Laughter has a place of honor in our lives. “Of all living beings, only man has laughter.” In the Middle Ages, this phrase of Aristotle was given a huge - expanded - meaning: laughter was considered as the highest spiritual privilege of a person, inaccessible to any other creatures. By the way, laughter is not an innate quality in people either. According to Aristotle, a child begins to laugh no earlier than forty days after his birth, and only then becomes a full-fledged person, writes women.itop.net.
In such a unique initiation into Man through laughter, he was apparently right. Because all people, without exception, know how to laugh. Although laughter also needs to be learned. This is what the mother’s eyes teach the baby in the first 5–8 weeks of life. And already at the age of two or three months the baby begins to smile and laugh. At six years of age, the peak of cheerfulness occurs - the child smiles and laughs about 300 times a day!
While an adult (even the most gloomy one) smiles or grins only about 15 times a day. But in vain, because laughter has more than enough healing properties.
In all developed countries of the world, hepotology - a science that studies the effects of laughter on the human body - is developing at a tremendous pace, and all because laughter therapy has an amazing effect in the treatment of a variety of diseases.
Origins
This science is most developed and applied in the USA (although laughter therapy is now actively used in many European countries). The fact is that it was the American, journalist and psychology teacher Norman Cousins who laid the foundation for it.
To be fair, it must be said that he did it impromptu. Or to be more precise, out of despair. When, after many unsuccessful attempts to cure him of collagenosis (a disease of bones and connective tissues) - he could practically no longer move, even open his mouth and chew (all this was accompanied by severe pain) - the doctors threw up their hands and explained that medicine was powerless, he began to act . How? Then articles by neurologist William Fry appeared in magazines, studying the beneficial effects of laughter on the body's resistance to disease. And Cousins began treatment: he left the hospital, moved to a hotel, ordered a film projector for his room, and the nurse played him comedies for days. He didn't laugh for several days. Then he suddenly felt very funny: he, an idiot, lay motionless and stupidly watched a comedy, seriously hoping that a couple of comedians would save his life. And he started laughing like crazy, after which he discovered that his back hurt less. After a few weeks, there was already a steady improvement in the condition. And after a couple of years of laughter therapy, Norman Cousins not only regained the ability to move - he returned to work and was even able to play his beloved Bach on the piano again.
And research in this area, as you understand, continued with renewed vigor...
Laughter = immunity
Let's start with the main advantage of His Majesty of Laughter.
At the University of California Medical Center, scientists found that under the influence of laughter therapy, immunity increases. The subjects were subjected to forced fun, caused by the same simple method - the broadcast of comedies. While the first group laughed, the second (control group) sat quietly, not hearing the laughter of their comrades.
Doctors determined (from blood tests taken before, after and during the study) that the reaction to humor causes physiological processes similar to those that occur in athletes. In the laughter group, there was a decrease in the levels of stress hormones - cortisol and adrenaline, which allows the body's immune systems to work more efficiently. Thus, the study found an increase in the number of T-lymphocytes that fight viruses.
In other words, the immune system's response to laughter is exactly the opposite of its response to stress.
People who love to laugh actually get sick less often. By the way, one study showed that babies of cheerful mothers are much less likely to get ARVI and influenza.
And the most interesting data was obtained by Margaret Stuber from the University of Los Angeles. A group of children were asked to keep their hands in cold water (about 10ºC) for as long as they could. Under normal conditions, they lasted at most 87 seconds, and when watching a comedy - 125. Interestingly, the laughing children's pulse, blood pressure and breathing rate remained virtually unchanged. All this allowed us to conclude: laughter has a stimulating effect on the immune system and protects the child’s body from stress.
- As a result of this therapy, the immune system begins to actively destroy precancerous cells!
Calm your nerves
The already mentioned neurologist W. Fry considers laughter, first of all, as a special way of breathing, in which the inhalation is prolonged and becomes deeper, and the exhalation, on the contrary, is shortened, but at the same time the intensity is such that the lungs are completely freed of air. As a result, compared to a calm state, gas exchange accelerates three to four times, which, in turn, improves blood supply to organs and tissues. In a word, laughter for the body is the same as a walk in the forest or an oxygen cocktail.
But in ordinary life, many of us breathe incorrectly: with an open mouth and without pauses. Such breathing is too shallow (as if it’s scary to take a deep breath), and leads to respiratory alkalosis (increased alkali content in the blood and tissues of the body), which causes neuromuscular hyperexcitability.
According to the observations of the French doctor Henry Rubinstein, this condition is typical for indecisive, timid people who are tormented by all sorts of fears and phobias. Breathing during laughter, Rubinstein believes, is good, correct, it helps fight alcoholosis, and therefore overcome the feeling of fear.
And the founder of the doctrine of stress, Hans Selye, said that stress is equally successfully relieved by adequate physical activity and positive emotions, since in both cases anti-stress substances are produced in the endocrine glands.
Veselchak is not afraid of a heart attack
That's right. And there is serious scientific confirmation of this. Michael Miller, director of the Center for Preventive Cardiology at the University of Maryland (USA), conducted an interesting study. It involved 150 people who had had a heart attack or coronary artery bypass surgery and 150 healthy people. Participants took a simple test with the most ordinary questions about how they would behave if, for example: “the waiter spills coffee on you,” “they step on your foot in public transport,” “the handle of your briefcase breaks,” and so on.
