Natural Health
Laughter Therapy
By Liz McCue
Apr 22, 2008

It's almost here! Mark your calendar for Sunday, May 4th. That's when World Laughter Day is celebrated. It began in Mumbai, India in 1998 and was founded by Dr. Madan Kataria who joined with 12,000 others on that day for one big laugh fest.

What's all the hype about laughter? It's in response to laughter therapy research findings which are increasingly showing the health benefits of a good chuckle and even suggesting that maybe laughter IS the best medicine.

What these studies are discovering is that not only are there emotional health benefits from laughing, but there are physical benefits of laughter, as well. Here is a sampling of what these laughter studies have found.

Immune response: Elevated stress decreases our immune capability. Through humor the number of immune cells may be increased.

Blood circulation: When tense, blood vessels constrict reducing blood flow, whereas lower tension levels allow blood flow to remain constant.

Physical workout: A good laugh exercises the diaphragm, heart and stomach muscles and relaxes the muscles in our neck, shoulder and arms.

Weight loss: Laughter tends to reduce the four main causes of weight gain: stress, boredom, depression and loneliness.

Stress and Pain reduction: Laughter acts as a distraction from negative feelings such as anger, fear and pain.

Socially beneficial: Laughter uniquely connects us with others making even tense situations more friendly.

If we learn how to laugh more often we can all benefit. How do you do that? For starters...

Learn to become more lighthearted: Throughout the day try to think about a few of the good things in your life, or a humorous event that recently happened. This will help distract you for a few minutes from negative thoughts and feelings. This may take practice, but over time you'll find that you can more easily "escape" into a happier place and see things through a brighter prism.

Increase your sense of humor: Try watching comedies on television or rent a funny movie. Do you get the comedy channel? Did you know it existed? Pick up a book of jokes or just do an online search for your favorite types of humor, you're likely to get at least a few chuckles.

Laugh at yourself: You've heard the saying, "Don't fret the small stuff". Try not to be too hard on yourself when you've messed up. Take a lesson from your mistakes and move on. Life is too short to keep reliving the past. Tell a friend about your stupid mistake and laugh at it with them.

Become more social: Even if you're a loner, human interaction can create a healthier outlook on life. Make eye contact with people you meet while running your everyday errands, smile at them, say hello. Studies have found that people who feel connected are more likely to be happier and feel more self confident.

What if you still need help learning how to laugh more often? Laughter therapy clinics and studios are popping up all around the globe and offer varying forms of therapy including laughter therapy yoga. Check it out; you may have access to a good laugh in your own community.