Accessible, easy and without side effects, laughter is beneficial for health, especially in people with chronic pain, such as fibromyalgian patients. Maguy Metais, professor of laughter yoga who occurs punctually at the thermal baths of Luchon and president of the Joy and Well-being association 31, explains to us how to laugh helps to release all the pressure accumulated in certain bodily areas.
Why doctor: In the same way as the practice of regular physical activity, the adoption of a balanced diet or good sleep habits, laughter is essential to our well-being. This is why your sessions focus on this manifestation of gaiety. But, concretely, what is the yoga of laughter?
Maguy Metais: First of all, laughter is a natural response from the body to a feeling of joy, fun or surprise. It plays a major role in our physical and mental balance. In addition, it is an important communication tool, because it allows you to share powerful emotions without needing to speak.
Regarding laughter yoga, it is a concept based on laughter without reason, which combines laughter and yoga breathing exercises. The latter is based on scientific evidence showing that the brain does not make the difference between a simulated laugh, if it is intentional, of an authentic laugh. Since the physiological and psychological advantages are the same, we do not expect as an external event, for example jokes, makes us laugh. Without having to use humor, we decide that it’s time to laugh, even if we don’t want it or we are not going well, which can be more difficult. Clearly, you become an actor of laughter or smile and master of his inner joy, which should be cultivated on a daily basis.
Laughter Yoga: “You have to have the will to participate and try this method”
Where does laughter from laughter come from?
He was invented by Dr. Madan Kataria, Indian doctor in 1995. On that date, he had created the first laughter club.
For whom is the laughter of laughter advised?
Since laughter is easy and free to access, everyone can take part in the sessions. However, you must have the will to participate and try this method.
Can children participate?
Of course ! I do sessions for children being up to 12 or 13 years old. The latter have an advantage: they laugh more spontaneously than adults. The courses are dynamic and allow children to spend themselves but also to connect to their emotions as well as discover moments of relaxation. In practice, we play games on emotions, mimicking them, or on affirmation and self -confidence. Young participants also learn to listen to others and practice abdominal breathing.
“We let go, which will act on our behavior towards pain”
What are its virtues?
Laughter is beneficial in the short and long term for mental and physical health. Regarding the psychological aspect, laughing repairs what stress destroys. More specifically, when we are anxious, our diaphragm is blocked. Thanks to an abdominal laugh, rather than thoracic, we come to unlock this organ and, in parallel, we oxygen our brain. In addition, we produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved in the management of moods and associated with the state of happiness, which makes it possible to appease the mind.
Locking also allows you to put into perspective and find your inner child, which will promote self -confidence. In addition, laughter can strengthen relationships and help create pleasant social ties, which reduces isolation and loneliness. By laughing, we fill up with energy thanks to endorphins, nicknamed hormones of happiness, produced. Another benefit: laughter allows you to have a deeper and long sleep, is restful. During this manifestation of gaiety, we release all internal tensions. Since the brain is not able to think and laugh at the same time, we disconnect the mind. This avoids ruminations, which are a source of insomnia.
Regarding physical virtues, laughter is excellent for digestion. When we laugh, we move the muscles of the abdomen, which has the effect of a slight massage of the internal organs. In addition, zygomatics are worked, muscles in the face, which decreases airport, namely to “swallow or eat air”. Locking plays a key role in strengthening the immune system, as it has the upper respiratory tract. By taking a deep breathing, air, dirty in the lungs, is thus renewed and is healthier. This process helps to release toxins, improves the oxygenation of the body and stimulates the natural defenses of the organism.
We also note that laughter lowers blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol levels, which preserves the cardiovascular system. On the cognition side, the release of tensions and ideas related to overwork through laughter also promotes concentration and productivity. Finally, laughing relieves pain.
As part of the Fibromyalgia program, offered at Luchon thermal baths, patients benefit from a laughter yoga session. How does this method alleviate chronic pain?
By laughing, endorphins, natural painkillers, which reduce pain. This chemical effect plays an important role in their decrease, but the fact that laughter relaxes muscles also helps a lot. In addition, the brain is distracted, attention is therefore not paid to unpleasant sensations but on pleasure. We let go, which will act on our behavior towards pain.
“Ideally, you should laugh 10 minutes continuously per day”
In practice, how does it work?
In the West, We start a laughter yoga session by a warm -up, By putting the body in motion, which facilitates the expression of emotions. However, it is quite possible to do a session while seated, the beneficial effects will be the same. During this warm -upwe do anchor exercises, abdominal breathing, and stretching. Abdominal breathing is important In order not to have headaches, because over the session, blood can be more and more concentrated in the brain. After that, we go to laughter exercises on a defined theme, for example animals or parties. In this case, people make For example The laughter of the giraffe, the hen, the frog, the garland or a bright star. All this is done in motion. We continue with a meditation of laughter. THE participants Close their eyes and are lying on an armchair, a deckchair or on the ground to promote letting go. At that time, the latter arrive at the height of the excitement of laughter and give way to natural euphoria. In general, silence makes a lot of laughter and this is transmitted within the group. In order to take advantage of the benefits of laughter, there is a time of relaxation before ending up on an hour -long session, with the weather of emotions which consists in saying what we feel in a word that comes to mind without thinking.
How often should you laugh?
Although we take advantage of the virtues of laughter from the first minute, it is ideally necessary to laugh 10 minutes continuously per day. The most important thing is to put laughter in your daily life. For this, no need to timer, but you have to be diligent thanks to small rituals. For example, laughing by placing your first foot outside the bed in the morning, then laughing again when the other is placed on the ground, and finally bursting with laughter when the two are on the ground. We can also start by doing the “haha” to trigger a laugh or watch funny videos.
Are there contraindications?
There are rare medical contraindications to laughter yoga, In particular an operation at the abdomen of less than three months or any surgical intervention of less than a month to avoid complications in the scar. It is also not recommended for People with pulmonary problems, such as a patient with non-equilibuted asthma which is not followed by a doctor.
