Based on materials from the journals "Saturday Evening Post" (USA) and "Psychologie Heute" (Germany).
Laughter yoga class in India.
American nurse Alison Crane founded the Applied and Therapeutic Humor Association in 1987. The Association, which is based in California and aims to promote laughter as a healing tool, includes doctors, nurses, psychologists, clowns, priests, actors, writers and people of many other professions. According to the president of the organization, psychologist Edward Dunkelbrough, patients listen to the doctor more carefully, trust him more and learn the recommendations better if the doctor twists jokes from time to time and often smiles in a conversation. Humor helps to maintain a good mood, and this is always very important, especially in case of illness.
About forty years ago, the American writer Norman Cousins became seriously ill with a rare disease of the bones and joints, his whole body ached constantly. The doctors could not help him, and then he put a movie projector in front of his bed and began to watch comedies. And when he got tired of watching, he read funny books. After a year and a half, he was able to return to normal life.
As experiments recently conducted at the University of Maryland (USA) have shown, laughter has a good effect on the heart and blood vessels. Three hundred participants in the experiment were shown a heavy film about the war and a light comedy film. At the movie screening of battle scenes, the audience's blood pressure increased, as blood vessels constricted from stress. Comedy caused vasodilation. The difference in vessel diameter (measured by ultrasound) under the influence of movies was 30-50%, which is usually achieved only with the help of effective pressure medications or special vascular training.
The Indian therapist Madan Kataria, having read Cousins' book "Anatomy of a Disease" (by the way, it was also published in Russian translation), founded "laugh yoga" clubs in India in the 80s of the last century. According to him, violent laughter increases oxygen consumption, reduces stress, promotes the production of natural analgesics in the brain - endorphins, and thus improves the condition of both sick and healthy people. Now 6000 clubs of Dr. Kataria work in 65 countries of the world.
Robin Dunbar, a psychologist from Oxford University (England), emphasizes that for a therapeutic effect, laughter must be violent and it is desirable to laugh not alone, but in a company. After just 15 minutes of watching a very funny comedy, the pain threshold in Dunbar's experiment increased by 10%. In a group, as his experiments showed, a person's humility rises thirty times.
Japanese doctors measured the blood sugar of diabetics after a long boring lecture about diabetes and after a movie comedy of the same length. Watching the comedy led to a drop in blood sugar. This is thought to be due to increased muscle activity during laughter as the sugar is used up and oxidized. The authors of the work recommend that diabetics laugh as often as possible.
Dr. Mary Bennett of Western Kentucky University has been studying the effects of laughter on health for 16 years. She says that laughter not only promotes the production of hormones that act against pain, but also reduces the synthesis of stress hormones - adrenaline and cortisol. According to her, laughter has a good effect on the endothelium - the inner lining of blood vessels. Cholesterol is more easily deposited on the inflamed endothelium, constricting blood vessels, and laughter relieves its inflammation.
Everyone has probably heard that laughter is the best medicine, and humor prolongs life. Is it really? Serious people have been looking for an answer for a long time, but there is still no consensus.
Even the dictionary definition of the word "humor" seems not accurate enough: "good-natured laughter, gentle mockery. Attitude towards something imbued with such a mood. Reception in works of literature and art, based on the depiction of something in a comic, funny form. A set of artistic works imbued with such an attitude to reality.
On the this moment In the United States, there are two official organizations involved in research on the impact of humor on human health. These are the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor (AATH) and the International Society for Humor Studies (ISHS). In the summer of 2003, when the 15th annual conference was held in Italy. According to a USA Today report, at their conferences, those who call themselves "humour researchers" put on clown noses and tell jokes.
Moreover, people from AATH often talk about humor as a panacea, and there is a lot of sober rationalism in the assessments of ISHS representatives. To the latter organization belongs one of the most famous researchers of humor - Rod Martin (Rod Martin) from the University of Western Ontario in Canada (University of Western Ontario).
He is the editor of HUMOR: International Journal of Humor Research, author of the book "Humour and Life Stress: Antidote to Adversity" and more than 20 articles on the subject. Still, Professor Martin has been studying laughter since 1979: "People don't laugh at me anymore when I tell them I'm researching humor."