It turned out that the “heart patients” mostly reacted sullenly or hostilely, while the healthy ones reacted more often with humor.
The scientist concluded that anger and stress cause disruption of the endothelium - the protective inner lining of blood vessels. This leads to the accumulation of cholesterol on the walls of the coronary arteries and leads to heart attack and ischemia.
Experts from the same university found that laughter has a very beneficial effect on blood vessels: in volunteers who watched a “serious” film, blood flow slowed down by 35%, and when watching a comedy, on the contrary, blood flow accelerated by 22%.
William Fry explains it this way: when a person laughs, about 80 muscle groups work - the shoulders move, the chest shakes, the diaphragm vibrates, the heart beats faster, the oxygen content in the blood increases due to the fact that he takes in a full chest of air.
According to Michael Miller, laughter can be safely added to the list of factors that contribute to maintaining a healthy heart: “Doctors’ recommendations should be: exercise, low-fat food and laughter several times a day.”
Cheerful people are 40% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease than gloomy people. This serious difference was discovered by chance during one study.
Medicine for the stomach
Laughter is also the best natural system for cleansing the body. When we laugh, the abdominal muscles tighten, followed by the muscles of the smooth muscles of the intestines, improving its functioning and facilitating the release of toxins and wastes from it. In other words, laughter performs so-called intestinal gymnastics. A couple of thousand years ago, the famous scientist and physician Hippocrates wrote about the benefits of laughter as a remedy: he argued that a smiling and lively conversation during lunch has a good effect on digestion. Laughter also serves as a stimulant for the liver.
The famous phrase said by the hero of the great philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche’s book Zarathustra would be very appropriate here: “Ten times you must laugh during the day and be cheerful: otherwise your stomach will bother you at night, this is the father of sorrows.”
Laugh for beauty
And more often. After all, we adults use our facial muscles much less often than any others. If children's facial expressions change 20 times a day, then people over thirty change their facial expressions only three times. And as the same American scientists have established, there is a relationship between the activity of the facial muscles and the blood supply to the brain. When you laugh or at least smile, blood flow to the brain increases, it receives more oxygen, which has a positive effect on your emotional state. Research has proven that a person who laughs often solves all problems easily, is distinguished by generosity and willingness to help, as well as a rare ability to love.
By the way, fearing wrinkles on their faces, some women try to hold back laughter. But the mask of seriousness deprives the face of living emotions. But laughter from the heart tones the facial muscles, and the rush of blood significantly nourishes the skin, which is necessary to maintain its tone. Moreover, when you are sad, all the muscles in your face hang down and become flabby. But when you laugh and smile, the facial muscles lift and move. Scientists recommend 5 minutes of healthy laughter instead of 40 minutes of relaxing rest. The real “biochemical storm” that occurs in the human body during laughter eliminates fatigue and makes the skin of the face elastic.
Remember the saying of everyone's favorite Baron Munchausen? “A serious face is not a sign of intelligence. And the greatest stupidities on Earth were committed with this very expression on his face.”
Humor is a figure's friend
Let's return to the main researcher of the benefits of laughter, William Fry. He found out another pleasant fact: laughter affects the body, just like physical exercise. According to him, 27 seconds of laughter have the same cardiovascular effect as 3 minutes of rowing - that is, it performs the same function as cardio training. And a minute of sincere laughter brings as many health benefits as a 40-minute run!
Laughter generally improves the effectiveness of training. As the American psychologist Henry Schwartz established, there is no point in playing sports in a depressed state - there will be no big effect anyway. But if you are in a good mood and laugh often (of course, not during training, but before it or during breaks), a similar load will noticeably improve both your well-being and your figure. And those who want to lose weight while on a diet should make their motto the phrase: “Laugh more often and louder from the heart.” After all, laughter produces energy, which can help you lose weight.
By the way, the message about the benefits of laughter was listened to in all seriousness by 2,000 delegates from 80 countries at the European Congress dedicated to the problem of obesity. According to the report's author, Matej Bacovski, 10-15 minutes of hearty laughter can burn the equivalent of a medium-sized chocolate bar.
Yoga
Yoga Haasya is the practice of group laughter, the exercises of which are based on yoga techniques. Breathing and a variety of types of laughter stimulation are important. But: no achievements of scientific and technological progress can replace the laughter that arises in the process of live communication. The first to understand this was the Indian doctor Madan Kataria, who developed “laughter yoga,” the main goal of which is to teach a person to move from unnatural laughter to natural laughter. In his opinion, “laughter is contagious, so a person easily moves from artificial laughter to natural laughter.” Indeed, it is difficult to remain serious while watching participants in a psychotherapeutic session try to portray a laughing slipper, a laughing door lock, a laughing mouse or lion. One session is enough for a whole week!
It all started when in 1995 Madan Kataria decided to write an article about the healing properties of laughter based on his numerous studies. But the material was not published. Then the doctor went to the Bombay city garden and gave a speech about the benefits of laughter in front of a couple of dozen onlookers. This day can be considered the founding date of the “Laughter Club” - now an international organization with branches all over the world.
