Ha Ha, Hee Hee: Laughter Therapy, Laughter Yoga

Glass Half Full with Leslie Krongold, Ed.D.

Are you feeling stressed out? With all that's going on in the world -- pandemic, civil unrest, job loss, hurricanes, wild fires -- it's difficult to avoid stress.

Laughter therapy, or laughter yoga, might help alleviate some of the heaviness. It's free. It offers numerous mental and physical health benefits. And it's fun.

In the field of psychoneuroimmunology, laughter has been studied and found to lower blood pressure, strengthen cardiovascular function, improve circulation, boost immune function, trigger the release of endorphins, and produce a sense of well-being.

You'll meet Annie Goglia, a certified Laughter Yoga Leader, who shares her story how laughter transformed her life. You can even join her, virtually, at her Laughter Club.

To delve deeper into your exploration of Laughter Therapy, check out the Comedy Cures Foundation and Association for Applied & Therapeutic Humor.

The University of San Francisco Osher Center for Integrative Medicine offers classes in Laughter Yoga as well as the Founder of Laughter Yoga, Dr. Madan Kataria.