Martin is convinced that the beneficial properties of laughter are, rather, psychology, but not medicine. He encourages colleagues to engage in serious academic study of humor and finally expose the folk wisdom that laughter is a panacea:
"In research on humor, we need to become more focused. It needs to be clear that therapeutic humor is not all humor. People are told that laughter is good for them, and they think staying up late at night watching comedies will make them healthier. I'm sure this is "Not helpful in the slightest."
According to Martin, humor has two main functions in everyday life: improving relationships between people, for example, with the help of a joke, you can resolve a conflict, and also stress relief, that is, the ability to laugh at threatening things.
In both cases, humor can be used in a healthy or unhealthy way. Besides, Martin notes, laughter and humor mean different things to men and women.
For example, among men there is a tendency to joke about power and aggression, while among women humor is more often used to form close relationships with others.
In addition, he calculated four main "styles" of humor, which can be used to judge the state of the human psyche:
1. Affiliative (Affiliative from "to affiliate" - to join, to join - a person's desire to be in the company of other people): the softest style, which is characterized by ironic jokes, absurdities.
2. Self-enhancing: A non-injurious style based primarily on boasting, a way to protect and "improve" self-esteem.
3. Aggressive: sarcasm, teasing remarks, ridicule. May be dangerous to others.
4. Self-defeating: The comedian tries to hit with every joke. It can damage self-esteem and other people's dignity, lead to depression.
Laughter soothes
Laughter releases endorphins, the hormones of happiness that help to get rid of irritation and sadness. Even if you just remember for a moment how you laughed recently, your mood will improve. Studies by British psychologists have shown that after watching a funny movie, the level of irritation in a person decreases several times. Moreover, the mood of the subjects was raised at the mere thought that they would soon be laughing - two days before the scheduled viewing of the comedy, they were angry twice as often as usual.
Laughter improves skin
If you laugh a lot, you can forget about expensive beauty treatments to improve your skin, because laughter tones the muscles of the face and improves blood circulation, which results in a natural glow.
Laughter strengthens relationships
The ability to laugh together is extremely important for establishing good and kind relationships. The connection of people and their shared idea of what can be funny allows them to be more open with each other. If you're joking, don't be afraid to be funny. It means you trust.
Laughter boosts immunity
Laughter helps fight infections. After a minute of sincere laughter, the body releases a large amount of antibodies into the respiratory tract, which protect against bacteria and viruses. Laughter also increases the production of white blood cells that fight various diseases, including cancer.
Laughter heals the heart
Thanks to laughter, blood vessels expand and blood circulates better. Ten minutes of laughter can significantly lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of plaque buildup. Laughter helps even those who have experienced a heart attack - doctors believe that a good mood reduces the likelihood of a second attack.
Laughter relieves pain
Happiness hormones, endorphins, which are produced when a person laughs, are the natural painkillers of our body. In addition, when you laugh, you are distracted from feeling bad and forget about the pain for at least a few minutes. Doctors have long noticed that patients who are positive and find the strength to laugh endure pain much more easily than those who are sad.
Laughter develops the lungs
Laughter is one of the best exercises for people with asthma and bronchitis. During laughter, the activity of the lungs is activated, and thus the supply of oxygen to the blood is increased, which makes it possible to clear the stagnation of phlegm. Some doctors compare the effect of laughter to chest physiotherapy, which eliminates phlegm from the respiratory tract, but laughter works even better on the respiratory tract.
Laughter beats stress
British scientists have studied the effect of laughter on people's health. Two groups of volunteers were created. One group was shown recordings of humorous concerts for an hour, while the second group was asked to just sit quietly. After that, the participants in the experiment took a blood test. And it was found that those who watched the humorous concert, the level of "stress" hormones cortisol, dopamine and adrenaline was lower than that of the second group. The fact is that when we laugh, the physical load on all parts of the body increases. When we stop laughing, our body relaxes and calms down. So, laughter helps us get rid of physical and emotional stress. Scientists say that a minute of sincere laughter is equivalent to 45 minutes of deep relaxation.
Laughter helps you stay fit
In fact, laughing is a form of aerobic exercise because laughing brings in more oxygen, which stimulates the heart and blood circulation. It is even considered "internal" aerobics, as during laughter, all internal organs are massaged, which allows them to work more efficiently. Laughter is also good for strengthening the muscles in your stomach, back, and legs. One minute of laughter is the equivalent of ten minutes of rowing or fifteen minutes of cycling. And if you laugh heartily for one hour, you will burn up to 500 calories, the same amount can be burned by running fast for an hour.