First, through the efforts of Kataria, special “laughter clubs” appeared in all major cities of India, where people came to have fun from the heart and “get rid of stress and prevent heart attacks.” Now there are more than 500 of them in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) alone.
What about them?
In many American, Swedish, French and Austrian clinics, laughter therapy rooms are opened, where videotapes with strictly dosed portions of laughter are delivered; Entire television channels are devoted to therapeutic entertainment programs, which are broadcast to hospitals via cable. This makes the fight against chronic diseases much more successful. Clown costumes, funny noses, and glasses are sent to children's clinics - doctors and nurses wear them when communicating with young patients.
In the case of “therapeutic clowns”, the first was also an American - in the early 80s of the last century, the director of the famous American circus Michael Christensen organized the “Clown Ambulance”, whose employees visited children with cancer.
Doctors were amazed to note that after the clown’s visit, the effectiveness of treatment increased many times over. It was from this time that therapeutic clowns began their victorious march around the world.
In Germany there is an entire association of clown doctors who turn the treatment of seriously ill children into a game.
Large hospitals in Austria and Holland now have medical clowns on staff.
In 2001, through the efforts of the American Harry Edwards, the civil association “Therapeutic Clown” appeared in the Czech Republic. Its volunteers regularly organize clowning shows in Czech hospitals.
Currently, Poland and Hungary have joined their movement.
And Israel went the furthest - in one of the hospitals, six-month courses were organized to train doctors, nurses and physiotherapists in the specialty “medical clown”. Their graduates work in all major medical centers in the country.
Sigmund Feyerabend’s book “Laughter Cures Cancer” was published in Austria, in which he writes: “Laughter must be born in the depths of the soul, it does not recognize falsehood. Laughter is a worldview. Disease too. But one person cannot have two worldviews. One must prevail. Try to let laughter win..."
By the way:
There are three areas of laughter therapy:
1. Classic. A laughter therapist conducts individual or group sessions in which people laugh (they are told jokes, funny stories, they listen to laughter, watch comedies).
2. Medical clownery. Medical clowns perform performances for hospital patients, which benefits the patients.
3. Yoga of laughter. It was developed by Indian doctors; they teach a person to laugh easily and naturally, naturally and often.
Interesting facts about laughter
The air that escapes from the lungs at a speed of 100 km/h frees the bronchi from mucus accumulated there and makes breathing easier during inflammatory processes, such as bronchitis or asthma.
- Laughter increases creativity and the ability to solve various problems. It activates the limbic system of the brain, connecting the left and right hemispheres.
- Having compared the life expectancy of famous theater actors over the past 270 years, Swedish doctors discovered an unexpected pattern: comedians live much longer than tragedians.
- At one of the congresses of the International Society for the Study of Laughter, data were presented regarding cancer: patients who regularly laugh have a higher cure rate and better medical outcomes compared to the control group.
- In the 17th century, doctors said: “The arrival of a clown in a city means more for health than ten mules loaded with medicine!”
- Doctor Tiso claimed that he cured scrofulous children by tickling, forcing them to laugh.
- In the West, the following experiment was conducted: a group of sellers was examined. It turns out that over time, among the most smiling people, not only their character changed for the better, but also diseases caused by psychological stress began to disappear.
- The English philosopher and doctor William Osler called laughter the music of life and advised to laugh every day for at least 10 minutes. It is estimated that if a person laughs at least 17 minutes a day, he extends his life by one year.
- Doctors do not refuse such primitive effects as tickling - it helps!
- And scientists from Harvard University believe that a cheerful disposition reduces the chance of developing various ailments by 50%.
- In Japan, laughter therapy sessions are held with great success in tuberculosis hospitals.
- Laughter will not hurt those who are completely healthy. In Malaysia, on the eve of the session, students are taught special breathing exercises that imitate laughter. Experience has shown that all participants in the experiment pass the exams successfully and easily, without worry at all.
- In the USA, for example, when selecting candidates for astronauts, they specially check whether the candidate can joke and whether he has a sense of humor. And for more than 10 years now, the high command of the US military, as well as heads of large corporations, have been required to attend seminars on humor. The classes are taught by the famous actor and screenwriter Charles Metcalf and calls them humorous.
Some studies show that we laugh less and less: in 1939, the average European laughed an average of 19 minutes a day. Now his son and grandson laugh only 5-6 minutes a day. This is very little. My dear peers, let's get down to business! Our serenity and health depend on it!
Gelotherapy
Laughter therapy has a completely scientific name, but this hardly makes it any more serious! Laughter therapy can be used regardless of age. The most famous technique belongs to Norman Cousins.
This man worked as a journalist until he was struck by a serious illness: severe spondyloarthritis, a form of paralysis considered incurable. But he recovered and became a professor at the University of California at Los Angeles, where he taught in the medical school.
Norman Cousins has always been distinguished by his extraordinary love of life. Even when the disease completely weakened him, his desire to fight did not diminish at all. Tired of stuffing himself with anti-inflammatory and painkillers, he decided to take care of his health himself. First, Cousins studied his case carefully. Then, under the supervision of a doctor, he created his own treatment regimen: vitamin C in large doses, comedy films and funny stories. He reasoned simply: if stress and negative emotions aggravate destructive processes in the body, then positive emotions, on the contrary, should cause positive chemical changes.
