Here’s a little attempt at making a case for more laughter in the world on World Laughter Day. Celebrated on the first Sunday of May, it came into existence in 1998, making it the 20th Day of its kind this year.
Health experts have lauded the effects of a positive mind and thinking for centuries which perhaps explains the importance of laughter or humour therapy for health. Yes, you read it right.
This is a legitimate form of therapy which uses laughter to keep the body healthy. In case you’re looking for more scientific terminology, the word is Gelotology which is the formal study of laughter and humour and the manner in which it affects the body.
Too caught up to read? Listen to the story here:
What Exactly IS Laughter Therapy?
This form of therapy is the process of using humour to help the body relieve stress, both physical and mental. Often patients suffering with chronic diseases are also recommended this therapy.
The tools of laughter therapy (brownie points for guessing) include humourous art, games and other activities. It has been known to boost immunity, provide more oxygen to the body, trigger endorphin release, relax pain, stress and tension in the body, improve heart function and remove anxiety and negative thinking.
Experts believe that how you perceive life and the world around you has a major impact on your emotional and hence physical well-being.
Scientific American, an American magazine also famous for once having Albert Einstein as one of its contributors, emphasises the significance of the impact of humour and laughter on health.
It is not even necessary to laugh out loud to improve thinking. A discreet grin can go a long way because the changes in facial muscles trigger positive emotional signals in the brain. People who manage a smile will often be rewarded with a better mood...Humor also provides temporary relief from everyday problems; psychologists note that people who learn to chuckle at their own foibles, rather than letting annoyances eat at them, may find solutions to their problems easier to come by.
How to Practice Laughter Therapy
This may seem like a no-brainer, but it actually is a systematic process normally made up of three phases to get the most out of your practice. The first step involves clapping in a rhythmic manner to activate acupuncture points. This is followed by the second phase of deep breathing exercises to relax the body and calm the mind.
Now, in the third phase, comes the fun part - laughing your heart away. This is achieved by employing different kinds of laughter beginning with hearty laughter. The whole body is employed for this. Ease your body, lift your arms, throw your head back and feel the laughter rise from somewhere deep within you.
This can be supplemented with imitating someone else’s laughter to amuse both yourself and the rest of the group.
Since laughter therapy is mostly performed in groups, it employs tools like narrating embarrassing anecdotes, celebratory stories to the group, while also laughing on your inhibitions.
The Science of Laughter: What Happens In Your Body
The process of laughter includes the contraction of 15 facial muscles. There is a stimulation of the major muscles which are involved in the lifting mechanism of the upper lip. When you try to prevent yourself from laughter, you’re actually keeping these muscles together (unless you’ve already hit the point of no return and are guffawing your way to glory).
The process also ropes in the respiratory system as the epiglottis closes the larynx. This also explains why laughter often makes you feel out of breath. If you are really going at it, it can also activate your tear ducts.
There is a Laughter Epidemic and It’s Real: There indeed is also a dark side to this wonderful phenomenon. In 1962, laughter among a few school students in a village in present-day Tanzania spread out on such a massive scale that experts suspected it to be a case of mass hysteria. It’s now known as Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic.
While it may serve as interesting trivia, it truly was an aberration - and definitely not something that should stop you from laughing yourself away to a healthy body and mind.
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