"Laughter activates the body’s natural relaxation response. It’s like
internal jogging, providing a good massage to all internal organs while also
toning abdominal muscles." - Dr. Gulshan Sethi, Head of cardiothoracic
surgery, Tucson Medical Center.
“The magnitude of change we saw in the endothelium is similar to the benefit
we might see with aerobic activity, but without the aches, pains and muscle
tension associated with exercise. We don’t recommend that you laugh and not
exercise, but we do recommend that you try to laugh on a regular basis. Thirty
minutes of exercise three times a week, and 15 minutes of laughter on a daily
basis is probably good for the vascular system.” - Dr. Michael Miller, Director
of Preventive Cardiology, University of Maryland Medical Center.
Laughing is an excellent way to reduce stress in our
lives, and can help you to cope with and survive a stressful lifestyle.
Laughter provides a full-scale workout for your muscles
and unleashes a rush of stress-busting endorphins. Since our bodies cannot
distinguish between real and fake laughter, anything that makes you giggle will
have a positive impact. You do not need
to be happy or have a sense of humor to benefit from a good laugh.
Laughter therapy aims to get people laughing in both
group and individual sessions and can help reduce stress, make people and
employees happier and more committed, as well as improve their interpersonal
skills.
Investigation and
Research
Norman Cousins,
celebrated political writer
In 1979, Cousins published a book Anatomy of an Illness
in which he described a potentially fatal disease he contracted in 1964 and his
discovery of the benefits of humor and other positive emotions in battling the
disease. Cousins found, for example, that ten minutes of mirthful laughter gave
him two hours of pain-free sleep. His story baffled the scientific community
and inspired a number of research projects.
Dr William F. Fry,
psychiatrist, Stanford University, California
Dr Fry began to examine the physiological effects of
laughter in the late 1960s and is considered the father of “gelotology” (the
science of laughter). Dr Fry proved that mirthful laughter provides good
physical exercise and can decrease your chances of respiratory infections. He
showed that laughter causes our body to produce endorphins (natural
painkillers).
Dr Lee Berk, Loma
Linda University Medical Centre
Inspired by Norman Cousins, Dr Berk and his team of
researchers from the field of psycho-neuro-immunology (PNI) studied the
physical impact of mirthful laughter.
In one study heart attack patients were divided into two
groups: one half was placed under standard medical care while the other half
watched humorous videos for thirty minutes each day. After one year the ‘humor’
group had fewer arrhythmias, lower blood pressure, lower levels of stress
hormones, and required lower doses of medication. The non-humor group had two
and a half times more recurrent heart attacks than the humor group (50% vs.
20%).
Dr Hunter (Patch)
Adams
Immortalized in film by Robin Williams, Patch inspired
millions of people by bringing fun and laughter back into the hospital world
and putting into practice the idea that “healing should be a loving human
interchange, not a business transaction”. He is the founder and director of the
Gesundheit Institute, a holistic medical community that has been providing free
medical care to thousands of patients since 1971. He is the catalyst for the
creation of thousands of therapeutic care clowns worldwide.
Dr Annette
Goodheart
Goodheart is a psychotherapist and inventor of laughter
therapy and laughter coaching. For 36 years, she has been using laughter to
treat cancer, AIDS, depression, and other illnesses and been teaching at
universities, schools, companies, organizations and public events, bringing
laughter to every part of the world.
Dr Madan Kataria,
creator of Laughter Yoga
In March 1995 this medical doctor from Mumbai, India was
writing an article Laughter - The Best
Medicine for a health journal. In particular, he was impressed by Norman
Cousins’ book Anatomy of an Illness and the research work by Dr Berk. Dr
Kataria discovered that the body cannot differentiate between acted and genuine
laughter. He then created a range of laughter exercises including elements of
role-play and other techniques from his days as an amateur dramatic actor. Realizing
the importance of child-like playfulness, he developed further techniques to
stimulate this within a group. Laughter
Yoga was born and is now accepted all over the world.
Oxford
University/Royal Society
In September 2011, academics from Oxford University
published research demonstrating that continuous laughter significantly
increases people’s pain threshold, by as much as 10%.
The Healing Power
of Laughter
While laughter is your friend for years, you might not
fully realize that it can be helpful in ways you never realized or imagined.
Laughter can help you feel better about yourself and the
world around you. Laughter can be a natural diversion. When you laugh, no other
thought comes to mind. Laughing can also induce physical changes in the body.
After laughing for only a few minutes, you may feel better for hours.
