Tag: #Articles

Excerpts from – Mission HAPPINESS 

MY LAUGHTER YOGA JOURNEY-3

(e-abhivyakti presents chapter MY LAUGHTER YOGA JOURNEY in three parts.)

We could sense the deep feelings that must have percolated in her heart and soul, before she started playing with her child. This singing, dancing, playing, and laughing with a child and imparting a happy attitude towards life is the ultimate paradise.

A long time has elapsed since then. Ranu has founded My Sanika – cancer care society and is the president at global women network.

Kabeer, affectionately known as Tiesto, is now a well-known model. He was the youngest participant of the largest laughter yoga class and received a certificate from the Guinness book of records.

Ranu arranged a fund-raising event for her NGO at the Jaal auditorium and invited me for a presentation on ‘happy@work’ to dispel myths surrounding happiness and create work-life balance.

We conducted a laughter session on world laughter day before a large gathering in the Indori Subah event organized by the Times of India. She invited me to speak at the first meet-up of global women network, Indore chapter, and also arranged several laughter sessions for kids at the Millennium school and other forums.

I took the morning flight from Indore that halted briefly at Mumbai and touched Bengaluru by noon.

Coming out of the arrival gate, I was pleasantly surprised to see Madhuri Kataria, co-founder of laughter yoga, with a bouquet of flowers. We proceeded to the laughter yoga university, about 20 minutes’ drive from the airport.

Dr Madan Kataria, the laughter Guru, whom I adored, warmly welcomed me. Introducing me to his young team, he told them, “Jagat will now be with us.”

Before I could settle down, he said, “We will have lunch now, and then, within an hour, we are leaving for an interesting assignment – laughter yoga with the commandos!”

The centre for counter terrorism was a couple of hours drive from the university.

Over a cup of tea, the trainers there told us, “The commandos are here for training and have a strict routine. They get up at 5 am and go to bed only after 11 pm. The whole day, they have strenuous physical activity as well as theory classes. They feel a lot of stress, fatigue, and are sleep deprived.”

We were taken to an indoor shooting range where 30 commandos were eagerly waiting for us.

Dr Kataria greeted them with laughter and said, “We know that you are going through a very tough routine. You don’t get enough sleep. The physical activities you do the whole day are exhausting. You are away from your loved ones and being combat ready at all times drains away all the energy.”

The commandos felt that here is someone who understands their plight and empathizes with them. They were now willing to listen.

Dr Kataria said, ”We are here to show you ways to relax, build stamina, and be happy!”

We then had an engrossing experience of laughter yoga and meditation for more than an hour. The commandos were all smiles. Fully relaxed!

Each one wanted to shake hands with the laughter doctor. We could feel the gratitude flowing from their eyes. The tough exterior of the commandos had melted and the child within was visible all around.

We too felt blessed and realized that we owe a lot more to them.

On our way back, Dr Kataria exclaimed, “How fulfilling this experience has been! I am feeling really good.”

He continued, “We had conducted a session with the commandos earlier too but this time it was something different. We shall not leave it mid-way now. We shall depute one of our teachers here for as long as they want. He will also train their trainers to conduct laughter exercises.”

He spoke to their superintendent and sent Vinayak to be with them for a couple of days. Vinayak was with them from early morning till late night. Whenever the group energy dropped, he shared some laughter and breathing exercises. The effect was magical.

The trainers told us that the commandos were now more willing to learn, responded cheerfully to their commands, and shared a lot of positive energy as a team. They laughed during breaks, doing their own versions of the laughter exercises.

I enjoyed long walks with Madan Kataria in the mornings and evenings. Our discussions mostly centred around laughter yoga. I could see the dream of laughter yoga university floating in his eyes incessantly. During weekends, we went for movies. He was especially fond of caramel popcorn.

I was more inclined toward the training part and believed in the purity of laughter yoga. My emphasis was on the four steps of laughter yoga. I inspired new teachers to create local laughter clubs and run them regularly. As I had experience in the training system, I experimented with new methods of teaching.

Till that time, laughter ambassador certification was awarded to very senior and experienced laughter leaders and teachers, who had contributed richly to the cause of laughter yoga. I suggested that we must encourage newer leaders and teachers, who are energetic and exhibit a potential to propagate laughter yoga. Dr Kataria saw the point and consented.

During one of the trainings, we planned and completed shooting of a revised version of forty foundation exercises, in Hindi and English.

I have always adored and admired laughter professionals who have been role models and inspired laughter lovers around the world – Jeffrey Briar, Alex Sternick, Robert Rivest, Merv Neal, Lotte Mikkelsen, Tosha Tobias, Duncan Cook, Keyem Thomas, Emma Ferguson, Melanie Rudolph, Rebecca J. Foster, Voet Steven, and Kara Sherman, to name just a handful of them.

I reported at the Delhi prison headquarters and was straightaway driven to the adjoining Tihar Jail – the biggest prison complex in Asia.

We were first taken to jail no. 6, which is a prison meant exclusively for women inmates and under-trials. At the entrance, we were frisked, and our wallets and mobiles deposited.