After several comedies and many books with good jokes, he was convinced of the correctness of his reasoning: “I was pleased to discover that 10 minutes of hearty laughter had an anesthetic effect (calmed the pain) and gave at least two hours of restful sleep.” After several years of such treatment, Norman became fully mobile and began playing golf, tennis and even horseback riding.
Of course, this case can be called unique, but it proves that everything is possible in life.
Laughter is a positive communication necessary for harmonious aging; it is the transmission of “waves” from the emitter (the object or person that causes laughter) to the receiver (the one who laughs).
And for laughter to be useful, it is important that it arises under positive circumstances both for the one who causes laughter and for the one who laughs. No one can force themselves to laugh sincerely, so it is clear how important the mood of the emitter is for the laughter to be healthy and joyful.
Some people seem more gifted than others at the art of causing laughter. They are always in a cheerful mood and are open to others, wanting to convey to them joy, good mood, sympathy. Their behavior is simple and direct, since “those who seek metaphysical causes of laughter do not themselves have a cheerful disposition,” as Voltaire once noted.
The smile of an elderly man, ready to laugh at any second, testifies to his excellent mood, which he can convey to others.
Smile
A smile costs nothing, but brings so much good! It enriches the one who receives it, without impoverishing the one who gives it.
It lasts only a moment, but the memory of it is eternal. No one considers himself rich enough to do without it, and poor enough to beg for her.
A smile is rest for a weary traveler, courage for a discouraged one and sympathy for a grieving soul. This is a real antidote that nature has reserved as a remedy for all suffering. A smile creates happiness in the family and provides support in work.
She is a special sign of friendship.
And at the same time, it cannot be bought, borrowed, or stolen, since it has value only when it is given...
And if one day you meet a person who does not want to give you his smile, although you deserve it, smile back at him, because no one else needs a smile more than the one who does not know how to give it.
Believe me, my brothers in age, that laughter and a smile help us, despite the years, to feel better mentally and physically, change our character for the better and receive from others what we can also give to them.
A smile is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. Since the biochemical revolution brought about by laughter, fun and smiling that I talked about above has the same positive effect on the body as a good gymnastics session, smile!
I often advise older people who come to me complaining that they live in an atmosphere of misunderstanding to become the center of joy for their family. Over time, their smile and goodwill endear them not only to their family and friends, but sometimes to strangers who need positive emotions. And how happy children are if their grandparents are cheerful and friendly! They have in their minds an image of adults moving easily through life, despite problems and adversity. This is also the responsibility of old people - to pass on an important truth to the younger generation: life does not have to be dull and joyless, it is quite possible to go through it with a smile on your lips.
Physiology of laughter
Laughter is a series of small intermittent exhalations as a result of involuntary contraction of the diaphragm. In this case, some muscles come into tension, while others relax, causing a state of rest. At the same time, the sharply exhaled air affects the vocal cords, and we utter the sounds characteristic of laughter, “ha-ha-ha!” This reflex can have many reasons: an intellectual stimulus (a joke, a funny scene or image) or a physical one (tickling), inhalation of a substance with an amusing effect (nitric oxide) or even an illness (for example, schizophrenics are obsessed with fits of laughter, inadequate and uncontrollable). Agree, it is quite difficult to find something in common between all these reasons.
The definition of laughter offered by the dictionary is too laconic and affects only visible signs: “... the manifestation of a feeling of fun through characteristic movements of the lips, mouth and accompanied by intermittent sounds.” Try to laugh at this gloomy definition!
It has been established that laughter is localized somewhere in the region of the human heart, but this place is very difficult to establish. Writer and physician François Rabelais once said that “laughter is an inherent quality of man”; “And sometimes, perhaps, to an animal,” added the poet Alain Fauquet.
The words of Rabelais also echo the definition of Jules Renard, who believes that “humor is an everyday spiritual property of the mind.” To all of the above, we can add the statement of Dr. Rubinstein, to which, I think, many modern doctors will join: “Laughter is a necessary conductor from illness to health; by indicating crossings, directions, intersections and detours, it will help you find the right path.”
The healing power of laughter
The ancient Roman physician Galen argued that cheerful women recover much faster than sad ones. We can easily apply this statement to men, regardless of the era in which they live. In the 13th century, the famous surgeon Henri de Mondeville proposed healing with joy. “The surgeon,” he said, “must forbid his patient to be angry, hate and be sad, constantly reminding him that the body is strengthened in joy and weakened in melancholy.”
Do you know what happens in our body when we laugh? Do you know that it is precisely at this moment that even in a body worn out by years, worries and work, a delightful turmoil arises that brings us great benefit?
Laughter clears and clears the upper respiratory tract, which helps relieve some asthma attacks and even helps cure emphysema. The release of saliva, gastric juice, increased peristalsis of the stomach and intestines, shaking of the liver, pancreas and bile ducts, as well as the lowering of the diaphragm as a result of laughter have a beneficial effect on our digestion. This gymnastics perfectly warms up the digestive tract, preventing constipation.
When we laugh, our attention wanders, our behavior changes, and this affects the chemical processes occurring in the brain, in particular, the production of endorphins - happiness hormones that relieve pain, nervousness, anxiety, stress and give a great mood - is accelerated.
