HO HO HA HA HA!
(The mantra heard around the world!)
(Website created September 2005
Last Revised : October 3, 2011)
For background Information on Laughter
Clubs, please see the article on
boldness - it explains how the
concept of laughter clubs originated in India in March 1995.
Basically, a medical doctor who knew laughter about the health benefits
of laughter came up with the idea of starting a "laughter club" and
simply went to the park in the morning to recruit random members of the
public to laugh with. Although the action was simple, the idea
behind it was profound.
(Note - personally, I would have found it
easier to panhandle in the park than to have asked strangers whether
they wanted to hang around and laugh with me.)
Below are some of the laughter clubs that meet in Sydney, Australia.
Hunters Hill Laughter Club
This is only a partial list. Please click here for a longer list of Laughter Clubs in NSW.
Dr Kataria graced Hunters Hill Laughter Club in September 2005. Please click the following to see photos from Dr Kataria's visit to Hunters Hill and more photos from the same visit.
Health Benefits of Laughter and Humour. This page explains it all! And it gives you hope to boot!
Laughter Helps Cancer Patients Tolerate Chemotherapy Better
According to an article on February 9 2007 from CBS2 Chicago, "Doctors say these [cancer] patients tolerate chemotherapy better and develop positive attitudes that help with recovery long term."
Another Reason to LAUGH FOR NO REASON – Older adults Get the Punchline Less Often
According to an article in UK’s Telegraph on July 11 2007, “Older adults have a harder time getting jokes as they age because of memory and reasoning problems, according to a new study.” This studied pitted adults over 65 against undergraduate students and found the younger group performed better in getting the joke. It was concluded that age related cognitive decline was the reason for the disparity. PARADOX! As we get older, we need to laugh more! Not less. Yet another reason why its best to “laugh for no reason.”
Laughter Used in Cleveland Clinic
The Cleveland Clinic Center for Integrative Medicine in Broadview Heights, near Cleveland, Ohio, USA now has laughter classes as part of their program according to a WKYC TV news item broadcast on July 24 2007.
Laughter Can Make You Pregnant
Yes, this is true! Its no joke. Under specific circumstances, whether a lady laughs or not makes the difference as to whether she falls pregnant. Doctors at an Israeli Medical Centre have found that after IVF treatment, a much higher proportion of women conceive if they are entertained by a clown compared to those who are not. In the words of a BBC news report in June 2006, "Sending in the clowns can significantly increase the chances that fertility treatment will be a success..."
What Makes Us Laugh? Its Context and Being With Other Laughers
A short article, "No Laughing Matter", by Oliver Burkeman dated August 11 2007 in the UK's Guardian online newspaper on some of the findings from the work of Robert Provine, a leading expert on the scientific study of laughter. Robert's work suggests laughter is stimulated in situational and relationship contexts, and from being in the presence of other laughers, and not so much from "funny" (intellectual) jokes or comedy club shows... Real laughter - its sometimes elusive but can often, not always, be created in laughter clubs depending on the laughter leader, the laughers and the resulting chemistry. Jokes are not relied on in laughter clubs as the mainstay of laughter, but once laughers are "primed" from laughing for no reason, even inane jokes become funnier!!
Cheers,
Certified Laughter Yoga Instructor
Sydney,
Australia