Bahrain’s ‘laughter ambassador’ Keyem Thomas was recently invited to give a talk at the second Malaysian Laughter Yoga Conference.
The Indian expatriate and certified laughter yoga master trainer shared tips on how to tap giggles as a tool to grow on a personal level, build resilience and forge cross-cultural friendships.
More than 150 people from 21 countries attended the event staged in Johor Bahru city last month.
The programme featured sessions on incorporating movement and breathing exercises for voluntary laughter.
Laughter yoga is a practice that combines laughter exercises with yogic breathing and mindfulness meditation, and was created in India in 1995 by Indian national Dr Madan Kataria.
“Laughter is the language of the soul – one that speaks across borders, beliefs and backgrounds,” the 63-year-old, who is also a distinguished Toastmaster, told the GDN.
“When we embrace it, we grow and connect. In a divided world, that is one of the most powerful things we can do,” he added.
Mr Thomas also taught attendees how to publish books on laughter yoga. The author drew from his experience writing Laugh at Yourself and Find Joy in Life (2023), 55 Laughter Yogis (2024) and, most recently, Giggles to Guffaws: The Journey of Laughter and Joy (2025).
&uuid=(email))