Laughter affects muscles, ranging from the muscles of the face to the muscles of the limbs, including the respiratory and abdominal muscles. This is a real “wave spreading throughout the body.”
It is curious that the center of laughter is located in the right hemisphere of the brain, because laughter is not caused by rational and logical thoughts, but by elements of general perception: emotional, imaginary, instinctive. We laugh spontaneously, and it is useless to try to explain or sort out a funny situation: it will lose it! all its comedy.
Why are we laughing?
Laughter has long been an inexhaustible topic of research, which for the most part turns out to be quite rational (remember what the attempt of linguists to define laughter led to). From Aristotle to Kant, from Spinoza to Baudelaire, including Darwin, Freud and Bergson, many scientists, philosophers, writers tried to take apart the truly magical mechanism of good, sincere fun.
Perhaps only Rabelais was not much closer to solving the great mystery. A mystery that seems to go back a long way: prehistoric man laughed in his cave before he could speak. He laughed, thereby informing his opponents that he was not afraid of them and did not hold any grudge against them.
So, everything fits: in the long history of the human race, a primitive creature, still almost an animal, becomes a man when he begins to laugh; and this laughter is associated with the emotion that arose in connection with the disappearance of danger. It's liberating laughter.
And the center of this emotion is in the most ancient part of the brain, which has remained unchanged since prehistoric times.
“We instinctively feel that laughter is a positive emotion,” Dr. Rubinstein emphasizes. “He is a witness to the primitive era, where the meaning of life was the survival of the race, the world was divided into black (danger and death) and white (absence of danger, joy and life).”
Treatment with laughter - what could be more pleasant and accessible?
HARMONY OF SOUL AND BODY IS ACHIEVED BY LAUGHTER. (Emmnuel Kant)
How did this technique come about?
In the modern world, the beginning of laughter therapy is considered to be the case of an American journalist named Norman Cousins, editor-in-chief of Saturday Reviev magazine. He suffered from ankylosis - immobility of the joints.
Treatment with drugs resulted in side effects, and the doctors’ diagnosis was most disappointing.
Norman gave up all medications, picked up proper nutrition and, most importantly, laughter. It was very difficult for him to laugh - the slightest facial expression caused severe pain. He wanted to scream rather than laugh.
Friends brought Norman many comedy tapes and humorous books.
At first he managed to smile with great difficulty, and then, gradually, to laugh. The pain began to decrease, he was able to move his arms. This made him so happy that he simply burst out laughing and continued the “treatment.”
It took months to fight the disease, but Norman achieved what seemed impossible - he not only began to work again, but was even able to return to his favorite golf and horse riding.
After such results, the journalist realized that any positive emotions, and especially joy and laughter, can save lives when doctors just shrug their shoulders.
So who does humor help build and live?
So, let's go point by point!
Longevity
One hour of joy extends life by a whole year!
A 6-year-old child laughs approximately 300 times a day, while an adult laughs only 15.
Sincere, heartfelt laughter prolongs life, this is an excellent prevention of many diseases!
When laughing, up to 80% of the muscles are involved, incl. facial, abdomen and diaphragm. Breathing quickens, which means blood supply to tissues and internal organs improves, and this is at a time when the muscles of the back and neck, on the contrary, rest, which is very beneficial for the brain and spinal cord.
Optimists recover much faster than pessimists.
THE Merry WANTS TO LIVE, BUT CANNOT DIE (Folk Wisdom)
Diseases that can be treated with laughter
ALLERGY– due to increased immunity, the impact of allergens is weakened.
ARTHRITIS– pain is relieved
ASTHMA– attacks are reduced, the body’s endurance increases.
INSOMNIA– laughter at night guarantees a good sleep.
WHO LAUGHS A LOT SLEEPS WELL. Professor from Bonn
GAS EXCHANGE accelerates 3-4 times.
HYPERTENSION– Laughter normalizes blood pressure. First it rises, then gradually decreases. But caution is needed. During laughter, blood vessels dilate.
After 10 minutes of laughter, blood pressure decreases by 10-20 mmHg.
CHILDREN
Even babies of funny mothers rarely get colds
DIABETES– Laughter suppresses the production of four major stress hormones and has a positive effect on blood sugar levels.
This type of treatment is practiced at the Brazilian Health Center - once a week you just need to laugh out loud with everyone together.
To do this, they use... fights on newspapers, singing karaoke together. The ultimate goal of the doctor is to “bring patients to tears” (from laughter, of course).
Blood sugar decreases.
DIAPHRAGM– laughter has a beneficial effect on her work
STOMACH DISEASES
“You must laugh 10 times during the day and be cheerful - otherwise your stomach will bother you at night, this is the father of sorrows” - the wisdom of the ancients
IMMUNITY
When we laugh, our body produces a very large amount of immunoglobulin, which protects us from viruses and diseases.
INTESTINES– peristalsis improves
LUNGS– while laughing, they are saturated with all the substances necessary for normal breathing.
Laughter is essentially a breathing exercise. Different types of laughter affect different organs accordingly. Everything is good, but the best thing is deep laughter, laughter.