According to the numerous studies, laughter therapy may
provide physical benefits, such as helping to:
* Boost the immune system and circulatory system
* Enhance oxygen intake
* Stimulate the heart and lungs
* Relax muscles throughout the body
* Trigger the release of endorphins (the body’s natural
painkillers)
* Ease digestion/soothes stomach aches
* Relieve pain
* Balance blood pressure
* Improve mental functions (i.e., alertness, memory,
creativity)
Laughter therapy may also help to:
* Improve overall attitude
* Reduce stress/tension
* Promote relaxation
* Improve sleep
* Enhance quality of life
* Strengthen social bonds and relationships
* Produce a general sense of well-being
Laughing Session
Note that you have to start slow and carefully, if you
work in the group setting. Many of these exercises might be negatively judged
by the group members at first, if you practice them too early in your laughter
sessions. So, don’t get too weird too fast. Wait at least 10 minutes.
Therefore, it is recommended to proceed to the activities
in three phases focusing on the visual perception of the people in the group.
Phase-I:
The session starts with clapping of hands in a rhythm to activate
acupuncture points and activate people for further phases. Eye-contact is
maintained during all phases.
Phase-II:
Deep-breathing exercises are recommended during this
phase. It helps lighten the mood and relax your lungs. These exercises help us increase
focus on our day-to-day activities.
Phase-III:
This phase we are right! Laughing like a child playfully
without any reason is the main aim of this phase.
Laughing Exercises
The list of the exercises below will help you to get
started with the self or group training, encouraging playful silliness.
Exercises:
1. 1-cm. Laugh: only one short “ha”. People usually laugh
because this is unexpected.
2. 1-meter laugh
3. Age Laughter: Imagine how your laugh would sound when
you are double your current age; half of your current age; 10/20/30 years
older; ten years younger; as a child; as an infant; 95 / 5.
4. Airline Safety Instruction Laugh: first in English,
then in French
5. Alphabet Laughter: letter off from A to Z; vowels come
forth and sound; consonants sound.
6. Animal Laughter: donkey; pig snorts; dog woofs;
Cheshire cat caterwauls; hoot owls; chimpanzees; gorillas
7. Ants in Your Pants
8. Appreciation Laughter: look at others as you laugh and
appreciate each other. This is a value-based laughter, reminding the
participants how important it is to appreciate others. The tip of the index
finger is joined with the tip of the thumb, making a small circle. The hand is
moved forward and backwards in jerks while looking at different members and
laughing in a very gentle manner, appreciating your fellow beings
9. Argument Laughter: The leader presents an absurd
scenario and seeks a number of volunteers. Two volunteers begin by arguing with
each other with laughter and pointing at each other. Substitutes can take their
places, or, eventually, two teams can argue against each other, pointing index
fingers. Alternately, you don’t need a scenario and you can argue
hypothetically.
10. Balloon-popping laughter: 2 people try to pop each
other’s imaginary balloons that you imagine are attached to their ankles.
11. Basketball Throw: someone throws an air basketball
and everyone either cheers or groans, depending on whether the shot sunk or
missed.
12. Beethoven’s Fifth: Ha ha ha haaaaaaaa, ha ha ha haaaa
13. Belly Laughs
14. Body Scan Laughter: be aware of and/or laugh from
hair, scalp, forehead, eyes, nose, cheeks, mouth, throat; shoulders, arms,
chest, stomach, gut, hips, legs, feet, toes, toenails, skin. Body scan can also
include: nasal laughter, humming, yawning, coughing, etc.
15. Boo-Hoo Laughter: stand, then fake a sad “boo-hoo”
while sliding down into a crouch, then laugh while you stand up; repeat a few
times.
16. Bored Laughter: Fake it until you make it (sic).
17. Boss Quit Today: cheering is allowed
18. Bouncing tiger laughter (from Winnie the Pooh), both
hands together, palms down, ahead of chest
19. Break March Laughter: A Sergeant-major starts by
leading a group of soldiers in standing on the spot, directing them to “march
left, … left, … left, right, left” and then, “ha, … ha, … ha ha ha”. The
sergeant-major then instructs the soldiers to ‘break march’ when crossing a
bridge, that is, everyone steps at their own random pace. The Sergeant-major
takes the soldiers on a march where laughter is structured at first then
becomes more spontaneous when they ‘break march’ when they cross the bridge
20. Broken Motor
21. Celebration Laughter: get everyone in the group to
come close together and then tell them a secret, for example, “no work
tomorrow” and then give high fives and jump around celebrating.
22. Cell Phone Laughter: Hold imaginary cell phones; move
around to meet different people and interact while laughing; point to cellphone
as if pointing to the person you’re talking to
23. Cha Cha Cha Ha Ha: Laugh as you dance a la cha cha
cha.
