Laughter Yoga and Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s Disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that often impairs the sufferer’s motor skills and speech, as well as other functions.
In recent years researches have shown that physical changes in the body can be accompanies by mental changes as well.
Practicing Laughter Yoga regularly boosts the immune system and delays the aging process.
Medical illnesses such as stroke, a heart attack, cancer, Parkinson’s Disease, and hormonal disorders can cause depressive illnesses, making the sick person apathetic and unwilling to care for his or her physical needs, thus prolonging the recovery period.
Imagine, a treatment for a variety of ailments, available without a prescription, whose only side effects are chuckles or giggles…
The idea that laughter can be good medicine is not a new one!
The ancient Greeks used to build hospitals next to amphitheatres for their patients. The field, called psychoneuroimmunology, studies interactions between the brain and the body’s disease-fighting immune system, and is finally gaining some respeck among scientists.
Laughing is found to lower blood pressure, reduce stress hormones, increase muscle flexion, and boost immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting proteins called Gamma-interferon and B-cells, which produce disease-destroying antibodies.
- Laughter increases disease-fighting cells and infection-fighting proteins in the saliva.
- Laughing improves your energy level and a reflex that produces moisture even gives you ‘bright and sparkling’ eyes.
- Laughter releases endorphins to reduce pain and elevates the oxygen level by deep breathing.
If depression, anxiety and social isolation can delay a person’s recovery from various dis-eases and ailments, then laughter and a positive attitude should play a part in relieving stress and improving the outcome for people with heart disease and other did-eases.
Laughing 100 times a day was found to increase your heart rate with same effect as a 10-minute workout on a rowing maching.
Which would you rather do?
- Accentuate the Positive
- Eliminate the Negative
While many advances are being made in the treatment, and hopefully toward the cure, of Parkinson’s Disease, remember that your attitude can be just as important as your medication.
For further details and information about our Laughter programmes and laughter training please contact us.
The Cost of WeightinessA study shows that men are 1½ times more likely to develop Parkinson’s Disease than women. A possible reason is that oestrogen protects women’s brains from neurological damage. Around 120,000 people in the UK are estimated to have Parkinson’s Disease. |
Laugh for No Reason10,000 people in the UK are being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease every year. Most of us laugh at jokes, sitcoms, and funny movies but to get the full benefits of laughter try laughing for no reason and get it fully into your body with Laughter Yoga! |