Being a law-abiding citizen all through my life, I never ever imagined that I would land in a prison someday. It felt a bit awkward stooping and getting in through the small gate that I had only seen in movies.

Within a few minutes, we were before the superintendent and warden of the jail. We were taken to a hall where around 200 lady prisoners were present. They belonged to all ages – young, middle-aged, and old.

Looking at their plight, I felt deep empathy for them and found it difficult to control my tears. But they were full of life and hope. There were no signs of despair in their eyes; at least they pretended to be normal.

At this point, I must disclose the purpose of our visit and tell you who all were with me or, rather, with whom I was there. We were here for a noble purpose – to add a dash of cheer and happiness in the routine life of the prisoners and bring some smile on their faces.

I was in the august company of Madhuri and Madan Kataria, along with Dr Santosh Sahi, who has done commendable service at the prison, and some members of the Delhi laughter club, and my colleagues from the laughter yoga university.

Within minutes, there were echoes of “hoho hahaha” and “very good very good yay!” reverberating within the walls of the prison. We could sense a silent gratitude in the eyes of the inmates for bringing a shower of relief and some respite from the frightening monotony of the closed walls.

Bidding good-bye to them with a heavy heart, we moved to the adjacent prison meant for the adolescents. The boys there were all between 18 and 21 years of age. At first glance, I observed an eerie look in their eyes. I felt sad for them. They should be studying somewhere but suddenly find that their future is quite hazy and uncertain.

This age group, especially with a closed mindset, is sometimes a hard nut to crack. Dr Kataria started with clapping and breathing exercises. Soon, they were laughing like all other kids – the child-like playfulness had re-surfaced, and they were laughing whole heartedly.

I guided them to hearty laughter, age laughter, and lion laughter. The response was immense. Vinayak thrilled them with his favorite banana trick. The prison was brimming with energy and joy. The eerie look in the eyes of the boys had vanished and they appeared like little kids. I could hardly hold my tears!

I must express my deep gratitude to the wonderful staff at the prison, who served us tea, pakoras, and lunch, with so much care and concern, and the senior officers of the jail, who made our visit free of any hassles.

Next morning, we conducted a laughter session before a huge gathering at the Raahgiri event in Rohini, organized by a newspaper group. We also accompanied Dr Sahi, our host, for a session with school kids. During our stay, we visited the vibrant Jalvayu laughter club, trained a large group of laughter leaders, and attended a conference of the Delhi laughter clubs.

Skype laughter club is an online community of laughter lovers from all over the world who connect through laughter. It was created by Anu Saari from Finland and Ines Schwarz from Austria in the year 2009. I soon joined the team of skype laughter club leaders and requested Seva Safyan to join us.

With the addition of new laughter sessions, skype laughter club started gaining popularity. Madhuri and Madan Kataria joined us regularly. We motivated Rajesh and Amaresh to conduct daily sessions from the laughter yoga university.

A session on skype laughter club was made an integral part of all laughter yoga trainings. Every new teacher experienced a skype laughter session during training.

We organized the first ever online laughter yoga marathon. It was a grand success with more than 350 participants from all time zones, including New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, India, Bahrain, Israel, South Africa, Switzerland, Italy, France, Germany, UK, Finland, Canada, USA, Brazil, and Ecuador.

The marathon lasted for a little over 24 hours during the weekend, with unrelenting giggles and guffaws floating in the atmosphere all through. It had a large number of first-time laughers on the net, along with Anu Saari and Madan Kataria.

The event was divided into 24 segments of half an hour each, with short breaks and an experienced international crew consisting of Anu, Sean, Seva, Ferris, Jane, Ivo, Linda, Radhika, and I, leading the sessions.

It was a wonderful experience when people, from different time zones, laughed together under a single, global laughter club. Dr Kataria had a different view and encouraged creation of localized skype laughter clubs.

I am happy that I contributed to the growth of skype laughter club when it was needed. With time, new technology has evolved, and we now have online laughter sessions mostly over Zoom.

Radhika and I took an afternoon flight to Bengaluru. The Katarias hosted a dinner for us at their home.

A residence with all the essentials was kept ready for us.

We went for a morning walk with Madan Kataria. After breakfast, we went to the laughter yoga university office, where we met Michi Morioka. She had come from Japan for master trainer’s program.

During the day, we took her to a nearby school for a laughter session with the kids. The school had a colourful classroom, especially for the purpose of laughter yoga. She felt happy with them and taught, “yatta yatta yay!” in Japanese. The kids were delighted. We went to the school regularly and conducted sessions for different groups.

In the evening, we went to a local, all-ladies’ laughter club. The club was years old, and the ladies were well versed with laughter exercises. We enjoyed laughing with them.

Michi is a beautiful soul. She is highly talented, hard working, and a great presenter. We bonded with her very closely. We invited her for dinner often and had long chats.