24. Cheesecake Laughter: throw an imaginary cheesecake
into someone’s face (cream pie can substitute; better still, a banana cream
pie).
25. Cocktail Party Laughter: What do you imagine people
talk about at cocktail parties? How do people stand? How do they Sound? What do
you talk about at cocktail parties? Pick one topic to talk about. Group into
threes and snicker with each other over imaginary drinks. Grasp one another’s
fingers as if you had been told something just too precious.
26. Constipation Laughter: squat on an imaginary throne
and let go with laughter.
27. Crying laughter (cry on the way down, laugh on the
way up)
28. Dancers: “We’re all skilled dancers”. Everyone dances
skillfully and with style while laughing
29. Don’t Laugh Too Hard Laughter: sometimes we need
quiet or medium-volume laughter to not ‘bust a gut’.
30. Donkey Laugh: “ee-haw, ee-haw”.
31. Dr. Evil: raise a pinky to your chin and snicker.
Similar to Evil Laughter where you rub your hands in a mischievous way
32. Drinking Straw Laugh place plastic drinking straw
between your teeth.
33. Driving laughter (with 2 hands first, then putting
one hand over eyes)
34. Dyslexic Laughter: swing both hands gently from side
to side chanting ho ho ha ha ha, which engages both left and right brains.
35. Electric Shock: shake hands and imagine receiving an
electric shock from touching the person’s hand.
36. Embarrassing Scenario: Recall an embarrassing
incident and retell it, laughing at the end or throughout. For example,
demonstrate a story of raising your hand while in the middle of a very large
meeting and say: “I want to say something ……… but I seem to have forgotten
what”, then laugh hysterically out of embarrassment or nervousness.
37. Emotional Release Laughter: get hit by a wave of
emotion, such as insanity laughter, angry laughter, sad laughter or scared
laughter.
38. Eyes Closed Laughter (when group trusts)
39. Face in Belly, imagine: imagine a face painted on
your belly and that it is laughing uproariously.
40. Fake Laughter: insincere; “I don’t feel like laughing
today”, then do it anyway. Grimace, smile, giggle.
41. Humming Laughter Sounds: Laugh as you hum, mouth
closed. Play with the pitch, up and down the scale, feeling the vibrations
resonate through your body. As you get more adapt at feeling the resonation,
try and move it deliberately, through your chest, your jaw, your nose, your
sinus cavities, your forehead, the top of your head, then back down again.
42. Laughter Breath: Inhale deeply, then exhale in a
combination of first quick bursts of air coming out and finishing with vocal
laughter. Repeat 5-7 times.
43. Laughter Vowels: Laugh the sound of the following
laughter vowels. Let’s start with: “A” as in “papa”: Aaaaa ha ha ha ha ha. Then
“E” as in “free”: Eeeee he he he he he. Next is “I” as in “pie”: iiiii hi hi hi
hi hi. Next is “O” as in “Bingo”: Ooooo ho ho ho ho ho. Last is “U” as in
“soup”: Uuuuu hu hu hu hu hu. Excellent! Now repeat, but backwards.
44. Happy Memories Chuckle: Go back in time and find a
truly happy memory, typically of a time when you felt safe, loved, surrounded
by people you loved, and when you all laughed. Take time to connect with this
memory, laughing now as if you were back then. It normally takes 90-120 seconds
to start to recreate the associated emotions.
45. Hearty Laughter: Make an elongated “aeeee” sound as
you slowly lift both arms all the way up, then laugh heartily with your hands
pointed to the sky. Imagine that your laughter is coming straight from your
heart.
46. Back Pain Laughter: Lean forward and put your hand on
your lower back, then laugh as if you could not stand back up.
47. Conductor Laughter: Imagine you are a conductor.
Direct an imaginary orchestra with enthusiastic arm movements as you sing any
song of your choice in laughter sounds only e.g. ho ho ho or "ha ha
ha".
48. Ear-Wiggle Laughter: Slowly slide your left hand
upward along the left side of your head, slowly going over your head as you say
an extended "aeeee" sound, then laugh as you wiggle your right ear
with your left fingers. Do the same on the other side. Repeat a few times.
49. Laughter Pill: Take some laughter pills! Each pill
has a unique effect and makes you laugh and jerk in a peculiar way for just a
few seconds. Try another one as soon as the effects wear off.
50. Vowel Movement Laughter: Have you had your vowel
movement today? Laugh in the tonality of the following sounds: Eee Eee Eee Eee!
Aye aye aye aye! Ah ah ah ah! Ho ho ho ho! Ooo ooo ooo ooo! Uh uh uh uh!
Sources and
Additional Information:
