Micro-story: The Laughter Yoga Menu (by Tonkabean)

 

Ah Fan had been practicing Laughter Yoga for three years. He decided to take an advanced course to upgrade himself.

A week later, the teacher handed him a "Laughter Yoga Menu" and asked him to think carefully about how he wanted to spend his next year in Laughter Yoga.

"You cannot choose everything on this menu. Your budget is only five dollars or less. Whatever you choose will be how you live your laughter days for the coming year." With a half-smile, the teacher clapped and cheered, "Very good, very good, yeah!"

Ah Fan looked at the menu:

* Hearty Laughter – $3

* Relaxation – $2

* Stress Relief – $2

* Infecting Others – $3

* Losing My Image – $2

* Pure Joy – $3

* Childlike Playfulness – $3

* Laughing from the Belly – $1

* Breathing Along – $1

* Eye Contact – $1

* Gratitude – $1

* Mimicking Animals – $2

* Exaggerated Body Movements – $2

* Lasting Friendship – $2

He wanted "Pure Joy" ($3) and also wanted "Childlike Playfulness" ($2)—but that would be $5 in total, But he would not have Stress Relief or Hearty Laughter.

So he put "Pure Joy" and "Childlike Playfulness" aside and switched to "Hearty Laughter" ($3) and "Relaxation" ($2). He remembered his wife always telling him that his laugh looked too fake. He thought to himself, *Getting some hearty laughter wouldn’t be bad.*

But then, his eyes caught "Lasting Friendship" ($2). He thought of him, her, and all of them. If it weren't for him, her, and them, he would never have taken the Leader course, let alone traveled to India for the Teacher training. Most of his happiness came from him, her, and them. This $2 was something he absolutely could not save.

Ah Fan chose "Lasting Friendship."

Now, he had $3 left. If he chose "Hearty Laughter," his budget would be full, and he couldn’t pick anything else.

"Laughing from the Belly" ($1) and "Breathing Along" ($1) were only one dollar each—very good value. Ah Fan already struggled with making decisions, and now he felt even more frustrated!

Before he could decide, a burst of laughter suddenly echoed in his ears, "Ho Ho Ha Ha Ha! VGVG Yeah!"

The teacher said, "When a person feels down or hesitates, instead of sitting around waiting for a good mood to happen, it’s better to take action first. Your mood will naturally follow and change."

"I am feeling very down today."

"I learn from my mistakes! I learn from others' mistakes!" the teacher talked to himself.

Then, a group of people burst into hearty laughter. The teacher laughed even louder. He looked completely relaxed, not at all like someone who was feeling down.

Ah Fan froze for a moment. The teacher was just saying he felt down a second ago, and the next second he was leading the laughter. Ah Fan suddenly recalled a psychological therapy mentioned in his notes called Behavioral Activation. The manual stated: "Participating in activities related to happiness—such as laughing, playing, or socializing—can truly boost your sense of joy."

Ah Fan finally made his decision and filled out his Laughter Yoga Menu:

*Lasting Friendship ($2) + Losing My Image ($2) + Gratitude ($1).*

Because he believed that one true, lasting friendship could offset everything else: hearty laughter, relaxation, stress relief, pure joy, childlike playfulness, eye contact, mimicking animals, breathing along, laughing from the belly...

End

*This story is entirely fictional. The laughter we share online every day is completely free.*

Date：13 July 2026

Illustration: Ai-Bean

Written by: Tonkabean

Besides writing micro-stories, I also create audiobooks. I hope we can get to know each other.

Do you like my stories? I hope to have your support, likes, or shares. Let me know that you are with me on this creative journey.

Story Collection

https://tonkabean2016.blogspot.com/

https://matters.town/@tonkabean/collections