Laughter Has Positive Effect On Mental Illness & Stress

According to the Natural Center for Biotechnology Information, almost 60-80 percent of primary care visits in the US are related to stress. An article published a few days ago, emphasized the fact that laughter yoga has a calming and positive impact on stress as well as mental illness.

Matthew Wappett, executive director of Utah State University Institute for Disability Research Policy and Practice, conducted a research to find out the effects of laughter on those experiencing stress and mental sickness. He said that a continuous release of stress hormones leads to a whole host of physiological changes within the body, which actually lead to destabilizing mental and physical health. Therefore, it is important to turn off the release of stress hormones. And what better way than laughter yoga, which has the ability to reduce the cortisol levels and increase the level of endorphins, the ‘happy hormone’ in the body.

Wappett’s says that the founder of laughter yoga Dr Madan Kataria started with a bunch of “silly exercises”, using fake laughter, but with regular practice, these exercises help one to relax and feel really happy. Hence, laughter is a great way to ensure mental and physical stability.

To read full article please click here.

Article and Image Courtesy: Brielle Carr

Found on: Laughter Yoga International’s Blog post here.