Parent Post
Laughter is the best
Laughter is the best medicine – and there’s hard science behind the expression.
When we laugh, endorphins – our happy hormones – lift our mood in a similar way to what we experience after exercise.
In 1995, a Mumbai-based medic created his own Laughter Club. He gathered a small group to exchange jokes and funny stories. Eventually, they ran out of stories, but laughing alone was enough for patients to reap the benefits.
This developed into a technique called laughter yoga.
Reducing anxietyIn a laboratory
Reducing anxiety
In a laboratory study, subjects were falsely led to believe that they would receive an electric shock after 12 minutes. While they waited for the shock, they were played either a funny tape recording, one that wasn’t funny, or no tape at all.
Those who listened to the funny tape rated themselves less anxious than the other two groups.
Improving general healthA study
Improving general health
A study looked at the impact of laughter yoga sessions on the general health of male nursing students. The participants were assigned either one hour of laughter yoga a week, or no intervention.
Overall, the group who took part in the laughter yoga showed improvement in their general health, with a reduction in sleep disorders, anxiety, and depression.
What’s involved?A typical laughter
What’s involved?
A typical laughter yoga session involves breathing exercises, stretches, and guided routines to help get you laughing.
Your instructor might tell you to:
- Think of a funny memory
- Act out some different types of laughing
- Encourage some awkward eye contact with different members of the group in the hope that someone will crack.
Managing menopauseA study investigated
Managing menopause
A study investigated whether laughter therapy could have wellbeing benefits for women going through menopause.
Subjects participated in laughter therapy with results measured against a control group.
The therapy helped increase optimism and self-esteem and reduce depression for menopausal women, compared to the control group.
The science behind itResearch
The science behind it
Research shows that laughter can reduce the effects of the stress hormone cortisol. It can increase levels of natural killer cells, which is needed to fight off viruses and tumor cells and keep the body healthy.
Laughter reduces stress, helps banish tension, and relaxes our muscles, helping us sleep better. It’s also believed to boost our immune system and help us take more oxygen into the body, improving energy levels.