Laughter lovers from all countries came to the university to be certified as laughter yoga teachers and master trainers. We assisted Dr Kataria in the trainings. Radhika experimented with yogic and aerobic warm-up exercises. I loved conducting laughter meditation sessions in the morning. It was a rich experience interacting with the participants.

We feel especially proud to be associated with the training of Omar Damak, Emma Taylor, Kay Wararuk Sunonethong, Ashok Swahney, Ruchi Phool, Sai Kumar, Ishvinder Teji, Varuna Khullar, and Nikhil Thapar, as they are enthusiastic in spreading laughter yoga.

The first international laughter yoga festival was arranged during that time. We had wonderful participants – Kula Lisboa, Sofia Monteira, Lara Lucaccioni, Letizia Espanoli, Egbert Griebeling, Angela Mecking, Emma Liana Dewi, Andrew Stevens, Lee Jean, Karen Kong, Michi Morioka, and Zoreli Figueroa, among others.

It was August 15, Independence Day. We all gathered at the school, where we conducted laughter yoga sessions regularly. The celebrations included a session of laughter yoga with the kids. From there we proceeded to the school of ancient wisdom for the formal inauguration of laughter festival.

We accompanied Madhuri and Madan Kataria on a tour of the Always Be Cheerful (ABC) laughter clubs of Hyderabad. The club members are full of cheer. We had a big session at the Public Gardens, conducted a session for school children, one for an IT company, and organized a laughter leader training. We had the pleasure of meeting Shirin Didi and Madhav Mhaske, founders of the clubs.

We attended functions of the local clubs in Bengaluru, arranged leader trainings, and conducted a laughter session for the Hewlett Packard (HP) company in the IT Park.

Laughter becomes more meaningful when it is intended not only to make us happy but also to make others smile. This in laughter clubs is known as the inner spirit of laughter.

Laughter clubs are instrumental in bringing about attitudinal changes in people and provide an ideal platform to help people connect through love and laughter.

Laughter yoga goes beyond just the physical and physiological dimension of laughing. It not only fosters a feeling of physical well-being by generating endorphins in the body, but it also enhances the spirit and touches the emotional core. It cultivates positive thinking and promotes understanding.

Many of the laughter exercises focus on forgiveness, appreciation, anger management, gratitude, and helpfulness. Laughter yoga provides an opportunity to the practitioners to actively enhance the life of others.

Those who practice laughter yoga on a regular basis understand that it has the power to change the selfish state of mind to an altruistic state of mind. It has been proven that people who laugh are likely to be more generous and have more empathy than those who do not laugh.

This inner spirit of laughter becomes apparent to the seekers as they develop a state of internal peace – the worries and intense goals that have driven their lives become less important. These people become aware that true happiness comes from giving unconditional love, caring for others, and sharing with each other.

Everyone knows that laughter is the best medicine but how many of us have a good dose of laughter every day?

Mirthful laughter generates feel good hormones and busts stress instantly. To reap the benefits of laughter, one needs to laugh deep from the diaphragm for about twenty minutes daily. It expels all the stale air from the body and rejuvenates our lungs with fresh oxygen.

Laughter yoga is a unique laughter delivery system that enables us to laugh for no reason, without the use of jokes, comedy, or humour, even when the going is not good.

We begin laughter with the aid of laughter exercises that turns infectious through eye contact and childlike playfulness of the participants in the group. The practice of laughter yoga may seem frivolous to a layman, but it has a deep and profound impact upon the practitioners. It works wonders for the immune system and is a powerful cardiovascular exercise.

You must have seen members of laughter clubs giggling and having fun in parks. That is group laughter – a more conducive form of laughter yoga.

It generally starts with some gentle warm-up exercises – stretching, bending, twisting, and yogic breathing.

Laughter yoga routine is designed scientifically to have four steps:

The first step is clapping and chanting “hoho hahaha”.

The second step is deep breathing – exhale while bending forward, inhale while raising your arms up. It culminates with holding the breath for a while going up, saying “hold it- hold it – hold it” in an ascending voice, and then bending down, tapping thighs, running around saying “hahaha”.

The third step is child-like playfulness. A positive affirmation “Very Good, Very Good, Yay” is chanted joyously, clapping, and then opening and throwing the arms upwards.

Then, begin the laughter exercises in the fourth step. These exercises help in triggering laughter, which is then taken forward by the group and everyone laughs whole-heartedly.

Greeting laughter, milkshake laughter, mobile laughter, gradient laughter, hearty laughter, silent laughter, lion laughter, appreciation laughter, argument laughter, Calcutta laughter and tak-jhoom laughter are some of the popular laughter exercises practised in laughter clubs.

Just close your eyes and start laughing gently.

Laughter meditation may be experienced while standing up, sitting down, or lying.

Let laughter take its own course. If you do not feel like laughing, stop. When you again feel like laughing, laugh.

Laughter is movement, meditation requires stillness. Laughter meditation is a beautiful and unique experience.

It is not always possible to laugh in a group. One can laugh alone in the morning for a few minutes and the freshness lingers-on all through the day.

