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 Laughter therapy is a type of therapy that uses humor to help relieve pain and stress and improve a person's sense of well-being. It may be used to help people cope with a serious disease, such as cancer. Many hospitals use laughter therapy to help patients cope with a variety of painful medical conditions. Laughter therapy may include laughter exercises, clowns, and comedy movies, books, games, and puzzles.
Dr. Katherine Puckett, National Director of Mind-Body Medicine at the Cancer Treatment Center of American Hospital outside of Chicago says cancer patients find that laughing, particularly in a group setting, can help them through their cancer journey. Often times during cancer treatment, patients feel tense and apprehensive, which can lower the immune system’s ability to defend itself. This can prolong treatment or even reduce its effect. Dr. Puckett, Certified Laughter Leader, facilities laughter group sessions to help patients reduce those side effects and improve their overall quality of life. At the Laughter Club group sessions, the leader takes patients through various laugh-related exercises, including fake laughter and laughter greetings. Laughter is treated as a purposeful, physical exercise. One exercise has patients stand in a circle, with the leader in the middle. Patients put their fingertips on their cheekbones, chest or lower abdomen and make “ha-ha” or “hee-hee” sounds until they feel vibrations throughout their bodies. Patients and caregivers are invited to laugh; it is not forced. “You do not have to be funny. You can see funny,” says Dr. Puckett. By seeing can lead to a new perspective, allowing patients to notice humor in situations they never found funny before. "Maybe your wig blew off in the wind,” says Dr. Puckett. “Laughter therapy can give us permission to take what could be a humiliating experience and turn it into something funny.” Laughter therapy discovered into the mind-body program over 10 years when a patient was receiving treatment. The patient received about 15 minutes of treatment a day for eight weeks leaving a good portion of the day opened. She felt the facility could use some fun so she decided to spend time researching information on laughter therapy. She copied quite a few pages from the Internet and brought them to Dr. Puckett. At first Dr. Puckett was a bit hesitant but the mind-body program and hospital strives to honor patient’s requests when possible. Dr. Puckett not only researched Laughter Therapy, she became a Certified Laughter Leader and incorporated into her program. For cancer patients, laughter therapy can be an significant tool in the journey back to normalcy. A cancer diagnosis can be especially disheartening. When we find ways to lighten up and have fun, it can be contagious. Just the act of laughing on purpose, even if nothing is particularly funny, can lead to genuine laughter. “Patients are fearful, weary and end up thinking they can no longer enjoy life,” says Dr. Puckett. “We encourage people to find ways they can still appreciate life. Laughter is one of them.” If you are interested in becoming involved with a formal Laughter Therapy program, for yourself or your loved one, contact local hospitals or Google "Laughter Therapy in my local area". In 1995 Madan Kataria, M.D. started a ‘Laughter Club’ in New Delhi after researching the benefits of a 'good giggle'. He combines yoga stretches and encourages people to laugh for ‘No reason at all.’ He has Laughter Clubs all over the world along with his Facebook Page – ‘Laughter Club’. Madan Kataria, M.D. concept is based on the concept that voluntary laughter can provide the same health benefits as spontaneous laughter. Practitioners simply need to laugh – mastering yoga positions is not essentials. Sebastien Gendry, CEO of the American School of Laughter, takes a different approach to laughter as good medicine. He puts it in the context of laughter wellness. “Laughter is the tool. Yoga is the end.” He adds, “It’s not about happiness but finding meaning through practice and understanding. How we feel is a choice.” Laughing for a sustained period of time is key to reaping the health benefits of laughter yoga. Classes routinely help students laugh steadily for 15 to 20 minutes. The overall results: Increased oxygen intake and blood flow, improved blood vessel function, and lower blood pressure. This helps protect your heart, boosts energy, dissolves stress and allows you to gain focus. Throughout his years with the laughter yoga movement, Gendry discovered participants primarily prefer the following about laughter yog * Body: It makes you feel relaxed and energized; stress and pain melt away. * Mind: Your mind becomes sharper and clearer. * Emotions: You feel more grounded * Social: You feel more connected to the people around you. * Spiritual: It boosts self-esteem, making you feel more at peace If you think a Laughter Club maybe beneficial, check the Internet: Laughter Club Meet up Groups, Laughter Clubs Online, Laughter Yoga USA Online, Laughter Yoga Facebook. Laughter Therapy or Laughter Clubs can be a wonderful compliment, however; they are not a substitute for medical care or mental health counseling. References Cancer Treatment Centers of America A Closer Look At Laughter Therapy Senior Blog – A Place For Mom The Serious Benefits of Laughter Yoga Jennifer Wegerer January 23, 2014 Cecelia Salamone is a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 25 years in the field of counseling and rehabilitation. She enjoys attending workshops, seminars and conferences to help enhance her life, keeps her up-to-date on information, and offers the opportunity to network with others in this field. Cecelia was a caregiver for her parents and in-laws and involved in a support group. To make the road easier for herself and other caregivers, Cecelia wrote Designated Caregiver - Resource Manual for the Caregiver "On Call 24/7", a hands-on, informative guidebook. The book covers topics relevant to high level care for our loved ones. "Caregiver Inspirations"is dedicated to empower and educate caregivers with information, resources and support. Plus - resource caregiver manual, Life Coaching for Caregivers. Caregiver Inspirations is also beneficial for:
