Melanin Bee arches her spine like a stretching cat and lets out an exaggerated, maniacal laugh. What begins as a rapid sequence of forced giggles—“oh, hoo hoo hoo, eeh, ha ha ha”—soon turns into genuine laughter. Moments later, she kicks her feet in delight, fully immersed in the experience.
She calls her practice Laughasté, a playful yoga routine she created as a modern offshoot of laughter clubs that first emerged in India in the 1990s. Although it feels awkward at the start, Bee insists that the key is to fake it until it becomes real.
Embracing Awkwardness to Unlock Laughter
“It’s about allowing yourself to be OK with being awkward,” said Bee, a Los Angeles–based comedian and speaker. According to her, once people let go of self-consciousness, a sense of silliness naturally emerges, triggering involuntary laughter.
From Common Sense to Science
Laughter clubs began with the simple idea that laughter reduces stress. However, medical science now confirms that laughter does much more. It benefits the heart, strengthens the immune system, and improves overall health, said Dr. Michael Miller, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
“Just as we recommend exercising three to five days a week,” Miller explained, “we should also belly laugh at least two to five days a week.”
The Birth of Laughter Science
Although philosophers and psychologists—from ancient Greek thinkers to Sigmund Freud—have long pondered laughter, the scientific study of laughter, known as gelotology, gained momentum in the 1960s.
One of its pioneers, Stanford University psychologist William F. Fry, famously drew his own blood while watching Laurel and Hardy films. His experiments revealed that laughter increased levels of immune-boosting cells.
How Laughter Yoga Began in India
In 1995, Dr. Madan Kataria, a physician in Mumbai, encountered this emerging research while editing a health magazine. Seeking relief from his own stress, he launched a daily laughter club in a local park. Within a month, the group grew from a few people to more than 150 participants.
When jokes quickly ran out, Kataria introduced structured exercises that activated the diaphragm. He combined yogic breathing, gentle stretches, and intentionally silly sounds and movements.
“We were faking it in the beginning,” Kataria recalled. “Within seconds, everyone was laughing uncontrollably.”
Why Laughter Is Good for Your Health
As reported by MSN, Dr. Miller began studying laughter in the 1990s and found compelling physiological benefits. When people laugh, the brain releases endorphins that trigger beneficial chemical changes in the blood vessels. For instance, laughter boosts nitric oxide production, which relaxes blood vessels and lowers blood pressure, inflammation, and cholesterol.
Together, these effects reduce the risk of heart attacks. Moreover, endorphins act as natural painkillers.
“After a really good laugh, you feel relaxed and light,” Miller said. “It’s almost like taking pain medication.”
The Power of Forced Laughter
Interestingly, simulated laughter—known in academic circles as “simulated mirth”—may offer even greater benefits than spontaneous laughter. Jenny Rosendhal, a senior researcher in medical psychology at Jena University in Germany, highlighted this finding.
After reviewing 45 laughter-related studies, Rosendhal found that laughter-based therapies reduced glucose levels, stress hormone cortisol, and chronic pain. They also improved mobility and mood, particularly among older adults.
Because humor varies from person to person, researchers now focus more on laughter yoga and similar programs. These sessions, which last 30 to 45 minutes, encourage sustained laughter regardless of mood.
Healing Through Laughter Yoga
Laughter yoga has proven especially helpful for individuals who struggle to laugh naturally, including people with depression or cancer. Even when laughter starts as an exercise, the body responds in the same way through deep breathing, muscle activation, and improved oxygen flow.
“The well-being comes through the back door,” Rosendhal explained. “You start with the exercise, and spontaneous laughter follows because it’s contagious.”
Simple Ways to Laugh More Every Day
According to Kataria, the secret lies in learning to laugh without a reason. Over time, laughter yoga practitioners worldwide have developed hundreds of exercises to make this easier.
One simple exercise involves standing face-to-face with another person and repeating the sound “ha” for a full minute. Another technique, called “breathe in and laugh,” involves inhaling deeply with hands on the chest, holding the breath briefly, and then bursting into laughter while exhaling.
In laughter yoga classes, participants may pretend to greet each other like aliens, crawl like animals, or tap their temples and shout, “Aha! ha ha ha!”
Making Laughter a Daily Habit
Kataria encourages people to bring laughter into everyday moments, even those that seem stressful. Demonstrating “credit card bill laughter,” he mimed reading a statement and erupted into contagious laughter.
“Laughter isn’t about forcing yourself,” he said. “It’s about activating your laughter muscles and letting go of mental inhibitions. Then real laughter emerges—childlike, unconditional, and joyful.”