Laughter therapy
Embracing our silly side can be good fun, but proponents of this laugh-out-loud practice believe it seriously boosts our health and wellbeing, too
Words Niamh Leonard-Bedwell
It’s often said that laughter is the best medicine - and there’s hard science behind the expression. When we laugh, endorphins - known as our happy hormones - are released into the blood stream, lifting our mood in a similar way to the kind of feelings we might experience after exercise.
In 1995, intrigued by the research on the benefits of laughter, Mumbai-based medic Dr Madan Kataria decided to create his own Laughter Club. He gathered a small group together in one of the city’s public parks to exchange jokes and funny stories. Passers-by were intrigued by all the laughter and soon the group grew from five to 50 people.