World Laughter Day 2018

World Laughter Day 2018

The World Laughter Day- A day that originated in India, is celebrated across the world on the first Sunday of May. The day was first celebrated in India on May 10, 1998. The World laughter Day was created by an Indian Doctor, Dr Madan Kataria, who was the founder of Worldwide Laughter Yoga Movement. His movement was inspired by the hypothesis that facial expressions can have a huge impact on the emotions and mental state of a human being.

Celebrations

At present there are more than 6000 laughter clubs in more than 105 countries across the 5 continents, where people gather to avail the curative benefits of this wonderful laughter therapy. On the World Laughter Day, people group together at various places like parks, town hall, city halls and laughter clubs etc. Messages by Dr Madan Kataria are read, which are about joy, love, non-judgmental attitude and world peace. After that the laughter groups laugh their heart off, spreading their smiles far and wide. The laughter is started with the simple “Ho-Ho-Ha-Ha” sounds and it eventually gets so contagious that in no time the groups are rolling with bursts of laughter. This event is non-racial, non-religious and non-profitable whose sole purpose is to spread unconditional joy and love and contribute towards world peace in their own way.

Benefits of Laughter

Laughter and smiling are the most basic of human behaviors and are part of universal culture. They aid bonding, forming unique and genuine relationships and promote a sense of overall well being. Laughter is the best medicine and has huge paybacks.

Reduces Stress Hormones and increases Happy Hormones

Today’s stressful lifestyle and increase of tension at workplace often leads to overproduction of certain immunosuppressant hormones like cortisol, whose excess quantity can prove harmful for the immune system. Laughing lessens the presence and production of these hormones. On the other hand, it also increases the production of happy hormones like endorphins and neurotransmitters. The endorphins increase the threshold for pain tolerance, acting as natural pain killers, improve the mood and ease out tension. The neurotransmitters improve the brain functioning and overall brain response.

Natural Cardiovascular exercise and regulates Blood Pressure

Laughter engages the core, the muscles of stomach expand and contract engaging the abdominal muscles and diaphragm. Laughing also gets the heart pumping and also works out the lungs. Laughing has shown significant lung function improvement for people suffering from lungs disorder. In fact, heartfelt laughing for some time will help to burn the same amount of calories as slow walking.

Laughing also helps to regulate the blood pressure, in the same way as exercise does, reducing the risk of stroke and heart attack. It improves the blood flow as well as oxygen level in the blood.

Positive thinking, decreased anxiety and improved mental state

Laughter and smiling have shown to generate a significant improvement in positive thinking. The endorphins that get released while laughing improve positive thinking and drastically reduce the anxiety. Smiling authentically wile interacting or having a way to make people laugh improves the relationships and social binding. Such people are better liked and feel confident and are better equipped against the mental problems.

Better Mood and overall well being

The benefits of laughter are limitless. It improves your overall mood, boosts creativity, enhances the brain’s capability to function well, improves the resiliency and lift up the soul. Laughter can heal the mind as well as body. Laughter has the power to create a sense of overall well being in an individual and such individuals can uplift the people who they come in contact with too.

Off late, comedy movies and laughter shows have become extremely popular, both on television as well as social media. Some of the blockbuster comedy movies of 2017 were Jattu Engineer, starring Saint Dr Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh ji, Toilet- ek prem katha, starring Akshay Kumar, Barelly ki Burfi and Newton. These movies were well received by the general masses because of their ability to make people laugh and convey a message at the same time.

Considering all the benefits and positive impacts, we all must understand the significance of laughter and should promote and practice it in our daily lives. So this 6^th May 2018, let us gear up to spread the joy, smile and laughter on the World Laughter Day. Do let us know in the comments below on how are you going to celebrate this day 😊😊