Lack of a sense of humor can hurt not only your sociability, but also harm your cardiovascular system. A recent study shows that laughter increases blood flow. This once again proves the truth of the old adage that says that “laughter is the best medicine”, at least in relation to the heart.
Cardiologist Michael Miller and colleagues at the University of Maryland tested the blood flow of 20 healthy men and women as they watched 15 to 30 minutes of the comedy Big Shot and There's Something About Mary. and then the tense film Saving Private Ryan. The doctors measured the blood flow before the start of the viewing and one minute after the end. “We expected to find a blood vessel response to laughter,” explains Miller.
This experiment was inspired by previous studies. A series of questionnaire surveys conducted among patients with coronary heart disease showed that patients who had a heart attack lost more than 40% of their sense of humor. “We didn’t know if it was a cause or a consequence of the seizure. Also, the deterioration of the sense of humor can be an integral part (symptom) of the disease, ”says Miller.
So the doctors decided to investigate the possible health effects of laughter by measuring the degree of dilation of blood vessels after volunteers laughed at funny moments or reacted to stressful situations. In total, the researchers obtained 160 results on blood flow in the brachial artery in the arm above the elbow in 10 men and 10 women. During funny scenes, blood flow increased by an average of 22% in 19 volunteers. Compared to blood flow while watching surprising or intense scenes, this difference was more than 50%. This was published in the latest issue of Heart magazine.
It can be argued that a carefree state increases blood flow by about the same percentage as light exercise or taking drugs to lower cholesterol. On the other hand, the stress of a tense, dramatic plot reduces blood flow in much the same way as unpleasant memories or mental calculations.
affirmed the importance of humor with his saying that "only the animal that suffers the most on earth could invent laughter."
We have all heard about the vicious circle of problems, but what about a similar, only positive circle? We are talking about, which, according to scientists, can potentially improve our well-being. Of course, it can hardly be considered a “pill for all diseases”, because this approach does not work in everything and not always. But, nevertheless, it works. Especially when it comes to things we deal with every day.
Five reasons why laughter is sometimes the best medicine, look below.
Reduces stress levels
Not only does laughter obviously help to distract from sad thoughts, it also rids our body of excess (or better, all) stress hormones. Thus, even those things that usually throw you off balance in a couple of minutes will not seem so scary. Add here the natural release of endorphins - and we get the perfect way to become without any special physical and emotional costs.
Increases performance
You may be surprised how much laughter affects productivity. Firstly, the worker - again, due to the release of endorphins, which improve mood. Secondly, during training, becoming a kind of warm-up before you start working on the relief (yes, the stories about what you can laugh at are not really jokes). In addition, there is evidence that laughter increases the threshold for pain and, in some cases, according to a study published by The Royal Society, reduces the sensation of pain, which can be useful at least in situations where you have a headache and you need to finish a report urgently.
Strengthens relationships
All people like to be around those who make them laugh. Therefore, it is unlikely that it will come as a surprise to anyone that laughter is an important component. As scientists have found, this is due to (seriously, again?) endorphins, which send signals of pleasure to the brain when we are around a particularly cheerful partner. A couple of dates where you laughed non-stop - and voila, you don't need anyone else anymore.
Stimulates memorization
If you want someone to remember you, just make them laugh. According to studies - for example, those cited by the authors of the book "Humour and laughter: theory, research and applications" - if the brain is included in the learning process, but suddenly something amuses you at the same moment, then information is remembered much better and "lives" in the head much longer. This, the researchers suggest, is related to the emotional response. Plus, humor, as we've already found, reduces anxiety, leaving us in a better position to absorb new information.
Reduces chances of getting sick
And the most important. Laughter, although not a reason to refuse to take vitamins or reduce consumption, is an excellent addition to all this in the fight against viruses and infections. A study published in the journal Humor back in 1988 showed that laughter can increase the amount of antibodies designed to fight pathogenic bacteria. Thus providing everyone with a new way to protect themselves from the cold. And considering that this method is not so complicated, it is definitely worth a try.
An open heart is the best medicine.
