There's a scene in the movie Mary Poppins where Uncle Albert (played by Ed Wynn) gets stuck on the ceiling of his sitting room, buoyed upwards by uncontainable glee. Uncle Albert, it seems, was given to fits of laughter that literally lifted his spirits—along with the rest of him—right off the floor.
An Indian based physician, Madan Kataria explains why laughter is truly the best medicine. He is the author of Laugh for No Reason (Madhuri International) and founder and president of Laughter Clubs.
Laughter has two sources, one from the body, one from the mind. Adults tend to laugh from the mind. “We use judgments and evaluations about what’s funny and what isn’t,” he says. Children, who laugh much more frequently than adults, laugh from the body. “They laugh all the time they’re playing. Laughter Yoga is based on cultivating your childlike playfulness. We all have a child inside us wanting to laugh, wanting to play.”
"This laughter practice," explains Kataria, "moves progressively from the ho ho, ha ha exercise to other types of simulated laughter. It's what I call my 'laughter cocktail.'" Kataria's "cocktail" includes hearty laughter, greeting laughter, open-mouthed silent laughter, humming laughter, lion laughter , and swinging laughter, with arm movement. Each laughter is sustained for up to 45 seconds, and followed with deep breathing and stretching exercises.
The laughter exercises are designed to be done together, with participants progressing from one type of chuckle to another in the company of others. Says Kataria: "Laughter in laughter clubs is the purest laughter because it is not for any reason. It is not directed at others but we learn to laugh at ourselves."
Is there anything that Kataria can't laugh about? "Life can be a challenge," he admits, "It helps if you're able to laugh." In fact, he claims the benefits are positively life-enhancing. Not only does laughter help you to lose your inhibitions and gain self-confidence, Kataria explains that by embracing the spirit of laughter, it's possible to achieve a more positive outlook on life, as well as improved lung capacity and abdominal tone.
The use of abdominal muscles during the practice of forced laughter tone the digestive system & strong abdominal muscles contribute to a healthy digestive system. He further maintains that laughter practice raises both pulse rate and blood pressure, stimulating and toning the circulatory system, and strengthens the respiratory system by utilizing the entire capacity of the lungs. We clear our respiratory passages and build strong lungs which are essential to the well-being of both body and spirit. For more info go to :-
www.laughteryoga.org.
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