 I was blessed with parents who not only gave me life – they gave me hope, faith, sense of family, love, an education, and the ability to have fun. And they taught me how to dance! From a very young age I was wearing ‘dancing shoes’. When my sister and I came home from school, Mom turned on some fun music and we would dance around the house. Sometimes, we would clean the house and make dinner to upbeat songs. (Picture of Mickey (my dad) and me dancing at my sister and brother-in-law's anniversary party) Being Italian, we frequently went to relatives for house parties. With some of the parties like Halloween and New Year's Eve, the parents had one area of the basement while the kids had another section for dancing. Other times they would take us to family hall parties. Of course, weddings included entire families. Since the Italian grandmother sat at the table throughout the evening, she was in charge of holding onto the large purse that contained the wedding cards filled with money. That allowed the rest us to spend most of the evening on the dance floor. Dad showed me how to dance at the weddings. I loved watching my parents dance. They were a vision of elegance as they glided across the dance floor. I absolutely love dancing and cannot imagine taking off my ‘dancing shoes’. However my parents blessed me with the gift of dancing that also benefits my health. The dances they taught me help my fibromyalgia and vertigo. My parents, who from the majority of my adult life I affectionately called Mickey and Jo, gave me a present I will be able to use the rest of my life. A FEW OF THE DANCES I LEARNED FROM MICKEY AND JO Beer Barrel Polka - “Roll out the barrels – We’ll have a barrel of fun!” Polka -Quick thinking and fast steps were needed to follow my dad around the floor with a Polish Polka. Glenn Miller’s Moonlight Serenade (Mickey’s favorite band) - Box Step is a basic dance step of the waltz. I concentrate on my box step as I move around my living room. Mickey would gracefully move about the dance floor and knew how to guide me so that I did not miss a beat. Dean Martin’s Cha Cha Cha D’Amour - Cha Cha is fun especially when you are dancing with a partner who knows the steps. My dad taught me the steps and I had a cousin who mastered the footwork. Now I had to know the steps because my dad wasn't guiding me. Cha Cha is characterized by intricate foot movements, quick-thinking spins, hip movement, precise action and self-expression all done to Latin American Cha Cha music. This dance is helpful for my vertigo because I need to concentrate on my posture and looking straight ahead along with focusing on my footwork. Free Style Fast Dancing – My parents and my family had fun dancing free style fast dancing. These steps are helpful because I design dance steps that are beneficial for my fibromyalgia. I modify them with stretches and vary my movements. I also relax the music’s beat and concentrate on stretching and flexing. Even now with my free style dancing, I incorporate Mickey’s footsteps and hand motions. I also combine rock and roll, and my own creations. I enjoy dancing at home because I am able to work it in to my daily schedule. However, I realize it will benefit me to take lessons and learn steps for proper balance, coordination and recommendations from a professional to help with my vertigo and fibromyalgia. My husband and I go out dancing about once a month but we only do free style. Within the next few months, we plan to take formal lessons and then I would like to join a group who meets consistently. As a caregiver, dancing as a form of exercise has quite a few positives. The following are some of the benefits when you add dancing to your life as a form of exercise. Benefits of Dancing as a Form of Exercise for Caregivers
Resources All You Need Is Yourself – Robert Jimison CNN October 19, 2017 Five Benefits of Senior Dancing – Ruby Cemental – June 6, 2017 Caring Senior Service of Denver East Blog Health Benefits of Dancing – Katharine Paljug – June 20, 2017 You Care Everywhere Caregiver Smile Factory: Dance Edition - Caregivers By Wholecare Cecelia Salamone is a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 25 years in the field of counseling and rehabilitation. She enjoys attending workshops, seminars and conferences to help enhance her life, keeps her up-to-date on information, and offers the opportunity to network with others in this field. Cecelia was a caregiver for her parents and in-laws and involved in a support group. To make the road easier for herself and other caregivers, Cecelia wrote Designated Caregiver - Resource Manual for the Caregiver "On Call 24/7", a hands-on, informative guidebook. The book covers topics relevant to high level care for our loved ones. Cecelia has a M.A. in Counseling and B.S. in Education both from Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan. She lives with her husband, Jack Brisbin, in Canton Michigan, located between Detroit and Ann Arbor. "Caregiver Inspirations" formerly "Reach For A Rainbow Caregiving" is dedicated to empower and educate caregivers with information, resources and support, classes, resource manual, along with emphasizing the benefits of Life Coaching for Caregivers. Caregiver Inspirations is also beneficial for:
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Cecelia Salamone is a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 25 years in the field of counseling and rehabilitation. She enjoys attending workshops, seminars and conferences. Cecelia finds they enhance her life, keeps her up-to-date on information, and offers the opportunity to exchange ideas with others active in this field. Over the past twelve years, she has been a member of the Metro Detroit Creative Writers group (MDCW). Cecelia was a caregiver for her parents and in-laws from 1994-2014 and was involved in a support group.
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