I express my deep respect and profound gratitude to Dr Madan Kataria, my Laughter Yoga Guru.

MADAN KATARIA, a medical doctor, founded the first laughter club with just five members in Mumbai in the year 1995. Today there are thousands of laughter clubs all over the world. He developed the unique concept of laughter yoga where anyone can laugh for no reason without the use of jokes, comedy, or humour.

(Excerpt from the book – Mission HAPPINESS: My Idyllic Life by Jagat Singh Bisht – available on Amazon)

Excerpts from – Mission HAPPINESS 

MY LAUGHTER YOGA JOURNEY–2

(e-abhivyakti presents chapter MY LAUGHTER YOGA JOURNEY in three parts.)

Laughter yoga, which initially started as a social club movement, slowly entered the business world. By introducing laughter yoga for staff, corporates have reported happier workplace, increased efficiency, better communication, team work, and reduced stress levels.

We conducted a laughter session at our local head office, Bhopal. The audience included the staff, senior officials, and their families. They appreciated it very much.

S K Mishra, chief general manager, desired that an audio track be recorded, containing instructions for a brief laughter session. The track was played every morning at 11 o’clock over the public address system at the local head office and more than five hundred employees spread on five floors of the building chanted ‘very good very good yay’ and laughed in unison, every working day.

We also conducted a brief energizing session of laughter yoga at the beginning of bipartite meeting between SBI management and staff federation representatives at hotel Sayaji, Indore.

One of our most fulfilling experiences has been to bring cheer in the lives of special children. The experience of laughter yoga with special children at Rotary Paul Harris School, Indore has touched the core of our hearts.

The kids responded to our first session with great enthusiasm and energy. We were taken by surprise by the positivity generated by the affirmation – very good, very good, yay! They loved milkshake laughter, mobile laughter, argument laughter, appreciation laughter, and hearty laughter.

But we realized that they could not clap in rhythm, chant hoho hahaha, or follow the deep breathing exercises. So, we decided to focus initially on simple clapping and the laughter exercises which they liked.

Radhika worked hard with the kids on Tuesday mornings week after week and gradually they started picking up. A weekly session on laughter yoga was included in their time table.

Neeti Billore, principal, and her team of teachers were always with us during the sessions. The school authorities told us that they propose to showcase the progress in laughter sessions to the parents of the kids and members of Rotary Club during their annual day celebrations.

The kids were well prepared for the event and laughed coherently to the surprise of all present. We felt satisfied as our efforts had borne fruits.

Gloria Bartusch travelled all the way from Frankfurt to Indore to stay with us as a home guest and learn the life skills of laughter yoga, happiness, and well-being.

It was an intense week of sharing and caring, learning and teaching, and pouring out our hearts and souls in a warm and conducive set-up.

She treasured the life turning experience and expressed deep gratitude to us, while we felt fulfilled to the core for having touched a life.

We often visit our native village, Naula, in the Uttarakhand hills. To reach our place, we pass through the famous Corbett national park, named after a British jungle enthusiast, Jim Corbett, who penned The Man Eaters of Kumaon.

There is a small school, named shikhar public school, in the village. We visited the school and explained the concept and benefits of laughter yoga to the principal and teachers. Instantly, a laughter yoga session was arranged for the kids.

We started the session as usual with clapping and chanting. They chanted hoho hahaha joyously and relished milkshake laughter.

Radhika did the laughter zoo with them comprising of various laughter exercises from the animal kingdom. Children loved moving like animals – lion, elephant, kangaroo, penguin, bird, and monkey.

It touched the core of their hearts and they yearned for more laughter as they had never imagined of such variety in laughter. We realized that the sun was straight over our heads, and it was hot. We tried to wrap up, but the kids wanted more. So, we decided to come back to the school again in the evening.

To our utter surprise, all the kids were there in the evening. We did a quick recap of the warm-up steps and some laughter exercises. Then we played the games ‘pizza pasta’ and ‘follow the leader’ with them. They were simply delighted.

By this time, a word had spread in the village that children in the school were having some real fun. When we looked around, the entire school was surrounded by spectators from the village, who were shouting in chorus ‘very good, very good, yay’.

On reaching Indore, I called my mother to tell her that we have reached back safely. She seemed incredibly happy, “Radhika and you have left permanent footprints in the village. The chants of ‘very good, very good, yay’ by the kids can be heard anytime. Now, you are not away. You are always right here!”

I remember, once a lady of our village praised me before my mother. My mother said, ”Bhagwaan sabko mere Jagat jaisa beta de!” (May God give everyone a son like my Jagat!) That was the one of the proudest moments of my life.

We were delighted to have with us Gulyora Shermatova, laughter yoga teacher from Tashkent. She is the warmest person we have ever met. Her laughter is amazing. She can laugh anytime, anywhere, for no reason. What surprised us was the effortlessness of her laughter. She could continue laughing for hours together.

Ever since we did our laughter yoga training together at Bangalore, we kept in regular touch and planned to visit each other’s homes. She teaches Hindi at the institute of oriental studies, Tashkent and was invited by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations to New Delhi recently.

