How is laughing beneficial ? Laughing , pretending or for real , releases endorphins , raises serotonin and dopamine levels , oxygenates and accesses the good-feeling part of your brain . In times like these , people are feeling disconnected , and laughing , really laughing , brings a sense of community to them . Doing it yourself , you have to laugh every day , continuously , for fifteen to twenty minutes a day ; that gets you the full benefit .
What ’ s the easiest way to practice this ? We do a series of exercises in our roughly one-hour sessions to get people laughing , and do deep breathing , too . The secrets are to make eye contact with each other and just have a sense of play . Studies have shown that kids laugh hundreds of times a day , and adults maybe ten or twenty . We need to be more kid-like , to laugh genuinely and often .
Q + A >>
Flex Your Funny Bone
Larry O ’ Brien of the Providence Laughter Club teaches yogis how to strike a pose for puns . By Paul K . Kandarian
Larry O ’ Brien , seventy-one , laughs at nothing . No joke , as “ No joke necessary .” O ’ Brien , a retired technical recruiter , runs the Providence Laughter Club and is a Laughter Yoga leader , practicing and teaching laughter for laughter ’ s sake to reduce stress and boost positive brain chemistry , a concept created in the 1990s by an Indian doctor . O ’ Brien conducts free sessions , now on Sunday nights via Zoom , until he can return to doing it at places like Hope Alzheimer ’ s Center in Cranston and the Cranston Senior Center .
You were diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a young man , and later muscular dystrophy that has you in a wheelchair , so you took up meditation and found laughter therapy about ten years ago . Has it helped all that ? I ’ ve been living without meds for forty-five years , and it ’ s something I do every day , laughing . It ’ s a practice , you have to practice it . Even pretend laughing . It ’ s my experience that I can ’ t do pretend laughing long before it turns into real laughing . Laughing is really contagious .
What is a memorable moment for you in doing laughter sessions ? Well , it got to one point at the Cranston Senior Center that as soon as I walked in , the group just started laughing , and these are some people who aren ’ t necessarily going to get any jokes . But we just have a good time — and laugh a lot .
How can I make myself laugh ? Got a mirror ? HAHAHAHAHAHA ! But honestly , just laugh . As my grandfather said , “ You might as well be happy , it doesn ’ t cost you anything .” facebook . com / providencelaughterclub
PHOTOGRAPH ( THIS PAGE ) BY LIS O ’ BRIEN ; ( OPPOSITE PAGE ) COURTESY OF CARDKITS .
18 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l MARCH 2021