Laughter is one of the best exercises available; it uses oxygen, muscles and gets you breathing harder. In fact, laughter is one of the best aerobic activities available and it releases endorphins as well!
The laughter chain is that moment when a giggle starts that passes on to the next person in the laughter chain and the next and the next, until the whole group is laughing. Not only is this form of laughter therapy and great exercise, it is also one of the best stress busters available as well as a great bonding exercise.
Imagine if a busy office held regular laughter chain sessions. Surely, this would improve moral, team bonding and even productivity. As farfetched as this may seem, organizing a laughter chain session can do wonders for business as well as providing an alternative outlet in a group therapy environment.
A laughter evening can also be great entertainment for family and friends and may involve watching comedy films together, telling jokes or just playing good old-fashioned group games. You can even start a laughter chain session by having one person begin laughing and then watch as it slowly starts to become infectious and travels around the circle.
The laughter chain can also be induced by tickling therapy, something that seems to be getting more popular. Obvious with consent, tickle therapy can be used to relieve stress, tension and can be used to start a good laughter chain. Remember, the secret of the laughter chain is for one infectious laugh to start and then for everyone else to relax and to lose themselves in the resulting laughter; perhaps tickling is another way of starting!
Laughter is a fantastic way to lose inhibitions, remove stress, and encourage bonding and communication and to drop barriers that inhibit personal and group growth. To this end, we can then see that the organisation of a lighter chain session can only be beneficial. Laughter is also a fantastic healer and can be used to help deal with depression. Even at a cellular level, laughter van be used as a treatment for physical ailments; we have all heard of the cancer patient who would watch Laurel and Hardy movies to laugh himself well!
The darkest of moods and environments can all be dealt with very effectively using laughter and what better way, organising an evening or weekend workshop in the community to bring people together and to get them laughing!
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