Laughter Therapy
The experience of Dr. Mohan Kataria, pioneer of Hasya Yoga, with laughter clubs worldwide, taught him that people were definitely deriving health benefits from laughter yoga exercises. But there was no scientific proof that Dr. Kataria could offer to satisfy logical minded people especially in the west. “I had no problems in India as more than 100,000 people laughed every morning without asking me for any proof but when it came to the West everybody asked, do you have the data?”
Finally, in 2003-04 the first authentic research was completed by Dr. Ilona Papousek from the University of Graz in early fall 2004. According to the news release by Ananova - March 2004, a new study shows that laughter really is the best therapy for stroke patients, according to scientists.
A study was conducted at a computer company where Mr. Thomas Flindt led a session of laughter yoga in the beginning of the day throughout the month of May 2004.
This project shows clearly the effect that a regular practice of laughter yoga has on the stress levels. On an individual level the results are remarkable. The body stress levels are significantly reduced.
Laugh-yoga is a discipline practiced by individuals, usually in a school-type environment. The laughter is not in response to some form of comedy or physical stimulus like tickling: It's a forced exercise-like routine in which the participants laugh together as a group, much like the aerobic exercises common in the United States. In a sense, I suppose, it's pretty much simply an alternative form of aerobic exercise. It starts off with breathing exercises followed by a gentle "hee, hee, hee" that eventually builds up into a raucous "ha, ha, ha." When you think about it, are we dealing with anything new? Similar exercises have long been acknowledged as ways to improve your circulation (including blood pressure) and your health in general. Even Kataria seemed to agree when he was asked whether a good sense of humor is required to perform the routine and stated, "It's not about humor or being funny. It's about exercising the diaphragm with laughter."
Deepak Chopra: Healing Power of Laughter Video
Benefits to Physical Health
- Laughter enriches the blood with ample supplies of oxygen. According to the science of yoga, life energy (prana) flows through the breath. 15-30 minutes of Laughter Therapy helps to increase the lung capacity, thus enhancing oxygen supply to the body.
- It beats stress effectively. And stress today is considered the number one factor in killer diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, anxiety, depression, frequent coughs and colds, peptic ulcers, insomnia, allergies, asthma, menstrual difficulties, tension headaches, stomach upsets and even cancer.
- Laughter boosts the Immune System, the master key for maintaining good health.
- It helps control high blood pressure and heart disease. While there are many factors for these like heredity, obesity, smoking and excessive intake of saturated fats, stress is one of the major factors. Laughter definitely helps to control blood pressure by reducing the release of stress-related hormones and bringing relaxation.
- It helps in increasing stamina through increased oxygen supply
- It alleviates pain and gives a sense of well being by releasing endorphins, the body’s painkiller hormones.
- It is an effective antidote for depression, anxiety and psychosomatic disorders: laughter boosts the production of serotonin, a natural anti-depressant.
- It gives an internal massage to the digestive tract and enhances blood supply to important internal organs like the liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys and adrenal glands.
- It ensures good sleep and reduces snoring because laughter is very good for the muscles of the soft palate and throat
- It brings a happy glow to your face and makes your eyes shine with a thin film of tears which are squeezed from the lachrymal sacs during the act of laughter.
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