Health Benefits of Laughter Yoga: Real Laughter Versus Pseudo-Laughter

Your health is important. If you realized you would be healthier with more laughter in your life, you might think seriously about changing your lifestyle. Think about this for a moment. One of the most relaxing and least stressful times in your life is when you are listening to children’s laughter or laughing along with them. The cares of the world all seem to disappear, at least for a moment. There have to be short and long-term health benefits from this.

“The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter.” Mark Twain

What is laughter yoga therapy?

Laughter yoga therapy is growing movement originally initiated by Madan Kataria, a physician from Mumbai, India, who launched the first, laughter club at a park on March 13, 1995. Now, all around the world, yoga therapy in conjunction with Pranayama yogic breathing, is showing the reality of health benefits related to this practice.

Laughter yoga therapy “is a series of movement and breathing exercises designed to stimulate laughter and cultivate an inner spirit of joy. It is a technique that invites laughter without using jokes or humor. Laughter yoga is a blend of yoga-based deep breathing, gentle stretching, simulated laughter exercises and playful games and activities.”

To understand the health benefits of laughter yoga, it is be aware of the four basic steps, namely clapping, deep breathing, childlike playfulness and laughter exercises.

It is suggested that  “Anyone can laugh for no reason, without relying on humor, jokes or comedy. Laughter is simulated as a body exercise in a group; with eye contact and childlike playfulness, it soon turns into real and contagious laughter. The concept of laughter yoga is based on a scientific fact that the body cannot differentiate between fake and real laughter. One gets the same physiological and psychological benefits.”

Suggested physiological and psychological health benefits of laughter yoga include the following:: stress reduction because the level of cortisol and adrenaline drops, a transition to a more positive attitude, revitalization of the body, a positive impact on the immune system, an increase in clarity of mind, the dissipation of negative feelings including anger and frustration, an improvement in motor and expressive skills and an increase in life expectancy.

If anyone can practice yoga laughter therapy at no cost, how are the breathing exercises performed? 

“Yoga breathing exercises are performed sitting down with the spine, neck and head in a straight line - either in the easy pose, the lotus pose or if neither is comfortable, sitting on a chair.”

Laughter is the best medicine, or so it has been said. Perhaps the benefits of real laughter versus fake or simulated laughter need further research. Is it the laughter, the breathing, or the combination of both that brings about the improvement in one’s health?