LUNGS, BRONCHIS, UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT – due to the fact that when laughing, the inhalation becomes longer and deeper, and the exhalation becomes shorter and stronger, the lungs are completely cleared of air. Bronchial ventilation improves.
The supply of oxygen to tissues is increased.
Laughter facilitates the release of mucus from the respiratory tract.
10 minutes of laughter improves breathing.
Treatment with laughter - part 2
MASSAGE– a laughing person uses even those muscles that are not worked through physical exercise or work (!).
During laughter, the body itself sets the most useful and effective vibration frequency for itself.
EXCHANGE PROCESSES – improve and accelerate.
OZONE THERAPY – laughter relieves muscle spasms, saturates tissues with oxygen, thereby rejuvenating the body. An excellent replacement for expensive sessions!
REJUVENATION– people who laugh often have a more youthful face, because when they are sad, 43 facial muscles are tense, while when they smile, only 17.
ONCOLOGY– when laughing, the body activates its own defense mechanisms: T-lymphocytes, which are very important for cancer prevention, and gamma interferon, which significantly reduces the proliferation of tumor cells.
In many American oncology clinics, watching comedies, telling jokes and, of course, clowns in scrubs are mandatory.
In one of the cancer centers, doctors practice “ha-ha, hee-hee” therapy. To do this, you just need to pronounce the simplest sounds when greeting each other, play outdoor games, and communicate with each other. But this treatment, of course, is not available to everyone - some patients are too immersed in their experiences, heavy thoughts about the disease.
REST– 5 minutes of hearty laughter replaces 40 minutes of proper rest – 80 (!) different muscles relax.
Treatment of diseases with laughter - part 3
ELDERLY– founder of the world’s first laughter choir, Thomas Dreger: “When I laugh, I don’t think.”
I think this phrase is useful for young people - students, and middle-aged people with a lot of mental workload, in general for everyone, especially for elderly people in nursing homes - they are very depressed by their own condition, poor health and gloomy thoughts.
COLD DISEASES – cheerful and funny people are less likely to get coughs and colds.
Laughing is especially beneficial in winter!
SEXUAL DISORDERS, rehabilitation of victims of RAPE – pain syndromes are significantly reduced.
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
A MERRY HEART LIVES LONG (William Shakespeare).
Doctors noticed that “heart patients” rarely laugh, but often get angry and irritated.
Laughter strengthens the cells on the inner surface of blood vessels and heart cavities. Their tone increases. People with a developed sense of humor have a 40% reduced risk of heart disease.
1 minute of laughter is equal to 25 minutes of aerobics. So, if at some point physical activity is contraindicated for you, laugh!
10 minutes of laughter normalizes your heart rate.
As a result, to improve the functioning of the heart, it is enough to laugh at least 15 minutes a day - blood circulation improves and the heart works better.
When you laugh, your blood flow speed increases by 22%!
A MERRY HEART IS BENEFITABLE AS MEDICINE, BUT A SAD SPIRIT DRY THE BONES. (Bible)
AIDS– patients are cured faster and more often.
PHYSICAL PAIN – especially with arthritis, spinal injuries, neurological diseases. Laughter and jokes are very useful for those suffering from constant pain.
CHOLESTEROL– while laughing, the level of “bad” cholesterol decreases.
Laughter treatment for weight loss
1 watched comedy “kills” 2 chocolates and one dinner.
15 minutes of laughter will burn up a chocolate bar.
1 minute of laughter is equal to 15 minutes of cycling.
An hour of fun is equal to an hour of sprinting.
1 minute of healthy laughter is equivalent to 10 minutes of running at a good pace.
Laughter, of course, cannot completely replace sports - at least 3 times a week it is still necessary to give the body physical activity (feasible for patients).
But it's best to combine both.
LAUGHTER IS BETTER THAN SPA PROCEDURES - it will replace massage, oxygen cocktail and relaxation.
Learn to laugh loudly and sincerely.
LAUGHTER REPLACES PHYSICAL WORK, because... more than 100 muscles are activated. Real laughter takes over the whole body - this state is called generalization.
1 minute of laughter is equal to 25 minutes of aerobics or a half-hour jog.
A person who can laugh at himself remains healthy in body and soul for a long time.
Contraindications
“Can laughter have any contraindications?” - you ask. Unfortunately, yes - they exist.
Hernia, long-standing hemorrhoids, eye complications are the first of them.
Patients who have recently undergone major surgery should definitely consult a doctor.
Patients with tuberculosis, chronic bronchitis and other respiratory infectious diseases associated with sputum production should think about those around them so as not to spread the infection.
Even a seemingly healthy person, if he suddenly begins to experience discomfort when laughing, should stop laughing and find out the reason from the doctor.
A little about my own results)
First of all, I adore witty or simply cheerful people - those who value every moment of their life, know how to be grateful and see in every life situation not disadvantages and problems, but see a new problem that needs to be solved and are looking for options for this solution - the so-called "brainstorming".
At the end of this article I would like to talk about my own results. First of all, I am very funny myself.
In stagnant times it was very difficult to buy books - many, I think, remember this.
And - lo and behold! I managed to buy a whole almanac of jokes. Incredible happiness, but with great consequences)…
No matter what I saw around me, in almost every situation an anecdote on the topic immediately came to mind, and in unpleasant cases I no longer saw the negative side, but rather the funny side. And it helped a lot!