She took an early morning flight from Delhi to Indore. I went to the airport to pick her up. The members of suniket laughter club were eagerly waiting for her arrival. She greeted them in pure Hindi and won hearts instantly. After exchanging pleasantries, an unforgettable laughter session took shape.

Our club is specially known for doing the four steps of laughter yoga – clapping and chanting, deep breathing, childlike playfulness, and laughter exercises – in a structured and meticulous way. But her unique, spontaneous, and infectious laughter left the members bewildered and spellbound.

After affirming ‘very good, very good, yay’ a few times, we chanted ‘bahut achche, bahut achche, yay’ in Hindi, followed by ‘khorosho, khorosho, yay’ in Russian.

In the evening, we went to the regional park and had a fantastic time. We sat on a bench and laughed incessantly, oblivious of bewilderment on the faces of onlookers, who found it difficult to decipher what was so hilarious around that made us go nuts.

The next morning, we stayed at home to spend some quality time together. We sat in our balcony with the morning cuppa. Lo and behold, Gulyora started laughing for no reason. How could we refrain? We also joined her. Many rounds of laughter followed during the day. We laughed and laughed and laughed.

Her husband’s name is Kakramon, which means hero. She has named him ‘Mahaveer’ in Hindi. He is an introvert and previously worked for the army. But now he is also bitten by the laughter bug. He takes a recording of laughter exercises to his office and plays it for the staff. And then, he gives a command in true military style, “Kulila!” – that is, “Laugh!”

In the evening, she conducted an exclusive session of laughter yoga for ladies at the suniket community hall. Upon their asking, she explained how one can laugh from the diaphragm effortlessly and continuously. The ladies enjoyed her laughter and felt inspired.

Next morning, we went to the Rotary Paul Harris School for a laughter session with the special kids. She was touched by their simplicity and warmth. Tears started flowing from her eyes and rolled over her cheeks.

Gulyora is such a noble soul. She is unbelievably good hearted and positive. We feel privileged to have spent precious moments in her enchanting company. The laughter still lingers on.

Our good friend Duncan Cook, from Ontario, Canada, commented on Gulyora’s visit, “In Guelph, where I live, the laughter club members are visiting each other’s homes now. Bless this house with laughter!”

Many years ago, we had gone to make a small presentation on laughter yoga at Viscus Infotech, an IT company based in Indore. The CEO of the company felt that laughter yoga would be helpful in enhancing the creativity of the software professionals by relaxing their minds and activating the right brain.

The session was well appreciated and, later on, the young CEO himself conducted laughter sessions for his staff. Such actions make the workplace vibrant and full of positive vibes.

After the session, Ranu Jain Gupta, webmaster, specializing in search engine optimization, came up to Radhika, and said that she had liked the session very much and would join us at our laughter club with her husband, Dr Gaurav Gupta.

Laughter, which starts as a simple exercise routine, penetrates skin deep over a period of time, and changes our outlook towards life. We become more loving, caring, and sharing. It seems that Ranu could not take laughter yoga off her mind at any point of time.

We were more than pleasantly surprised when we received a cute video clip from her on world laughter day. It touched our hearts to the core. It was, undoubtedly, the sweetest greeting one could expect.

In the video, she is seen playing and laughing with her child, Kabeer, who might have been just a few months old then. She is prompting him to say, “very good very good yay!” and greet everyone across the world, “happy world laughter day!”

Excerpts from – Mission HAPPINESS 

MY LAUGHTER YOGA JOURNEY– 1 

(e-abhivyakti presents chapter MY LAUGHTER YOGA JOURNEY in three parts.)

Radhika and I always thought of contributing to the happiness and well-being of people around us. We decided to learn and propagate Laughter Yoga for health, happiness, and welfare of people.

Laughter yoga is a unique concept where any one can laugh for no reason, without the use of jokes, comedy, or humour. It generates a lot of feel-good hormones, positive vibes, and cheer.

It was sometime in the mid-nineties. I was on deputation to corporate centre in connection with compilation of compendium of staff instructions. As usual, I had gone for a morning walk in the Lokhandwala Park, Mumbai. I found Madhuri and Madan Kataria, founders of laughter yoga, conducting a laughter session there. The laughter club movement was just taking shape.

The Katarias had meanwhile moved to Bengaluru and there was some time for the next training programme to begin. I requested Dr Kataria to send some literature and videos. Every evening, after coming back from the bank, I used to watch laughter yoga learning videos, along with Radhika, and practise the exercises.

Even before going for the training and being formally trained, we felt confident that we could conduct a laughter session. We formed laughter club of state bank learning centre and started conducting regular sessions in the morning for the benefit of participants coming for training to the centre.

The decision to enroll for the laughter yoga teacher’s training in Bangalore proved to be a rewarding experience of our life. There were 23 of us there, coming from Sweden, Austria, United Kingdom, Iran, United States, Malaysia, South Africa, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and, of course, India. We were privileged to have Dr Kataria as our trainer in the serene settings of the school of ancient wisdom, just outside the city.

