Laugh - A Relaxing Space therapy
 

Laughing relaxes all the muscles

        Another gift unique to man is the ability to laugh. In modern times laughing has been considerably reduced to to stressful life. Many laughing clubs have programs to initiate laughing which spreads like a chain reaction. Laughing in the form of laugh therapy has been proven to decrease many diseases. 

     No joke is needed to get members of more than 500 laughing clubs in India, to erupt with glee. Instead, they breathe deeply, yoga-like, reach for the sky to reduce inhibitions, then force a 'ho, ho, ha, ha' until the laughter becomes contagious. It reduces stress, claims Dr. Madan Kataria, the clubs' founder. 'Laughing is my mission,' he says, 'I want to spread it all over the world.'"

      Members of the clubs meet in groups of up to 50, where after limbering up and breathing exercises, they egg each other on into extended bouts of hilarity. Chhaganbhai Seth, 72, was told by his grandchildren that he was noticeably less grumpy after four months of laughing practice.
      Practised gigglers learn how to produce a repertoire of different styles of laughing, and the health benefits claimed are numerous. As well as loosening inhibitions, boosting self-confidence, also good for breathing, as an aid to giving up smoking, and can alleviate hypertension, arthritis and migraine.

Latest  research has shown that laughing lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, and boosts immune functions. It also triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, and fosters general spiritual sunniness. Laughing appears to be almost as beneficial as a workout in boosting the health of blood vessels, a new study suggests (http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7103).

"Thirty minutes of exercise three times a week and 15 minutes of hearty laughter each day should be part of a healthy lifestyle," says Michael Miller of the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, US, whose team has shown that laughter relaxes arteries and boosts blood flow.

A  film on the true story of Patch Adams stars Robin Williams as a doctor who makes cancer patients laugh. "It sure as heck helps to have movies like this, " said Robert Cicco of the American Association for Therapeutic Humour. One Pittsburgh hospital provides a 24-hour television channel called Humour Helps Healing, and humour therapists have formed the Carolina Humour and Healing Association (HaHa).

Above picture is from Nationalgeographic.com/

       Laughter is the Best Medicine." His belief in laughter's therapeutic effect was confirmed after years of observing that laughing fits boosts his patients' immune systems. "

"People are drawn towards the club not just for laughter, but for another reason: it provides a sense of 'village' where they have people they see every day. That's an anchor in their life" Mira Nair explains in her movie about laughing clubs. Laughing clubs are largely urban entities, catering to city folk who Nair said don't have "a real sense of community."

      "Within four years, 40,000 people in India are laughing. It's no laughing matter, and so Do not forget to laugh and relax.

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