Daily Times

Jokes apart, when was the last hearty laughter that brought tears downs your cheeks? Laughter has become a keen topic for scientific research in recent years. Laughter is more than an emotional response. The physiological benefits are overwhelmingly convincing for laughter to be included daily routine.

One study by Mora-Ripoll titled, “The therapeutic value of laughter in medicine,” identified five separate types of laughter: genuine (“spontaneous”), self-induced (“simulated”), stimulated (eg after tickling), induced (via drugs), and pathological.

Positive mood is closely tied to spontaneous laughter and considered as anxiety and depression buster. At the University of Maryland, researchers found groups who watched humorous films experienced an increase in blood flow compared to groups that watched over-serious shows.

Laughter has been called internal jogging. It has an aerobic effect on the heart, diaphragm, abdominal, intercostal, respiratory, and facial muscles. The abdominal muscles contraction helps massage the internal organs and improves oxygen supply. It may not seem so, but laughter is a lot of work for the body. Notice how people with sedentary lifestyle avoid hearty laughter as it can cause cramps in weak muscles in the chest and abdomen. A UCLA study found that watching funny shows increased children’s tolerance level for pain.

“Laughing your lungs out,” really means full inhalation and full exhalation. Resting lung volume capacity is almost three litres of air. An additional half a litre of air enters the lungs on inhalation and approximately the same amount exits on exhalation, known as tidal volume. This can be further topped up by an additional amount of air, as much as another three litres, during physical exertion. I call it jet fuel, and the scientific term is inspiratory reserve volume. Laughter injects jet fuel into the lungs and helps maximum exhalation which in turn increase the breath capacity. American laughter club veteran Dr William Fry advises full belly laughter for 20 minutes daily for maximising health benefits. Breathing ensures life in the human body and bigger breath capacity not only ensures the younger body but more resilient physical health.

American laughter club veteran Dr William Fry advises full belly laughter for 20 minutes daily for maximising health benefits

A USAID-funded study, “In happiness” showed that laughter reduces stress by 43 per cent, depression by 41 per cent, mood swings by 41 per cent, drops sick leave by 52 per cent and increases productivity by 56 per cent.

Backed by further research such as in 2006, scientific research was conducted on the effects of Laughter Yoga involving 200 IT professionals in Bangalore concerning their stress levels. In 18 days, immunological and psychological results were an astonishing drop in heart rate, blood pressure dropped significantly, cortisol levels. Participants experienced positive emotions as well.

Laughing alone is difficult and sometimes impossible. Usually, the fear of others judging our behaviour inhibits us from laughing without a reason. Many people find it awkward to laugh without a reason as the brain is trained to external stimuli. On the other hand laughter in social settings can be contagious and also spontaneous.

Laughter therapy aims to induce laughter more at a physical level and less at mental, just like children. The diaphragmatic action boosts the parasympathetic nervous system, releasing endorphins – happy hormones. No one understood it better than “Hotei”, an eccentric zen monk known to have lived in the 10th century in China. With little possessions, he travelled from one village to another, carrying his sack of sweets and distributing them to village children. Hotei had a large belly, and the village children would rub his belly for amusement. Hotei kept laughing and is known all over the world as the “laughing buddha.” In many countries, statues of laughing Buddha are considered to bring happiness and prosperity, which are cornerstones of health, wellness and wellbeing.

Laughter is undoubtedly the best medicine. The story of Hotei has a touching end. Before departing on his eternal journey, Hotei asked his fellow monks to cremate his body but the Buddhist monks did not have the tradition of cremating the dead. Hotei knew when his time was close, and stashed fireworks under his shroud. As soon the monks ignited the pyre, the sky was lit up with fireworks and brought a smile to the mourners, vanquishing sorrow and eternalising divinity in laughter.

The writer is a wellness and yoga expert. She can be reached at aliya@aliyaagha.com