Laughing Meditation is a simple, playful morning practice Osho gave to open the day with lightness and a fresh current of life. Upon waking, before the world enters through your eyes, you first stretch like a cat and then let five minutes of laughter rise and ripple through the whole body. At first the laughter may be deliberate, even a little theatrical; soon the sound of your own attempt unlocks genuine laughter. Practised daily, this easy rhythm of stretch-and-laugh becomes spontaneous over a few days and changes the flavour of the entire day.
For those who feel blocked—unable to laugh totally or sensing the laughter is false—Osho points to a traditional yogic purification to clear the passage of expression. This lukewarm salted-water cleanse (a classic shatkarmic method) is done early in the morning before food: you drink quickly, then bend and gargle so the water flows back out, a gentle "vomiting of the water" that dissolves obstructions. After about ten days, you feel a striking inner cleanliness; laughter, tears, and even speech arise more naturally from the deep center.
Phase Instructions
Core Benefits
- Opens the day with lightness and a fresh current of life
- Becomes spontaneous over a few days
- Changes the flavour of the entire day
- Unlocks genuine laughter
- Clears the passage of expression through yogic purification
Common Questions
Initially, your laughter might be deliberate and theatrical, but soon it becomes genuine as you continue the practice.
You should practice five minutes of laughter in the morning after stretching.
Osho recommends a lukewarm salted-water cleanse to clear the passage of expression, helping laughter arise more naturally.
Drink quickly, then bend and gargle so the water flows back out, performing a gentle 'vomiting of the water.'
After about ten days of practice and cleansing, you may feel a striking inner cleanliness, facilitating natural laughter and expression.