Laughter Research Archives

Scientific study provides evidence for the efficacy of Laughter Yoga in mental disorders

The first scientific study (randomized controlled trial) to provide evidence for the efficacy of Laughter Yoga in mental disorders was published this month in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. Findings showed that Laughter Yoga matched the efficacy of exercise therapy and even proved superior in improving life satisfaction.

Research says women benefit most from laughter

IT IS a known fact that laughter is good for your health, but a recent study has shown that it is women who apparently benefit most from living life with a laugh.

Complementary Medicine: Laughter encourages and empowers people to actively participate in their health care

Dr. Gita Suraj Narayan, a Senior Lecturer at the School of Social Work and Community Development, University of Kwazulu-Natal (and a Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher!) recently proved that Laughter is a powerful form of complementary Medicine through her research and a series of Community Outreach Projects.

Diabetes: mirthful laughter raises good cholesterol, lowers inflammation

Mirthful laughter, as a preventive adjunct therapy in diabetes care, raised good cholesterol and lowered inflammation.

Pain Management: Laughter Helps Relieve Pain for Kids Having Medical Procedures

Using Icy Waters, Researchers Replicated Pain from Medical Procedures. Laughter Helped.

Workplace Stress: The Efficacy of Laughter Yoga on IT Professionals to Overcome Professional Stress

In an observational study of 200 healthy normotensive IT call- center workers in Mumbai, India, 20-minute laugh-yoga sessions were associated with significant reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, Madan Kataria, M.D., reported at the American Society of Hypertension meeting. The conclusion of the study are that Laughter Yoga can result in increased productivity and quality of work, better communication and interpersonal relationships, and a more harmonious workplace.

Allergies: Laughter improves breast milk’s health effect, reduces allergic skin reactions

Breastfed babies with eczema experienced milder symptoms if their mothers laughed hours before feeding them, according to a study by Hajime Kimata at the Moriguchi-Keijinkai Hospital in Osaka, Japan.

Life Expectancy: A laugh a day may keep death further away.

No other patient characteristics could predict life or death within two years as strongly as the score for sense of humor.

Social Skills: Laughter acts as a social lubricant by enhancing a sense of group identity among strangers.

A study from psychologists at the universities of Kent and Liverpool has revealed that laughter increases altruism towards strangers, a finding which may have important implications for charities and other fundraising bodies. The study, conducted by Professor Mark van Vugt, Charlie Hardy, Julie Stow and Professor Robin Dunbar (University of Liverpool), was designed to examine if laughter acts as a social lubricant by enhancing a sense of group identity among strangers.

Workplace Efficiency: Laughter Yoga Enhances employees morale, resilience, and personal efficacy beliefs.

This study measured the impact of a purposeful aerobic laughter intervention on employees’ sense of self-efficacy in the workplace. Participants were 33 employees of a behavioral health center. They met for 15-minute sessions on 15 consecutive workdays and engaged in a guided program of non-humor dependent laughter.