Laughter is the best medicine for stress, yoga instructors say

IRONDEQUOIT, N.Y. — If life isn’t making you feel the most cheerful, some say you can learn to laugh for no reason. And, you’ll feel the benefits of laughing — even if you don’t have a sense of humor.

“Laughter is a stress reliever,” explains Irondequoit resident and business owner Dale Heffer. “Laughing creates endorphins ... which are like happy hormones that make you feel good.”

In fact, Heffer said, research has shown that if doesn’t matter if you “really laugh” or pretend to laugh — you can still benefit from laughing.

Heffer has incorporated laughter into her business, Lady Be Fit Express, a women’s fitness studio, and with colleague Joellen Kuhl has been offering what she calls a “laughter yoga club” for almost three years.

They are both certified laughter yoga instructors.

Laughter yoga is a global movement (check out laughteryoga.org), started around 1995 and headed by Dr. Madan Kataria, a native of India.

Heffer says there are more than 6,000 laughter yoga groups in 60 countries around the world. She met and studied with Kataria at a training session in Niagara Falls in April 2007.

The mission of the effort, she says — with a laugh — is “world peace through laughter ... which can be a universal language.”

Each laughter yoga session led by Heffer and Kuhl starts with an explanation, including some background and how to get started, then launches into some exercises.

“The (the exercises) are just made-up, silly little things to do,” Heffer said.

For instance, one of the “yoga poses” is to pretend you’re talking — and laughing — on a cell phone.

Once you get started, “laughing is contagious,” Heffer said. The sessions also includes laugh meditation, what is called gradient laughter and an ending relaxation period. There’s even homework.

“At the end of each session, we encourage group members to laugh in the shower — or in the car — for five minutes a day,” Heffer said.

A lot of times, it’s not “real” laughter, Heffer admits, “but you do just feel good ... laughing can dissipate whatever is going on (in your life).”

Lately, she and Kuhl have expanded their efforts by taking the laughter yoga message to nursing homes, corporate retreats, libraries and senior centers.

“It’s especially fun when there are a lot of people — you get more contagious (laughter) going on,” Heffer said.

“It’s not serious at all,” she said of the sessions. “And it’s something anyone can do. There are no jokes, no weird yoga poses or anything ... And the main yoga we do is around stretching and breathing.”

The program is aerobic, Heffer said, noting that it is a workout. And, participants do report feeling better. She added that she has had people tell her the “feeling good” effects of just one session last all week.

To date, Heffer says they’ve had more female participants than men, but they did have a men’s club for a time. She has worked with everyone from teens to people age 80 and up.

“There’s a statistic that children laugh 400 times a day,” Heffer said, “but adults only laugh about 15 times a day ... The younger set doesn’t seem to need this (class) as much as the older set.”

Get happy right here

Rockford Laughter Club
Meetings: At your place of choice by appointment with Roni Golan
More information: Call 815-979-1944 or e-mail ronigolan@earthlink.net

Rockford Happiness Club
Meetings: 7 to 8:30 p.m. First Thursday of each month at North Suburban Library community room, 6340 N. 2nd St., Loves Park
More information: Call 815-871-7864, write to P.O. Box 2324, Loves Park, IL 61131 or e-mail kel_epperson@yahoo.com
Next meeting: Thursday, May 6