“A day without laughter is a day wasted.” ~ Charlie Chaplin
What is life without laughter? We get so caught up in our self-inflicted reality, that we forget the simple joys of life. Laughter is the best medicine, as its the perfect way to de-stress and overcome some of the difficult times in life. Don’t we all love the company of funny, humorous people? Here’s the reason why, having a good laugh makes you feel light, its like a magic potion for the body, mind and the soul.
Madan Kataria, an Indian physician, while writing an article ‘Laughter – The Best Medicine’ for a health journal, discovered many scientific studies showing the proven benefits of Laughter on the Human mind and body. So to find out for himself, he along with few friends got together and cracked jokes to laugh every morning, until, of course they ran out of jokes.
Then Kataria found out that our body cannot differentiate between pretend and genuine laughter, so the group pretended to laugh, initially. The make believe laughter quickly turned into real laughter – this was contagious. This gave rise to Laughter Yoga in 1995.
Laughter Yoga combines laughter exercises and yoga breathing with rhythmic clapping and chanting of Ho Ho Ha Ha Ha in unison, which turns into real laughter. Today there are several laughter clubs in India and around the world, where people – senior citizens, housewives, corporates, children or anyone – get together in a garden or any open space and laugh away to glory.
It has been proved that while laughing the human brain secretes the ‘feel good’ hormone endorphins and there by reducing the levels of cortisol – a stress hormone responsible for more than 70-80 percent of illnesses.
Why should you laugh everyday?
- It strengthens your immune system
- Eliminate aches and pains
- Improves blood circulation
- Good for the heart, and lowers blood pressure
- Increases oxygen level in your body
- It will reduce depression and anxiety in your life
- Reduces symptoms of allergies, asthma, arthritis and helps in chronic illnesses like cancer
- Develop positive outlook
Children laugh up to 300 to 400 times a day whereas adults laugh only 15 times a day. That’s because children laugh at the smallest of things, while we adults laugh only on a particular occasion due to our inability to truly live in the present moment.
Humans were designed to laugh. It lifts our spirits with a happy high that makes us feel good and improves our behavior towards others.
A single exercise routine which reduces physical, mental and emotional stress simultaneously and brings an emotional balance. When our life is so stressful, laughter can help to a great extent. I recollect someone making fun of this idea of people laughing aloud early morning, some might find it amusing, but it would be a great idea to join the club instead!
(This therapy might not suit every patient and every disease. Please check with a therapist if Laughter Yoga is suitable for your condition)
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