Wanna graduate in laughter?

What has been a dream for the last five years is very soon becoming a reality for Dr Madan and his wife, Madhuri Kataria. Before the year’s end, they will throw open the gates to India’s first Laughter Yoga University.

“This will be a place where we show people how to really live life,” emphasis Madan adding, “It will be a place for people to network, study and share ideas of how to add more joy into our lives.”

Located at Ramnagar, about 50 kilometers outside Bangalore, laughter enthusiasts from across the world will have access to the specially designed courses which cover everything right from the basics of laughter yoga, to teachers training courses, stress management techniques and even applied courses in Ayurveda and Naturopathy. And yes, all these courses will be certified by the Laughter University.

The university will also house a research centre where students, teachers and other specialists will probe all aspects of laughter and the effects it has on the body. “We know that laughter does wonder for the mind and body, but now we want to test all aspects and carefully document exactly how it affects our functions,” says Madan.

But the Katarias’ dream big and will be setting up not one, but five such Laughter Universities (one in every continent). Together, these five hubs will make up the International Laughter Yoga University.

Besides the Bangalore university, Madan is also planning the country’s first ‘Laughter City’ — a township that encourages people from around the world to come together and form a community based on the essence of Laughter Yoga — singing, dancing, playing and laughter.