Looking to relieve stress, anxiety or tension instantly? No need to reach for conventional medicines or even herbal relievers; a hearty laugh can go a long way in helping you feel good, naturally.
The miracle of laughter has been studied for years, and the results show humor to be a great stress combatant. In fact, research shows we can laugh our way to good health, as it can help boost the immune system, reduce pain, improve mood, increase creativity, help with chronic breathing problems, and support the heart and blood pressure. So, it seems that a laugh a day keeps the doctor away.

At the University of Maryland Medical Center, Dr. Michael Miller and his colleagues have discovered first-hand the healing powers of humor. In their study, 20 healthy men and women watched clips from two movies: one, a violent battle scene from the war epic Saving Private Ryan, and the other, a humorous scene from the comedy Kingpin. Fourteen out of the 20 volunteers who watched the stressful film had reduced blood flow. However, after watching the funny film, 19 of the 20 volunteers had a significant increase in blood flow, which is equivalent to what occurs in the body after a 15–30 minute workout.

Further research by Dr. Lee Berk of Loma Linda University shows that after exposure to humor there is a general increase in activity within the immune system that attacks viral infected cells and some types of cancer and tumor cells. Laughter appears to tell the immune system to “turn it up a notch.” Past studies have found that stress hormones—like adrenalin and cortisol, which are released when a person is stressed—may harm the body by suppressing the immune system and constricting blood vessels. On the other hand, researchers believe that laughing causes the body to release beneficial chemicals called endorphins, which may counteract the effects of stress hormones and cause blood vessels to dilate.

So, why aren’t we laughing more? As children, we laughed between 200 and 350 times a day. Now, as adults, we might laugh 15 to 20 times a day. Many of us have busy schedules and various pressures and demands that make our lives hectic. As a result, we let laughter take a backseat to other priorities. But, we can make room for laughter in our lives. After all, it’s free! And perhaps the best part is that laughter is contagious. Think about it, can you resist joining in when someone else is laughing? Not only can laughter help improve your health as an individual, but making laughter a part of your life could allow it to spread to others and even reduce the demands and pressures of your work and home environments.

Here are some amusing exercises:

Childhood Chuckle
Whether you need to relieve stress and tension or just want to start your day off on the right foot, try this quick exercise to start laughing.
• Use your favorite method to put yourself in a state of relaxation. You can try deep breathing or mediation.
• Once relaxed, start to think about what used to make you laugh when you were young—those little things that got you laughing so hard you couldn’t catch your breath.
• Take a minute to feel good in the moment and allow yourself to start laughing out loud.
• The positive effects of laughter come after exhaling a laugh for a full seven to ten seconds. At first, it may be hard to hold your exhale for so long. But, keep trying. You’ll get the hang of it and have a great, hearty laugh.
• Variation: While visualizing moments that made you laugh when you were young is a great start, you can also visualize positive, humor-filled situations from any point in your life.

Friendly, Funny
If you need to relieve tension in a group, take the initiative to start the laughter and watch it spread.
• Get the group’s attention and ask everyone to think of one of their funniest moments. Even better, ask them to think of a funny moment you’ve all shared. Be the leader and start by sharing your moment. Then, use the exercise above to start laughing.
• Watch your laughter spread to the group. As another member of the group shares their story, their laughter will spread to you and so on, eliminating tension and negativity.
And remember, you don’t have to be happy to laugh; laughing can make you—and your neighbors—happy.

Laugh Anywhere…even yoga class
Staying healthy and fit is mostly thought of as something serious that requires focus and a straight face. But, it isn’t so. From hula hooping to belly dancing, there are many ways to get moving and have fun, too. Even yoga class doesn’t have to fit the stereotypical image of everyone moving in silence. Incorporating a little laughter into the routine can actually improve relaxation and enhance all the great benefits yoga has to offer. Area yoga instructor Adam Laufer makes sure his classes are a good time for all.

“My classes are fun,” he says. “Sometimes I joke and say that we get together and have fun and manage to slip some yoga in there. The students keep engaged with me and with each other because while we’re doing the poses, we’re talking about curious math and science facts, they’re correcting my horrible sense of left and right, or we’re placing bets on how late certain class members (who will remain nameless) will be this week. We tell silly jokes, we laugh about parking tickets and how much we’re suffering in the poses. (Remember: suffering is good!)”

So, it’s not all fun and games, but laughter helps students get through the tough moments, he says. “In reality, we get a great deal of yoga done. We all have our aches and pains; some are mental, some emotional, some physical. Through laughter, joy and community, we open up our bodies through the poses, and we also unlock the tension and stresses of our lives.”

Adam reminds you that you can create this easy-going feeling at your own movement class with these five simple, and funny, steps:
1. Ask people their name.
2. If they give you their name, ask their social security number (then say, “just kidding”).
3. Bring some chocolate. (Remember to share!)
4. Wear deodorant.
5. Turn all the way around (pretend you’re Wonder Woman) and make eye contact with people.

Sources: www.umm.edu/news/releases/laughter2.htm,
www.holisticonline.com/Humor
_ Therapy/humor_therapy_benefits.htm

Dr. Frank Rocco has studied biofeedback and hypnotherapy, and he received a doctorate in metaphysics from the College of Metaphysics in 1976. Frank recently became a Certified Laughter Coach and now holds laughter seminars in the area to teach the many benefits of laughter in improving health and stress levels. He can be reached by phone at 954-394-6595, or you can sign up for a monthly laughter newsletter by emailing laffatstress@yahoo.com.

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