When we landed there, none of us had even imagined that the course of our lives is going to change forever. It was not just another program that we were attending. It was an intense experience, as intense as it can get. Within no time, all of us got so close to each other that we felt we had been familiar for ages.

It was the warmest and most cheerful bonding. During our stay there, we became dearest friends forever. It is such a nice feeling that you have close friends all around the globe, who would be only too happy to receive you, when you visit them.

After returning to Indore, we formed suniket laughter club in our neighborhood and got connected to hundreds of people instantly. It was not a casual hello-hi relationship but full of cheer and warmth. The club acquired international fame and attracted visitors from many countries.

We were also fortunate to laugh with bank employees every week, who came for various trainings to the learning center. It was an instant connect with each one of them at the being level. In general, official interactions are mostly at the functional level and it is rather difficult to relate at the being level.

We also had opportunities to present laughter yoga in schools, ashrams, naturopathy centers, and many other forums. Each occasion brought us close to many people. The laughter connect is instant, as well as long lasting. We develop close, warm, and assuring relations of mutual care and deep trust.

Carolyn Laughalot and Desmond Nicholson, laughter yoga leaders from eltham laughter club, Melbourne were our guests. They visited our laughter clubs and Sri Sarada Ramakrishna vidya mandir.

Positive psychologists, after years of research, have come to the conclusion that we experience authentic happiness if we have some close, dependable, and intimate friends. Happiness comes from warm bonding and intimate sharing at the being level.

Laughter yoga opens frontiers of personal bonding. We felt proud to have several warm hearts beating in resonance with us, in our neighborhood, workplace, and all over the world. We were deeply connected and inter-connected.

We gave a presentation on laughter yoga before a hundred girl students at Sri Sarada Ramakrishna vidya mandir, Indore. The connect was instant and the atmosphere turned ethereal within a few minutes.

Earlier, the principal of the school had shared with us that the students were finding it difficult to concentrate on their studies and appeared sad, tired, and depleted of energy. She felt sad that the children were not cheerful at all and faced a lot of stress. When we told her about the benefits of laughter yoga, she readily agreed to give it a try in the school.

The principal and the teachers were amazed by the simplicity, instant impact, and tremendous transformative power of laughter yoga. They observed that the children listened to the directions given to them with rapt attention and showed a great sense of discipline during the exercise routine.

We also conducted a personality development workshop for children using laughter yoga as a tool. The children really liked it. We feel laughter yoga is a powerful tool for personality development, which enhances communication skills, leadership qualities, team building, creativity, and self-confidence in children.

Laughter yoga made me a better human being in many respects. I could now relate to people more warmly and add some joy to their lives. I looked forward to meeting and greeting people. The people also sensed my inner warmth and responded smilingly. My inter-personal skills improved tremendously.

As a person, I matured and mellowed to a great extent. All the stress and tension had gone. There was a feeling of tranquility and trust that things would go right. There were no worries and unnecessary apprehensions. I found a deeper meaning in life. I added value and joy to the lives of scores of human beings with each sunrise and felt fulfilled in my heart as the sun set.

I discovered a mission to which I was devoted whole-heartedly and felt rewarded in my pursuit. It was a great experience touching the lives of young children and the elderly people. There could be nothing more satisfying.

In my journey of laughter yoga, I came close to several people and institutions. I became more understanding and compassionate. As a trainer and facilitator at my workplace, I could walk into any class and break the ice spontaneously. I had heart-to-heart talks, full of intimacy, and imparted lessons of authentic happiness in a subtle, yet effective, manner.

I could lead any group to joyful singing, dancing, laughter, and play, whenever required to enhance their training experience. I had something in my armory to give it to them, which had a lot of back-home utility to enrich their lives, and the lives of their near and dear ones.

I spread the message of health, happiness, and peace, wherever I went. I made it a point to meet as many people as possible and laugh with them. I preferred to spend more and more quality time with human beings. The entire focus of my life shifted to contributing my bit for the good of human beings.

I became more caring and loving for those around me. I communicated better, felt fearless, and became more effective. Laughter yoga gradually transformed me to be a better human being.

 

A compliment that I cherish even today came from my son, then just 24-year-old. I was visiting Gurgaon, where he was working, and was asked to do a presentation on laughter yoga at the state bank academy.

When I told him about it, he remarked, “Papa, this is a unique life skill that you have acquired. You can do it anytime, anywhere, for anyone. Now, you have the heavenly gift of giving joy to other beings. It is truly inspiring.”

This insight, coming from a youngster, was amazing. No doubt, laughter yoga is an invaluable life skill which we can use to bring joy to all around us. It is divine!

We visited Kausani at the foothills of Himalayas in north India. It is one of the most picturesque and tranquil places we have ever been to.

 

Mahatma Gandhi called it the Switzerland of India. He compiled Gujarati translation ‘Anasakti Yog’ of the Bhagavad Gita while staying at an ashram, now named as anasakti ashram.

