Science about Laughter Yoga and Cancer
SCIENTISTS SAY THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF CANCER IS STRESS. EXTREME PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL STRESS WEAKENS OUR IMMUNE SYSTEM.
Scientific studies have proved that hearty laughter has a powerful and immediate strengthening effect on our immune system.
Laughter quickly increases immunoglobulin levels that help fight infection and increases the number of Natural Killer Cells (NK cells) in the blood. Natural killer cells play a key role in cancer prevention. Scientist/researcher, Dr. Lee Berk took blood samples from subjects watching humorous videos and found that natural killer cells increased significantly with laughter. The NK cells in blood samples from laughing subjects quickly killed cancer cells he introduced into the samples.
The Healing Effects of Laughter in Cancer Patients
When someone is struck with cancer it leads to intense stress and fear.
How can laughter yoga help? Laughter exercises as a physical intervention lead to real physiological and biochemical changes in our body that have a profound effect on the development of cancer, reduces anxiety, and helps you cope with life.
Laughter yoga provides a non-intellectual path to laughter. Cancer patients may be in emotional turmoil and become depressed, making it difficult for them to achieve laughter through intellectual stimuli like humorous videos. Laughter yoga approaches laughter as a body exercise that can easily be done regardless of mood.
Laughter helps counter stress and fear. Hearty laughter causes the brain to release chemicals that reduce stress within minutes. It is typical to measure a 70% reduction in stress indicators after just 10 minutes of laughter.
Laughter promotes a positive outlook. Hearty laughter quickly counters depression and a negative outlook, especially when practiced within a group of peers. This is partly due to chemicals released by the brain and partly caused by a powerful emotional response to the group dynamics of laughter yoga.
A positive mental state is very important when a person is fighting a deadly disease.
Nira’s Laughter exercises help you deal with pain. Hearty laughter causes the brain to release endorphin, a natural morphine that is also responsible for the ‘runner’s high’. A typical laughter yoga session can provide several hours of pain relief without drugs, making it easier for patients to retain full control of their mental abilities and keep their spirits high.
Laughter oxygenates the body. Ten minutes of hearty laughter super-oxygenizes the body and all major organs. Ongoing cancer research shows a strong relationship between oxygen in our cells and the development of cancer.
Nobel Prize winner (twice in the field of medicine) Dr Otto Warburg showed the strong connection of oxygen in the cells to health. He says we fall sick due to a lack of oxygen in our body cells. The lack of oxygen is due to poor breathing habits caused by stress and a negative mindset. This causes us to breathe shallow, irregular breaths, and hold our breath when under stress.
Nira’s LaughingRx laughter yoga exercises use a combination of laughter exercises and yoga breathing to train our diaphragm and abdominal muscles to breathe deeply. This increases the net supply of oxygen to body cells and can play a significant role in preventing cancer by increasing oxygen levels in the body cells.
Letter from a Cancer survivor
I am a Registered Nurse and had breast cancer 4 years ago. I became interested in laughter yoga as part of my recovery. I can personally confirm that the laughter has helped my immune system, has helped me maintain a positive attitude and pull myself out of a negative state and that yogic breathing has been important in my recovery. I have been cancer-free so far for 4 years now. I have not had a cold or been sick in 20 months so far. I have been doing laughter yoga regularly for 2 years. – Marlene Chertok USA
My laughter therapy sessions are available online or via telephone
Private & group sessions are available.
A sampling of Medical Studies on the benefits of laughter:
According to a study presented at the American Society of Hypertension 2008 Annual Meeting, laughter in the context of laughter yoga can significantly lower blood pressure and reduce cortisol, or stress hormone, levels. Laughter yoga is a combination of laughter exercises, gentle yoga breathing, and stretching. The investigators of the study evaluated 200 people, both men, and women, working in the information technology industry in India. These individuals participated in seven 20-30-minute laughter yoga sessions, where they alternated 45 seconds to one minute of laughter with deep breathing and stretching exercises.
After three weeks, the investigators found that laughter yoga participants experienced significant reductions in their baseline blood pressures, as well as their cortisol levels. Participants also filled out questionnaires which showed that their perceived levels of stress were also lower.
Source:
Adapted from Heartwire — a professional news service of WebMD Chaya MS, Kataria M, Nagendra R, et al. The effects of hearty extended unconditional (HEU) laughter using laughter yoga techniques on physiological, psychological, and immunological parameters in the workplace: a randomized control trial. American Society of Hypertension 2008 Annual Meeting; May 14, 2008; New Orleans, LA.
Maintains Emotional Balance
Laughter Yoga helps free the flow of emotions and releasing pent up feelings. It defuses painful emotions like fear, anger, and boredom thus preventing conflicts, easing tension, and helping us to understand and comprehend the other person’s point of view.
Laughter frees your mind of negative emotions & cultivates positive emotions.
Physical Wellness
Laughter Yoga is the easiest and the safest way to good health. Being both preventive and therapeutic,, it has is a powerful tool for complete wellness