For a long time now, the best lullaby for me has been reading humorous magazines at night. I'm recording my favorite comedians. And when I can’t sleep due to unpleasant thoughts, I use the most reliable “sleeping pill.” All the bad things go away from my head, and I fall asleep happy and peaceful.
Words of the wise
A MERRY HEART IS BENEFITABLE AS MEDICINE, BUT A SAD SPIRIT DRY UP THE BONES . (Bible)
THE ARRIVAL OF A JOB IN A CITY IS BETTER FOR HEALTH THAN 10 MULES LOADED WITH MEDICINES . ( Even 400 years ago)
A WISE MAN IS A CHEERFUL MAN ( Real truth).
Dear Reader!
Believe me, this is the most real treatment and recovery! It is available to each of us and is not only safe, but also very pleasant and, of course, effective!
Rejoice and smile at everything you see around you. This, after all, is a habit as simple as brushing your teeth) Only you will not be brushing your teeth, but what is much more important - your Soul.
The proverb “A healthy mind in a healthy body” can be rephrased - everything in us is so interconnected that it is difficult to say what comes first.
Don’t be afraid of judgment from humorless people, and your health will improve every day! And very soon you will look at the world with different, completely different eyes - the eyes of Love, Gratitude and Joy!
With all my heart I wish you Happiness, Health and, Certainly,
many, many smiles and sincere, grace-filled laughter that heals the body and soul!
It leads to suicide, causes disability, and manifests itself in children and adults of any age. More than 300 million people suffer from it. When I found out these numbers, I realized that depression today is the No. 1 problem all over the world. Thousands of people are looking for how to get rid of depression, because this disease prevents them from enjoying life.
While studying the psychology of humor, I realized that laughter and positive thinking can help most people overcome depression, overcome seasonal apathy, and improve their emotional well-being. Let's figure out what laughter therapy (humor therapy) is and how the ability to joke can help get rid of many diseases.
Laughter therapy or a positive pill
“Stop giggling”, “Why are you neighing like a horse”, “Take that stupid smile off your face”... How many times in childhood, and maybe in adulthood, have you heard these phrases? Our parents and teachers have drilled into our heads the wrong perception of laughter. In everyday life, people laugh less and less, because they control their emotions, observing the “framework of decency” that no one needs. Every day people are under stress, controlling their emotions, words and actions.
How to get rid of depression with laughter
Now imagine the situation: you were fired from your job, your husband/wife left you, your child or close relative died. These and other situations cause even more tension, the nervous system cannot stand it and depression develops.
Let me guess your thoughts: “What does laughter have to do with it?” It turns out that laughter can relieve tension. As a result, the pain that is in your heart is replaced with positive emotions and you feel relieved.
Laughter therapy or laughter therapy
That's why a special laughter treatment program appeared. Laughter therapy or gelotology is actively used in clinics in Japan, Germany and other Western countries. In India, “Laughter Yoga” is actively used, which was invented by the doctor Madan Kataria. His exercises allow people to return healthy natural laughter. It turns out that the less often we laugh, the more likely we are to forget this skill.
Laughter therapy for depression: exercises
Laughter therapy usually takes place in a group, but you can try some exercises at home. Do each laughter therapy exercise for at least 2 minutes, then you can feel the tension being relieved.
Smile is the best cure for depression
Exercise 1
Imagine you are talking on the phone. You can even pick up the phone and walk around the room. Decide in advance what color you will look for objects in the room. For example, white. As soon as you see a white object with your eyes, shout out the phrase “Ha-ha.”
Exercise 2
Take a piece of refined sugar and hold it between your front teeth. After that, go to the mirror. Your task is to laugh at your own appearance. If that doesn't work, put a few more pieces of sugar in your mouth.
Exercise 3
Actively walk around the room and perform some movements: swinging your arms, squats, bending. Every time you make a movement, shout out “Ho-ho.”
You can come up with some kind of exercise of your own, the main thing is that after it you relax and laugh.
Laughter therapy: video
I invite you to watch a video that will definitely make you laugh or smile.
Watch the video to see how laughter therapy sessions involve simulating laughter.
Laughter therapy: how to get rid of depression
If you are depressed, in a bad mood, or emotionally exhausted, do not rush to despair. You can get rid of all this without drugs.
Laughter therapy has many benefits, I will give you some of them:
- Active production of happiness hormones.
- Getting rid of fears, complexes and internal barriers.
- Improved mood.
- Treatment of depression and emotional disorders.
- Getting positive emotions after stressful situations or busy days.
People of all ages are prone to depression, but they can all learn to laugh
At the moment, two methods of laughter therapy are widely known:
- Imitation of laughter. Laughter is caused artificially by breathing, movement exercises or through play situations.
- Humor. Humor therapy is carried out by watching or listening to anecdotes, jokes, and comedians' performances.
If you want to help a person who suffers from depression, then you need to master the second method. Once you learn, you will become a great support for your friends and family. At the webinar “DNA OF HUMOR” I analyze the performances of American comedians, giving examples and schemes for constructing jokes. You can register for the next webinar right now and spend a couple of hours in a humorous atmosphere.
