Walk down any park in Mumbai on an early morning, and chances are you will spot a group of people laughing hysterically. Amusing as it may seem, laughter yoga has been recognised across the globe as an effective way of coping with physical and mental ailments. It began as a humble effort in the suburb of Andheri two decades ago.

>> An idea is born

Dr Madan Kataria is revered as the founder of the idea. “I was a medical professional, and under stress,” he recalls. While researching for a medical magazine, he discovered the detailed results of studies on laughter. “Despite all the evidence, I realised people around me were not really practicing it,” he recalls. The journey started with four of his friends at Lokhandwala Park in Andheri West. They tried to recreate laughter. It lasted only for 10 days before Dr Kataria realised jokes could only get them so far. “That was when I came across the book, Emotions and Health, which revealed that even when you ‘act’ happy, your body reacts positively. I decided we could transform laughter into an exercise,” the now-Nagpur-based physician shares. This discovery laid the foundation for what is known today as laughter yoga.