Highland Park—Comedians have one rule of the trade – when you work before an audience, always leave them laughing. Diana Perez is not a professional comedian, but she always leaves her audience laughing in order to improve their health. Perez is a self-proclaimed “jolliologist” and a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader since 2009.
On Sunday, April 6th, attendees of the Laughter Yoga workshop at Parker Home®’s Fun, Food and Fitness Fair are now true believers in the saying, “laughter is the best medicine.” Many were surprised to learn about the health benefits of laughter in the workshop. Diana explained to enthusiastic attendees that laughter releases “feel good” brain chemicals called endorphins, which help relieve pain. Laughter also results in deep breathing, one of the components of meditation. While laughing, you are in the present moment – generating a mindfulness component to the practice of Laughter Yoga.
Strangely enough, research has proven that fake laughter has the same impact of stress relief as real laughter. Fairleigh Dickinson University professor of psychology Dr. Charles Schaefer points out that even fake laughter or smiling produces physical sensations the enhance moods and increase psychological well-being. And faking laughter frequently leads to infectious, real laughter.
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“The body creates all the biochemistry it needs,” Diana Perez said. “You just have to invoke your body to release the endorphins.”
Perez believes that regular laughter sessions also help to reduce stress and increase energy levels. She also stated that scientific research has demonstrated that laughing shortens the recovery time following an illness.
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The session doesn’t resemble traditional Yoga. During one exercise designed to incite laughter, Perez led the room to an imaginary jungle safari, with attendees imitating a variety of jungle animals. The room erupted in animal noises and laughter as “lions,” “monkeys,” and “giraffes” ambled about the room, intermingling with each other.
“The Laughter Yoga session was my favorite workshop of the day,” Frances Ludeke remarked. “When you feel stressed, laugh and you feel better,” she added.
Attendees of Diana Perez’s workshop left the workshop not only laughing but with the understanding that laughter improves life, changes a negative attitude to a positive one, and is the antidote to stress.
Parker Home provides frequent programs for its residents as well as the community-at-large. Parker has a long-standing reputation of providing the ultimate in personalized, affordable high quality long-term care services in a home-like setting for over 100 years. Guided by the principles of the Eden Alternative®, Parker embraces and nurtures aging as a natural stage of life to be celebrated with compassion and enthusiasm.