Sarla Ben, fondly remembered as Gandhi’s British daughter, established lakshmi ashram here in 1946. It was set up as a basic education program where girls would receive academic education along Gandhian lines and get trained to become social activists, so that they would, in turn, work to become self-reliant to uplift their village sisters of remote Uttarakhand.

Most of the students at the ashram come from poor, rural families. Others are from particularly remote villages where access to post primary school is still a problem, especially for girls. They belong to small, off-road villages and relatively uneducated families. The school considers it important that everyone at the ashram lives and works together, irrespective of social differences.

We reached the ashram, after a steep climb, in the afternoon. Two little girls guided us to Kanti Didi, a devoted Gandhian and in-charge of the school activities, affectionately called Odee by all in the ashram. She bonded with us in no time as she understood the deep value hidden in laughter.

Odee summoned a girl and asked her to ring the ashram bell. All the girls assembled in a jiffy and were told to proceed to the shanti bhavan, community hall for prayers and cultural activities. In her simple, yet sincere and effective way, Odee announced that we had something valuable to share and everyone should pay apt attention.

There were about 60-70 lovely, little girls there. We told them how much we loved children and how wonderful each one of them was. Then, we explained the concept of laughter yoga in a simple manner. A laughter session followed.

Oh, what an amazing session it was! We had never experienced anything like that before. It was joy, cheers, and energy all around. Odee, probably in her seventies, was as ecstatic as the kids.

The session lasted for one and a half hours. Sheer joy, nothing else. Towards the end, everyone was lying down, face up, meditating laughingly, as if in a trance.

They offered us kaadha, a concoction of Himalayan herbs, and requested us to stay back for the evening play time. We agreed readily.

In the evening, we went to a lush green play field, surrounded by tall trees, and the girls, clutching our hands tightly, took us back to our childhood days. We ran and played with them like kids.

First, we formed a laughter train and ran around the entire field and then marched like soldiers with loud shouts of ho-ho ha-ha. Towards the end, we performed a laughter orchestra. It seemed we had slipped into super consciousness.

All the girls were talented in their own way – some were athletes, some good at games, and almost everyone could sing and dance well. There were some volunteers there, Michelle from Denmark, Alexandra (UK), Leo (Germany), David (UK), Pramila (Italy) and Uma (Hyderabad). It was an awesome evening.

By now, we were like a family and the girls would not let us go back. We promised that we would come back the next day, stay, and laugh with them the whole day, and have lunch together.

Next evening, we were there and joined them for their evening prayers in Gandhian style. They arranged an impromptu cultural evening and farewell for us. It was singing, dancing, play, and laughter – pure joy all the way. What terrific talent those girls possess! Unbelievable. It was a marvelous evening, brimming with emotions. By now, we were all theirs and they were all ours.

The girls surrounded us and held our hands with so much warmth that Radhika had tears in her eyes. It was difficult to depart. Two girls, with torches, came down the hills to escort us back to our hotel, in pitch darkness.

Early in the morning, as we were preparing to leave, we saw Odee knocking at our door. She had come to bid adieu. How thoughtful of her! She assured us that they will keep practicing laughter yoga regularly in their ashram, as they find immense value in it.

Have you ever had the experience of laughter meditation? It is one of the most intense and beautiful experiences that you can ever have. But you have to experience it yourself. It is a mystery. It cannot be told in words by anyone to you.

When you laugh, you forget the past. You cannot bother about the future. And you are oblivious of the surroundings.

Laughter starts to flow like a fountain. There is no laugher, it’s only laughter. The laugher mingles with laughter, and they become one. It is something divine. It is pure bliss. The mind becomes serene and radiant like the full moon.

I have got my deepest fulfilment while conducting laughter meditation. The participants feel cathartic and fully liberated. All the pain and agony vanish. It feels so good and light. There is no trace of physical, mental, or emotional stress left.

Every molecule of the universe becomes still and tranquil. All the blockages are cleared. Consciousness begins to flow happily and freely. You become a part of the joyous cosmic dance. A sufi inside you starts singing the most enchanting melodies.

Laughter meditation opens a sublime door to transcendence. It is a state of no mind. Complete mindlessness. But it is also total existence. You have a feel of totality for the first time. It is a paradise that you can create on your own – anytime, anywhere.

According to Madan Kataria, “Laughter meditation is the purest kind of laughter and a very cathartic experience that opens up the layers of your subconscious mind, and you will experience laughter from deep within.”

In some of the Zen monasteries, every monk has to start the day with laughter, and has to end it with laughter – the first and the last thing every day.

Says Osho, “If you become silent after your laughter, one day you will feel God also laughing, you will hear the whole existence laughing, trees and stones and stars with you!”

I recommend laughter meditation for all those who face a lot of stress at the workplace. It is also beneficial for students and homemakers.

We conducted laughter meditation for Osho disciples and sanyasis. They fell into a trance. Osho realized the value in laughter and introduced laughter meditation in his ashram. He also encouraged the practice of gibberish meditation and silence.

