Laughter yoga is a practice developed by Indian physician Madan Kataria in which participants engage in prolonged voluntary laughter without relying on humor. Forced laughter soon turns into real laughter as eye contact and playfulness are encouraged between group members. Some benefits of laughter yoga include strengthening the immune system, improving mood, reducing stress in a cost effective and time efficient way, and providing a social network that improves emotional well-being and the ability to handle difficult situations.