Laughter Therapy: Real or Quack?

When was the last time you laughed until you cried? You probably can't remember, but know that it was really silly. It's the simplest and cheapest stress management tool there is to improve the quality of life, no training necessary.

All humans start life with the ability to laugh, regardless of race, colour or creed. Apes, dogs and even rats have been found to laugh, though a little differently to humans. All of which means that laughter is not in the least bit unusual; it's a wide-spread characteristic found throughout the animal kingdom that denotes play and pleasure.

So, why do we weird humans have to invent a 'therapy' that allows us to laugh out loud? Because we've let life become so serious and stressful that there's no longer any time to have a good old-fashioned belly laugh. Or even a bit of a giggle. That is, until it became official that laughter is OK.

What Is Laughter Therapy?

As the name suggests, it's laughing in order to get a particular result, usually to make us feel better in some way. Laughter therapy offers so many therapeutic benefits. For starters, it relieves pain, reduces blood pressure and decreases stress. A genuine laughter can lighten up stressful situations and increase energy levels, as it reduces the body's cortisol levels which cause a fight-or-flight response. Plus, it has been shown to be beneficial to individuals who are suffering from chronic diseases, such as patients with cancer. 

In 1964, Norman Cousins documented the effects of laughter in healing. After being diagnosed with a painful chronic condition, and unhappy with the treatment, he began his own treatment, reading and watching anything that made him laugh. It worked, and he regained his health.

He later wrote a book about this extraordinary experience, which he called Anatomy of an Illness. Cousins called laughter 'internal jogging, an exercise to keep us in emotional shape'. We spend a lot of time worrying about physical shape, and too little on what's now being recognized as an important component of our wellbeing.

What are the Health Benefits of Laughter Therapy?

There are many benefits associated with laughter therapy, including improved mood and physical health. Laughter releases endorphins, which are the body's natural painkillers. There is evidence that laughter therapy can improve all aspects of health and be beneficial for a range of health conditions, including:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Stress
• Chronic pain
• Poor memory 
• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Asthma
• Insomnia

Source: ayoti.in

Types of Laughter Therapy

There are a number of different types of laughter therapy. Some common types include: laughter clubs, laughter yoga and laughter meditation.

Laughter clubs

Laughter clubs are groups of people who meet at least once a week to laugh together using jokes or funny props.

Laughter yoga

This is a type of yoga that incorporates diaphragmatic breathing exercises into the laughing routine. Oftentimes, the laughter in laughter yoga sessions is forced and not genuine in the beginning, but it eventually becomes genuine after minutes of laughter. 

Laughter meditation

This is a form of meditation that uses laughter as its main focus. Similar to laughter yoga, it involves breathing and laughing exercises. 

Mirthful laughter

This type of laughter therapy is characterised by genuine belly laughter. It's the kind of laughter that comes from joy, happiness and amusement. This kind of humour therapy is known to boost your immune system, increase oxygen flow and release endorphins. You will be able to experience mirthful laughing regardless of which laughter therapy class you attend once you develop the habit of delivering real laughter. 

Clown doctors

Clown doctors are healthcare professionals with special training in various laughter-inducing therapies. They visit hospitals, nursing homes, clinics and other health facilities.

The end result of all of them is that the participants laugh a lot, but one type sometimes appeals more than others. When laughter is spontaneous, and in response to something we think is funny, such as a joke, we get a better payoff. Working out the joke not only increases the happy hormones and endorphins streaming through our bodies, but is a sort of weight-lifting for the brain.

It doesn't really matter how or why you laugh since the mind responds the same way, whether laughter is real or fake. So, when you feel less than fantastic, you can just go and stand in front of the mirror and smile idiotically at yourself. Keep doing it, and eventually, you'll feel better.

How to Receive Laughter Therapy

The benefits of laughter therapy are vast and varied. Anyone can try this form of complementary therapy and experience improved health and wellbeing. The next time you're feeling down, stressed out, or just plain exhausted, try participating in a laughter class in your neighbourhood and feel your mood and energy lift. Some laughter groups that you can join include:

Laughter Yoga Groups

In this type of group, people come together with no props, and nothing to watch or hear. They simply make the noise of laughter until finally, it generates its own hilarity. It can be a bit intimidating to start, but you quickly get over it as you begin to laugh. Laughing in a group is contagious and offers many positive effects. It won't be long before you are chortling and guffawing with everyone else. The sessions include breathing, ho-ho-ho-ing, and producing different laughs such as: one metre, silent, cocktail and lion.

Laughter Groups  

These groups are harder to find, but they can be used in many situations including pain management and weight loss. You don't need any reason to chuckle or giggle. Even the most serious person couldn't help but be drawn in by the club members' infectious laughter. The idea is that once you get started, genuine and spontaneous laughter ensues. There are several ways to participate in a laughter group. Participants are encouraged to take part, using funny toys, jokes and fancy clothes. They learn how to laugh at themselves and to treat life less seriously as a way to reduce stress.

Clown doctors

Probably the most important and useful form of laughter therapy. Sick kids in hospital are 'treated' with 'doses of fun' to help them deal with fear, pain and anxiety. All sorts of props are used, and often the frightening hospital equipment and procedures are parodied. Clown doctors have professional training with the Humour Foundation in order to offer high level skills in the midst of serious hospitals and illness. Some laughter yoga practitioners also become clown doctors so they can practise laughter therapy on a more regular basis with people in need of laughter therapy. 

A hearty laughter is a fabulous physical workout. It uses most of your body and provides good exercise for the heart and lungs. It's a great way to break down barriers; by the end of a session of laughter, everyone is relaxed and good humoured, so communication and problem solving can be smoother. 

What about skipping morning tea, and opting for a laugh instead? You'll save a few hundred kilojoules (15 minutes laughing is about equal to a bar of chocolate), be much less stressed and you might even make some new friends.