Page 30 - Senior Times South Central Michigan - June 2016 - 23-06
P. 30

Page 30
Senior Times - June 2016
Healing Power
By: Sherii Sherban, Publisher
of Laughter
I’ve witnessed for many years the contagious reality of laughter. When asked to laugh on command, however, I often had difficulty. But after experienc- ing a deep and full laugh I can say that I am always re-energized, and sometimes a little exhausted.
When I initially heard about the con- cept of Laughter Yoga I was confused about what it actually was. You see, I was asked to leave a yoga class once because I couldn’t stop laughing at myself. Clearly, I was not ready for the seriousness of yoga. So when I heard the words laughter and yoga in combi- nation I was actually intrigued.
After a bit more conversation, how- ever, what I discovered was that it was actually more like an exercise in laugh- ing. I was invited to participate in a class at Heritage in Battle Creek and decided to take them up on the offer.
We spent 30 minutes laughing in
a variety of ways and for a variety of reasons. I found that forcing myself to laugh in this way made it easier. Before long, the laughing became enjoy-
able and I discovered that I felt just as refreshed from this program as I have from a wonderful laugh that resulted spontaneously. I want to thank Dawn Dye for inviting us into her program and experiencing the benefits of laughing that day. I do hope I have a chance to go back sometime soon.
Having experienced Laughter Yoga I decided to learn more about the benefits of laughter.
Sadly, as the joint family structure crumbles and youngsters steer away from parents, seniors find themselves alone at home or in adult care facili- ties. They are prone to frequent bouts of depression that often leads to a debili- tating condition. Laughter is indeed
the best medicine to be prescribed for seniors to keep them in good cheer.
A good hearty laughter gets rid
of stress, worry and depression. It touches the emotional core and allevi- ates feelings of loneliness and isola- tion. Besides being the panacea for good health, laughter generates posi- tive thoughts and reduces the negative strains.
Many seniors are in need of more human contact. While many are sur- rounded by peers whom they enjoy and share similar interests with, others dearly miss their children and family. Deeper down, what they really miss is the need for someone close to them with whom they can confide their emotions. I’ve discovered that laughter can give seniors that much needed feeling of closeness and fraternity.
Laughter exercises are a way to boost cheer and are simple, structured and lots of fun! They are easy and safe and pro- vide a genuine form of physical exercise. They are appropriate for all, regardless of their cognitive, sensory or motor abilities or limitations. People’s partici- pation is invited and not imposed. But it is really hard to walk by a room full of laughing people and not be curious.
This form of therapy appears to lift depression and replace it with a posi- tive outlook. Health improves, many chronic ailments disappear, the exercise improves mobility and staff-patient com- munication and relations also improve.
According to Michael Miller, M.D., director of preventive cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center, “The magnitude of change we saw in the endothelium is similar to the benefit we might see with aerobic activity, but with- out the aches, pains and muscle tension associated with exercise. We don’t rec- ommend that you laugh and not exercise, but we do recommend that you try to
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