Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.
Meet Magno Shavdia — former mathematician and rugby player, Osho-trained meditation guide, and one of the world's certified Laughter Yoga leaders. He blends Eastern meditation with Western psychotherapy to help minds and bodies let go.
Laughter isn't only exercise. Practised with attention and in company, it becomes a way to drop the ego, release what's stored in the body, and meet other people without a single word.
An unlikely path to laughter
Born in Georgia, in the former Soviet Union, Magno arrived at Laughter Yoga through mathematics, sport, and a lifelong meditation practice. The journey is the point — few teachers reach this work from so many directions.
The mathematician
He spent years inside rigid equations, learning the discipline of clear thinking — and its limits.
The rugby player
Then came sport and the body: contact, effort, and the physical honesty that later shaped how he teaches.
The seeker
A disciple of Osho since 1984, he sold up and moved to the Pune resort — where Eastern meditation met Western psychotherapy.
The laughter leader
Trained personally by Dr. Madan Kataria, founder of Laughter Yoga, he now leads sessions, retreats and keynotes across Europe.
No jokes. No punchlines. Just breath and each other.
Developed by Dr. Madan Kataria in 1995, Laughter Yoga combines intentional laughter with Pranayama — yogic breathing. You start laughter as a group exercise, and eye contact does the rest.
No sense of humour required
Laughter begins as a simple exercise. In a group, with eye contact, the pretend quickly turns into the real, contagious kind.
The body plays along
Your body doesn't need a reason to benefit. Sustained laughter — even simulated at first — tends to become genuine, and the body responds much the same way either way.
What it can do for you
Deep laughter brings in oxygen, loosens tension, lifts mood, and has been shown to help lower stress hormones like cortisol.
Laughter Yoga is a wellbeing practice, not medical treatment. Benefits vary from person to person and it doesn't replace professional care.
Ways to work with Magno
Corporate wellness
Stress-relief and team-building sessions for high-pressure workplaces — a fast, physical reset that people actually remember.
Spiritual laughter retreats
Multi-day immersions that blend active Osho meditations with laughter therapy, for a deeper release than a single session allows.
Public keynotes
Interactive, uplifting talks for festivals and conferences — in the spirit of his TEDx appearance, but with the whole room laughing.
Let's bring laughter to your room.
Tell Magno a little about your event and he'll come back to you with availability and options. Corporate, retreat, or stage — all welcome.
Send a short email and include:
- Your name and organization
- Event type — corporate, retreat, or keynote
- A rough date and location
- Anything else you'd like Magno to know