The Pursuit of Happiness

Weeks ago, the biggest complainer Oprah knows—her makeup artist Reggie Wells—agreed to take Pastor Will Bowen's complaint-free challenge. Reggie wears a purple wristband and every time he utters a complaint, he has to change the wrist he wears it on.

How's he doing? Oprah says Reggie "complained so much that he was getting whiplash from changing [wrists]." For some extra help in looking on the bright side, Oprah sends him to a class in "laughing yoga."

First developed in India, Laughter Yoga is now practiced in 53 countries around the world. Reggie's instructor, Jeffrey Briar—one of 48 certified Laughter Yoga instructors in the United States—says Laughter Yoga's positive effects are no joke. "Laughter relieves all the negative effects of stress," he says. "It strengthens the abdominal organs and help you get those six-pack abs we're all looking for. It oxygenates the bloodstream. It releases endorphins, the body's natural painkiller."

The class starts cold and Reggie remains cynical. "We're going to start with nothing and laugh for no reason, and you'll feel better," Jeffrey says. But as they move on to more advanced moves—like lion laughter, naughty naughty, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde—Reggie really starts to catch the laughing bug.