How would your day be if you could start it off with a huge belly laugh? Would it be even better if you could share your laughter with 20-50 friends in a park, and throw in some gentle yoga poses for good measure? Well, that's exactly how the members of Laughter Clubs of India begin their mornings. At 7 a.m. sharp, clubs meet in parks all around India to help each other get in touch with their funny bones. "Ha, Ha, Ha!! Ho, Ho, Ho!! Now, stick out your tongue!!" Led by an anchor person, members do warm-up exercises to get the hilarity flowing. Giggles become guffaws and titters become belly laughs as the contagion of laughter spreads amongst the group!
Mira Nair's 1999 film The Laughing Club of India documented the craze that has swept Bombay and gained inroads in popularity throughout India, the EU and some parts of the U.S. Dr. Madan Kataria started the first Laughter Club in Bombay in 1995, and continues to give workshops and mentor over 1000 clubs worldwide.
The health benefits of laughter are numerous. According to Dr. Kataria, laughter can strengthen the lungs, alleviate high blood pressure, improve stamina by increasing breathing capacity, strengthen the immune system, alleviate some forms of bronchitis and asthma, reduce the pain from arthritis, tension headache and migraine by releasing endorphins, as well as loosening inhibition and boosting self-confidence*. Wow - all that from a few chuckles?!! Actually, there is serious science behind Dr. Kataria's claims.
Norman Cousins published his seminal work Anatomy of an Illness in 1964, documenting the positive effects of comic relief when he suffered from a devastating form of ankylosing spondylitis, a degenerative connective tissue disease. Informed by his doctor that he only had one chance of recovery in 500, Cousins researched ways to increase his chances of being that "one." Studies on the power of positive thinking inspired Cousins to look to humor to maintain a positive attitude. He found that the pain caused by his disease diminished considerably during and after viewing Marx Brothers and other comedic movies! In 1979, years after Cousins' full recovery, a case study of his illness was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, giving validity to the statement that laughter is good medicine.
In recent years, there has been extensive research in the field of psychoneuroimmunology in exploring the connection between the hormone secreting endocrine system and the nervous and immune systems, or to put it more simply, how the mind-body connection affects health. In his 1989 study, Dr. Lee Berk of Loma Linda University Medical Center showed that laughter decreased levels of cortisol and epinephrine, (two chemicals produced by the body during onset of stress that have a depressant effect on the immune system, when in excess).
In 1996, Dr. Berk teamed with Dr. Stanley Tan and others to conduct a study that investigated the effects of laughter on the immune system. Their experiment measured levels of gamma-interferon or, IFN - a substance active in regulating the immune response, in a group of ten male volunteers who were shown 60 minutes of humor videos. Results showed a measured increase in IFN from the baseline measurement.
There appear to be aerobic benefits to laughter as well, which may prove useful to those who are physically handicapped or sedentary for other reasons. Psychiatrist Dr. William Fry, an Emeritus Associate Clinical Professor in Psychiatry at Stanford University, who has been researching the effects of humor on mental and physical health since the 1950's, has equated one minute of laughter to 10 minutes on the rowing machine.
Convinced? Intrigued? Want to start your own Laughter Club? Dr. Kataria's website listed below provides detailed guidelines, but here's a brief synopsis of how they work. Meetings are usually held in the morning for about 20 minutes, before working hours. Activities are directed by an anchor person (whose responsibility can rotate among trained members) standing in the center of an informal circle or semi-circle. Members stand about an arm's length apart, but movement within the circle and amongst members should be casual and natural. The anchor will lead in gentle vocal and physical warm-up exercises. Rounds of laughter have a duration of 30-45 seconds, interspersed with deep breaths.
Members of Laughter Clubs and their families have reported an overall increase in positive outlook, joy, physical health and sense of well being. And that, (after restraining myself from using this phrase for this entire article), IS NO LAUGHING MATTER!!! (Hee-hee!!).
*Of course, as with any change in lifestyle, there are precautions to be observed, especially for those who have uncontrolled high blood pressure, glaucoma, hernia, heart patients and women who are pregnant. Clearing new activities with your physician is always a smart move!
Websites:
Learn all about Dr. Kataria's Laughter Clubs at the following URL: http://www.humor.ch/kataria/katariafront.htm
An interview with Dr. Fry discussing his career of research on the effects of laughter on human health can be found at: http://www.humor.ch/salameh/h_h_fry.htm
References:
Cousins, Norman (1991). Anatomy of an Illness as perceived by the patient. Bantam Doubleday Dell Pub; Rei edition: New York, NY.
Berk, L. (1989). Neuroendocrine influences of mirthful laughter. American Journal of Medical Sciences, Vol. 298, pp. 390-396.
Berk, Lee, Tan, Stanley (1996). The Laughter-Immune Connection. http://angelfire.lycos.com Retrieved on July 5th, 2002. http://www.angelfire.com/mo/countrysoulcafe/laughter.html