Laughing … as wonderful as it sounds
Research has shown that laughing lowers blood pressure, reduces
stress hormones, and boosts immune functions. It also triggers the release of
endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, and fosters general spiritual
sunniness. All this has encouraged doctors to prescribe laughter to gloomy
patients.
Endorsement of the proverbial wisdom about laughter's health-giving properties
arrives from Bombay, where a local doctor has instigated a trend for medicinal 'laughing
clubs'. Dr Madan Kataria, who propounds a mirth-inducing posture technique
derived from yoga, set up the Priydarshini Park laughing club in 1995. Since
then, more than 100 laughing clubs have been rapidly established after his model
right across India.