19 February,2018 08:01 AM IST | Mumbai | Trina Chaudhuri
High angle view of three young women laughing
There's always that one friend in the group who's made fun of because of the way he or she laughs. Especially so, if it's loud and hearty. There are some who have the occasional snort, some who almost never recover from a giggling fit and others who laugh in Morse code. In fact, the very perfect Natalie Portman is famous for having the dorkiest laughter in the industry. This is also why we can never forget Janice Goralnik from the TV sitcom Friends, her shrill bray laugh.
Recently, when male members of the BJP, including the Prime Minister, took a dig at Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury for simply laughing out loud, social media was quick to take sides. Is this just another example of men telling women what to do? Or is laughing with gay abandon a fault grave enough to be compared to a demoness from Ramayana?
Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury
Laughter heals
We decided to scour the Internet for the concept of bad laughter and came up with a blank. On the contrary, University of California, Berkeley, psychologist professor Bob Levenson, in a survey that spanned two decades starting in the 1980s, asked couples to discuss that one thing about their partners that annoyed them the most. Those who used laughter while doing so not only felt better immediately, but also reported higher levels of satisfaction in their relationships.
"Laughter is a powerful antidote. It suppresses stress hormones and benefits holistic health, especially the central nervous system (CNS) and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The latter is responsible for the resting and digestion mechanisms of the body. So, when laughter activates PNS, blood pressure is reduced, and heartbeat and breathing are normalised. Additionally, blood flow is redirected to the digestive, respiratory and reproductive systems, thus benefitting the endocrine and lymphatic organs," says Hansa J Yogendra, president, The Yoga Institute.
Kishore Kuvavala, founder, Priyadarshini Laughter Club;
Chuckle challenge
But it's not always easy to induce the laughs, right? After all, it isn't every day that we have a reason to chuckle, especially after a long, stressful day. "Laughter relieves the pressure and stress that goes hand in hand with modern life. From a scientific viewpoint, laughter increases the production of certain hormones and neurotransmitters while lowering those associated with stress such as adrenaline, cortisone, epinephrine and dopamine," says Dr Anjali Chhabria, a city psychiatrist.
Louder the better
And what if you are the LOL kinds, just like Chowdhury? "Laughing out loud is an overt expression which not only helps the person who indulges in it, but is also contagious for another person. Also, in therapy, there is no evident trigger that can make the person laugh. In that case, laughing out loud acts as one, as it signals the brain to release natural feel-good chemicals," Chhabria explains.
Dr Anjali Chhabria, psychiatrist
"Your laughter rubs off on the other person and that is a great way to ensure you have a positive atmosphere around you. Laughing also makes you confident, but it needs to be practised. Do not wait for excuses to laugh, make them," insists Kishore Kuvavala, who runs the Priyadarshini Laughter Club in Girgaum Chowpatty.
Today more than ever before, people are turning to humour for therapy and healing. Various cases are proofs of how laughter therapy can help improve the quality of life for patients with chronic illnesses. This therapy is even offered as a complementary treatment to illness.
president, The Yoga Institute
"I work with people across ages, nationalities and health conditions. I've seen people benefit from such activities. It reduces hypertension that many of today's generation suffer from. Laughing helps with sugar, blood pressure, Parkinson's disease and more. Even families that used to have regular quarrels now spend time with love and care, and that's all because of this therapy," Kuvavala elaborates.
Stop and laugh
Most of us are so busy with work that we barely have the time to share a joke. And that's exactly where we are going wrong. "Watch a fun TV show with someone you love, hang out with children, play fun games, practise silent giggles, spend time with pets or simply include laughter in your morning routine. Try and see the humour in everyday life. For instance, once while walking in a park, I observed a German shepherd sauntering gracefully. A couple of PomÂeranians nearby started barking at him. This continued for a while. But after a few minutes, the German shepherd turned and gazed at them. One look, and the Pomeranians ran away in fright," Yogendra says, adding, "So, you see, life is like that - it's simple, but we make it complicated sometimes."
"Surprisingly, it takes nothing to make that change. If you are in a group, all you need to do is laugh. The moment you laugh loudly, you initiate laughter in others. Group laughing out loud with a few exercises and chants of 'Om', and you're set towards a positive outlook towards life," Kuvavala elaborates.So, the next time you are chided or made to feel awkward for laughing out loud, simply laugh back. After all, British poet Robert Frost had famously said, "If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane."
