Laughter has the ability to connect us to other human beings and the world. It is cathartic and infectious; sometimes it seems illogical, and at other times it makes perfect sense. We can be surprised, tickled, consumed by laughter... and it can also make us cry, thereby, instigating the holding of opposites and the release of deep-rooted emotion. 

​

In certain cultures a sign that a human being has truly entered the world is when they laugh and yet, arguably, we are trained to control laughter as we grow up. When I trained as a Laughter Therapist, my tutor asked the group "When was the last time you had a good belly laugh?" Many of us need to really think about the answer to that question... because it might have been quite a while ago....

 

Through laughter we release our free-inner-child; an expressive, creative part of ourselves that is, so often, stifled. Laughter is an uplifting therapeutic tool, as it also has physiological benefits: It releases oxytocin, boosts the immune system, increases cardiovascular activity, and produces endorphins resulting in that "feel good" factor. It has lasting effects on Neuroplasticity and with practice, alongside other therapies, is helpful for such things as stress-reduction, negative belief systems, anxiety, anger management, phobia, and pain.