laughing)

Everybody calls me,
nobody says me hello.

(laughing)

Hoho-haha.

(laughing)

I'm laughing on Skype;
I'm teaching Laughter Yoga.

One day I'm going
to die laughing.

(laughing)

Very good,
very good, yay.

(laughing)

My mission in life is to create
social laughter clubs,

which are free for everyone
in the world.

(guitar music)

When we laugh in a group
it becomes real and contagious,

it becomes easier
to laugh.

Now we have more than
16,000 laughter clubs

in 100 countries.

(laughing)

When you find happiness
with laughter practice,

the perception of
the algorithm changes.

We can create happiness
within ourselves.

(laughing)