You have repeatedly heard the expression - laughter is the best medicine, in fact, even in the greatest book of all time - the Bible encourages laughter. There is no better medicine. There are times when it becomes difficult to laugh and maintain a good mood. The current state of the economy, financial difficulties, difficult times do not contribute to a good mood. However, instead of letting difficulties get the best of you, you can turn your eyes to the funny side of life. Great idea, especially since laughter is contagious. It not only gives us a charge of positive emotions and joy. But it can also become a trigger for the start of positive changes in the body. It's completely free, so start adding a daily dose of laughter to your life.
Benefit for health.
There is a fair amount of truth in the idea that laughter can indeed be a medicine. Laughter has a powerful effect on the body, promotes relaxation, relieves stress and muscle tension, even the immune system gets a boost when a person laughs. Endorphins are released, which contribute not only to a feeling of happiness, but also to temporary pain relief. Laughter increases blood circulation, it has a positive effect on the state of blood vessels, which will help you protect yourself from problems with the cardiovascular system. So don't forget to laugh every single day.
mental benefit.
Naturally, laughter is very beneficial for your emotional and mental health. Negative emotions such as sadness, anxiety, irritability are dissipated. When you laugh, your stress level is reduced, which frees up energy and helps you refocus. The whole perception of life changes, which helps to perceive life situations not as threatening, but more realistic. The feeling of being overwhelmed dissolves with just a few chuckles.
Laughter unites.
Laughter benefits not only as a medicine for the body and soul, but also provides tremendous benefits in the social sphere. Laughter brings people together. It helps to strengthen relationships, establish emotional bonds between people. Humor helps to break through detachment and closeness, to express your feelings without any problems. It is very important that even in difficult times, laughter can unite people.
Happiness and laughter are matters of your choice.
Laughing and being happy is not easy. However, you may find that your choice will determine whether you will be happy and whether you will laugh. Abraham Lincoln said something like this: "Many of us are as happy as our consciousness allows." It is you who determines whether you will laugh and live happily or let life ruin your existence and drag you through difficult circumstances. No matter what life circumstances you encounter, it will always be in your power to choose happiness.
Ways to add some laughter to your life.
So what can you do to add more laughter to your life? How do you choose laughter? Here are some tips to get you started:
Start smiling, this is a harbinger of laughter, and this is also contagious.
Start focusing on the good things you have. Make a list of the good things in life. This will help build your focus away from the negative things that prevent you from laughing.
If you hear people laughing nearby, go in that direction. Spend more time with fun people. Actively look for laughter.
Try to inject some humor into your conversations. You don't have to joke below the belt. It can be just a funny story, or encouraging interlocutors to tell funny stories.
How to see the bright and funny sides of our lives
From time to time life throws us difficult situations, but it is important to learn to find a lighter and more fun side in them. In fact, this is the only way to survive the crisis. Here are some tips to help you look at the world around you more fun:
1. Don't be afraid to laugh at yourself. Learn to take yourself not so seriously. Even if you suddenly find yourself in an awkward situation, learn to get out of it with a laugh.
2. Laugh instead of crying. This is a very good idea for getting through difficult situations, learn to find the funny even in bad situations. This will create a mood, and it will be easier for you to overcome such situations.
3. Paste reminders everywhere for yourself, so that you do not forget to pay attention to the bright and happy side of life. It can be family photos or photos of your friends in those moments when they are having fun. Pick a funny poster for home and office, funny screensaver or desktop wallpaper.
4. Learn to manage stress. Stress is a serious hindrance to laughter and good mood. You should find an effective method of dealing with stress for yourself.
Life throws us challenges, and there's no getting around it. And even if you do not have the opportunity to choose what life will bring you tomorrow, you can choose how you respond to these events. Why not use laughter to overcome life's challenges, in order to make a choice in favor of happiness.
Laughter has many benefits. A good good laugh not only lifts the mood, but also improves the physical condition of a person. People who like to laugh get sick less, experience less irritation, have little to no idea what depression is, and are known to live longer.
Sense of humor
The ability to laugh with other people is very important for establishing good and kind relationships. The point is that sharing a few people's ideas of what might be funny allows them to be more open with each other. If you are joking, it means that you are not afraid to be funny, which, in turn, indicates that you trust your interlocutor.
A sense of humor often helps people cope with difficult situations. First you need to objectively consider the problem, and then look at yourself as if from the outside and try to catch the funny side of the situation. If a person is also witty, then in this unfavorable situation for himself, he will be able to create a verbal witticism that will help relieve tension.