Humor therapy is a cure for diseases
It turns out that there are 4 types of sense of humor:
- Affiliate
- Aggressive
- Self-stimulating
- Self-deprecating.
Man with affiliative sense of humor has good self-esteem, makes friends quickly, rarely suffers from depressive disorders and is generally quite happy. His jokes are kind and harmless.
Aggressive sense of humor often found among rappers, and examples of such humor can be heard in rap battles. People with this type of personality disorder use sarcastic language and often make offensive remarks towards others. It is not surprising that such people have very low emotional stability.
Sense of humor and depression
People with a self-stimulating sense of humor They are not afraid to face the truth and laugh at themselves, so they often tell funny stories from their own lives. All failures are ridiculed in a positive way, so in general such people are optimistic, with high self-esteem. If you have a self-stimulating sense of humor, then depression is not your disease.
A person with self-deprecating humor He also jokes about himself, but a little wrong. Unlike the previous type, self-deprecating humor aims to evoke sympathy from the audience. As a result, a person with a self-deprecating sense of humor becomes an object of constant ridicule. Such people are emotionally unstable, have low self-esteem and are prone to depression.
Considering that this is not a gift from nature or a talent from birth. You can develop a sense of humor that will help you respond well to stress, improve your self-esteem and relieve depression. In trainings and webinars, I structure the program so that students develop a self-stimulating sense of humor, which will not only help them write great jokes, but also protect them from depression and emotional disorders.
Do you want to get rid of depression or just think positively always and everywhere? Fill out the form on and find out how to develop your sense of humor.
Laughter will cure all diseases. Video
Since about the 70s of the last century, scientists have been engaged in a very serious study of laughter. Then interest in this psychological phenomenon swept the scientific community and the United States. Projects have emerged to study the impact of laughter on our health and well-being. Since that time, the scientific community has accumulated a fair amount of information about the healing properties of laughter. Currently, a huge number of laughter therapy specialists - so-called gelotologists - are being trained in the world.
Long before the research began, we knew that laughter improves our mood and well-being - and not only for the time we were laughing. Sometimes the positive effects of a funny joke last all day! At the biochemical level, this is due to the intense release of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, as well as endorphins. In addition, laughter is a very useful physical exercise, comparable in its effectiveness only to good aerobic exercise. It uses 80 muscle groups - during uproarious laughter, our shoulders and chest shake, and the diaphragm vibrates. At the same time, the muscles of the neck, back and face relax - and this alone is already enough to relieve, for example, a headache. During laughter, like any physical exercise, your heart rate increases and your cholesterol level decreases. At the same time, people’s breathing quality improves and, accordingly, oxygen consumption and blood supply to the body.
Studies have shown that laughter can save you from almost all diseases - and not just psychological problems or neuroses. It reduces the production of stress hormones, normalizes blood pressure, and improves immunity. Also, according to experts, regular laughter will prevent a heart attack from becoming a victim of a heart attack. There are known cases of curing even cancer with laughter therapy.
After all this, all that remains is to laugh. Alas, most of us need some examples of particularly subtle humor for this. We consider it beneath our dignity to watch low-quality humorous programs. We all know a huge number of jokes, but every joke is a one-time thing. Someone has no sense of humor at all, and even a dozen great comedians gathered in one room will not make him laugh. In such cases, psychotherapists offer laughter for no reason. In our country there is a saying: “Laughter without a reason is a sign of a fool,” but from a medical and psychological point of view it is completely incorrect. The happy ability to smile and laugh, without waiting for any special conditions, has long been considered one of the indicators of mental and physical health. This ability is much more important than the ability to make witty jokes or understand jokes instantly. In Japan, there is a legend about the cheerful Zen monk Hotei, who walked around the villages and laughed so infectiously that everyone around him joined him. And in the end, the whole crowd was engulfed in healing laughter.
A professional laughter therapist will always find an approach to the patient and take measures to ensure that he laughs as much as necessary for his recovery. But if a specialist is not at hand, you can try laughter therapy on your own. Each of us can try to live a fun day by trying to laugh before going to bed, and then early in the morning, right after we wake up. You can achieve the best effect if you start laughing with your eyes closed.
Nowadays there are laughter therapy exercises, some of which last even three hours. It is difficult to carry out such procedures without a specialist, and besides, they are usually done as part of a course, sometimes even lasting several weeks. In addition to laughter, therapy sometimes also includes causeless, but equally healing crying, as well as rest and introspection, and even dancing.
In our time, full of “stress and passion,” a smile and joyful laughter have become as fashionable attributes of a healthy lifestyle as playing sports, eating right and giving up bad habits. In many European countries, laughter centers have already been opened, where people come as if they were going to fitness clubs. They just teach you to enjoy life: to smile at sunny and cloudy weather, rain and howling wind, the laughter of a baby and the glance of a passerby. And, I must say, not only professional psychotherapists do this. For example, in the United States, “humor” is actively promoted by actor Charles Metcalf (the term belongs to him). He usually begins his seminars with a simple exercise: stand up - sigh - laugh. According to Metcalf, it is very important to recognize the absurdity of the misfortune or failure that has befallen you. In addition, he advises to always keep a clown nose with you and sometimes put it on - in front of a mirror or even in public. According to the actor, this simple exercise will make you much happier than the habit of going to the bar after work.
