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Every morning at Bharat Van Gardens in the northern suburbs of Mumbai, India, a group gathers in the park just for a laugh. This is called Laughter Yoga - a fitness class that blends gentle yoga poses with imaginary jokes and silliness. Dr. Madan Kataria, who founded the Laughter Yoga school, says,
"Laughter yoga is a very unique idea where anyone can laugh for no reason, we don"t need jokes, sense of humor or comedies to laugh. And we call it laughter yoga because we combine laughter exercises with yoga breathing - that brings more oxygen to your body and brain and makes us feel healthy and more energetic."
Kataria started the first laughter club in Mumbai 15 years ago when he decided he needed cheering up. Laughing for the sake of laughing has now become so popular that Dr Kataria and his followers have founded clubs in 60 countries around the world.
Gabriela Remmel was motivated to start a Laughter Yoga club in Hamburg, Germany, after meeting Dr Kataria two years ago. She says thousands of people in Germany are now addicted to Laughter Yoga.
"It"s something which you feel immediately. When you laugh you feel immediately happy. When you make other things like running or jogging you don"t feel it in this way. Everybody wants to be happy and this is a method to feel happy in some seconds, in some minutes."
Numerous scientific studies have concluded the same thing: laughter reduces stress, strengthens the immune system, lowers blood pressure and improves mental alertness and circulation. But in order to get the benefits, one must laugh continuously for 15 to 20 minutes.
Kataria says the laughter people get in real life is not enough, and counts for a few seconds in India. And in order for one to get benefits, one must laugh heartily - hahaha - this kind of laughter you usually won"t get in real life. That"s why people need Laughter Yoga Club, where you can laugh from your belly.
For many Laughter Yoga followers, the combination of breathing, stretching and laughing has changed their lives. One follower, Nagan Pandit, says,
"I had hip surgery and I couldn"t walk without a stick. But after being in the laughter club, I"m dancing, I"m laughing, I"m continuously walking without a stick, my life has totally changed."
The club members have been meeting for the last two years and are now so addicted that their club meets seven days a week, 365 days a year. They say laughter is infectious and once you start, it gets easier to laugh in other parts of your life.
And the best thing is it doesn"t cost a cent. In India and in the majority of laughter clubs around the world, Laughter Yoga is free. The only requirement is that you laugh.
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