I read Osho’s book From Sex to Superconsciousness in the prime of my youth for non-spiritual and non-religious reasons. I have also read many of his other books and heard his discourses.

We have within us a child, an adult, and a parent. One discernible part of the child is the little professor. This part of the child is innately intuitive, creative, and manipulative. Osho’s discourses come from a genius mind, until the little professor in him turns mischievous.

My final posting in the bank was at the state bank foundation institute, chetana, Indore. It has now been renamed as the state bank institute of human resource development.

The institute was set up to groom fresh officers of the bank. We formed chetana laughter club so that every new officer had a tryst with laughter yoga.

Debrati Dey, a probationary officer who came to the institute from Kolkata was totally unaware of what was in store for her. She said, “The laughter session was one laugh riot. Every time a new exercise for laughter was introduced, it instantly generated excitement and contemplation of the possible outcome.

“One of the phrases which everyone chanted, after every act, was ‘very good, very good, yay!’ It is a simple phrase. But when you clap your hands and say it loud, the phrase brings out its actual magic. It became an instant hit and a college anthem for us.

“In this era of ‘survival of the fittest’, laughter club has the guts to say, ‘survival of the happiest ‘. I didn’t realize, through the course of the session, how it had a positive biochemical effect on my cardiovascular and nervous system. It’s only when I got back to my room that I could see myself happy, de-stressed, and re-energized.”

I am grateful to Vijay Puri, Ranjeev Ranjan Tiwari, Satish Polisetty, and Rajesh Kumar Singh, faculty at the institute, who supported me in the conduct of sessions outside of working hours.

I am proud that I introduced laughter yoga in the State Bank of India and laughed with thousands of colleagues from all over the country.

During this period, we were invited by Nestle to conduct a laughter yoga session during their zone Asia-Oceania-Africa safety, health, and environmental sustainability workshop at the Marriott Resort and Spa, Goa.

The participants included the executive vice president from Nestle headquarters at Vevey, Switzerland and market corporate safety managers from 20 countries including Australia, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Turkey, along with the factory safety heads from Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka.

After some time, Nestle India invited us to conduct sessions for the staff working at their factory in Samalkha, Haryana with a view to enhance employee wellness and build a more cheerful work environment.

We conducted laughter yoga for senior level executives of Abercrombie & Kent – the world’s leading authority on luxury and experiential travel – at the picturesque city of Udaipur, where twenty-six delegates had gathered at Hotel Leela Palace Kempinski, on the beautiful Pichola lake, for their cruise conference 2013.

Their global cruise ambassador, David Vass, expressed, “Thank you, both of you, for excellent energy, understanding of our group time constraints, and the delicious outcome you brought to us.

“Everybody truly enjoyed this session, especially in the middle of ‘budget day’. We referenced the Laughter yoga techniques throughout the remainder of the conference – making milkshakes, being an elephant, and so many of the other happy little bits you supplied us with.”

A small group of laughter lovers – including a young fashion designer, a scientist, an engineer, a doctor, a psychologist, a teacher, and two yoga teachers – flew down from Tashkent to Rishikesh, known as the world capital of yoga, to learn the basics of laughter yoga.

All of them had a background of yoga but had come to India with an eagerness to master the happiest workout in the world – laughter yoga.

We conducted two-day certified laughter yoga leader training program for them covering theoretical and practical aspects of laughter yoga, including the inner spirit of laughter, laughter meditation. and guided relaxation.

The program was well appreciated by all the participants. Here is the feedback received from some of them:

“In my normal life, I do not laugh much. Here, I discovered that I have so much laughter hidden inside me. Everyone seems to have an infinite capacity to laugh. And it feels so good. My daughter is also here with me. Now, we will go back home, and it is going to be a happy, cheerful place forever!”

“I am a psychologist and have found the concept of laughter yoga to be very useful. Laughter can be a good tool for healing. I shall be applying in practice, what I have learned here.”

“I have found a new way to engage with my grandchildren. We are going to sing, dance, laugh, and play the whole day. The kids are going to find the fun-based laughter exercises really interesting.”

“I am a yoga teacher and have included laughter yoga in my curriculum after I came to Rishikesh a few months ago and learned it from you. I have come along with one of my students and we have got deep insights into laughter and meditation. Laughter has enormous potential for healing depression and aches.“

“I also came here in April 2013 to undergo laughter yoga training. After going back to my country, I organized several laughter retreats in the mountains on the weekends. The retreats got fantastic response as laughter touches the innermost core of being.

“I have also been to two neighbouring countries, namely Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and made presentations on laughter yoga before large groups. I propose to come back here for laughter yoga soon with a group from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.”

This was the second laughter yoga training organized in Rishikesh for nationals from Uzbekistan by us and three participants had come for the second time again in the program due to sheer love for laughter yoga.

The efforts made by Ivan Skofenko, yoga teacher and professor of psychology, for propagating laughter yoga in Uzbekistan, and the neighbouring countries, are truly commendable. He got in touch with us and invited us to Rishikesh for conducting the programs.