There are situations in which the display of a sense of humor is essential. For example, a person is going to turn to someone with a request, but does not know how it will be perceived. There is a risk of running into a negative answer. In this case, it is very useful to state the request in a joking manner. Received a positive response - great! But if the refusal is also expressed with a sense of humor, then it turns out that the request was made, the answer was received, and both sides saved face.
The role of humor in conflict situations is invaluable. A well-timed and well-said joke perfectly defuses a tense situation and allows the parties to calm down and find a compromise without feeling infringed. But the lack of a sense of humor can lead to quarrels and scandals on the most insignificant occasion.
The best friends of a sense of humor are ease and inner freedom. To develop a sense of humor, you need to cultivate these qualities in yourself. The jokes of a person who is stiff and unnatural are unlikely to make others laugh.
Laughter as medicine
When a person laughs, the blood vessels dilate and the blood circulates better. Even 10 minutes of laughter can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of plaque buildup. Laughter helps even those people who have experienced a heart attack. Doctors believe that a good mood can reduce the likelihood of a second attack.
Laughter is considered one of the best exercises for those who suffer from asthma and bronchitis. The fact is that during laughter, the activity of the lungs is activated, the flow of oxygen into the blood increases, which, in turn, allows you to clear the stagnation of sputum. Some doctors compare the effects of laughter to chest physiotherapy, which removes phlegm from the airways. However, laughter has a much better effect on the respiratory tract.
People who often laugh can forget about expensive medical and cosmetic procedures to improve their skin. The fact is that laughter tones the muscles of the face and improves blood circulation. Thanks to this, a natural blush appears on the face.
Happiness hormones endorphins, which are produced in the human body when he laughs, are natural painkillers. Laughter helps a person to forget about the pain for at least a few minutes. Doctors have long noticed that patients who are positive and find the strength to laugh endure pain much more easily than those who are depressed.
Laughter has been scientifically proven to help fight infections. After one minute of sincere laughter, the human body releases a huge amount of antibodies into the airways that protect us from various bacteria and viruses. In addition, laughter increases the production of white blood cells, which fight various diseases, including cancer.
British scientists conducted a study, the results of which confirmed that laughter affects people's health. Two groups were formed. One group watched tapes of humorous concerts for an hour, while the second group just sat quietly. After that, the participants in the experiment donated blood. As a result, it was found that those who watched the concert, the level of "stress" hormones was lower than those who just sat quietly.
When a person laughs, the physical load on all parts of his body increases. As soon as he stops laughing, his body relaxes and calms down. This suggests that laughter helps us get rid of both physical and emotional tension. A minute of genuine laughter is equivalent to 45 minutes of deep relaxation, scientists say.
Laughter is also considered "internal" aerobics, because during laughter all the internal organs are massaged, which, in turn, allows them to work more efficiently.
Laughter perfectly strengthens the muscles of the abdomen, back and legs. One minute of laughter is the equivalent of 10 minutes of intense exercise at the gym or 15 minutes of cycling. And if you laugh heartily for an hour, you will be able to burn up to 500 calories.
Laughter therapy
Laughter is known to have a positive effect on physical and mental health. Laughter boosts immunity by increasing antibody activity. Laughter helps fight stress and negative emotions. Doctors have been using laughter therapy in the treatment of diseases for several centuries.
In modern medicine, there is a science that studies the effect of laughter on the human body. It got the name "gelotology" from the Greek word "gelos" (laughter). There is a special direction of yoga in which laughter therapy is practiced - Haasya. During class, people imitate various types of laughter - welcoming laughter, apologetic laughter, and even lion laughter and mouse laughter.
In addition to laughter itself, the laughter therapy program usually includes several yoga exercises that are aimed at relieving tension and relaxation. The sessions use special breathing exercises necessary to bring nervous system back to normal. In addition, people are taught to achieve inner peace and quiet.
A session of laughter therapy usually lasts about 3 hours. Laughter itself takes about 1.5 hours, the rest of the time is devoted to exercises. The average duration of a course of laughter therapy is approximately 10-12 sessions.
Laughter therapy can be done on your own. The main thing is to learn to see the funny. Be observant and you will notice how often people behave ridiculously and unreasonably. Try to joke more often, but only where appropriate. Cheer up yourself and those around you. Collect funny pictures from magazines, write down funny jokes. You should definitely have some funny movies and books. When you are sad, you can use them to cheer up.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources
