Laughter the key in the Phillipines

MANILA: Residents in an elderly home in Manila have been laughing in an unusual therapy session. Seniors have been practicing laughter yoga, a form of exercise that aims to help them awaken their senses and punctuate their long bouts of solitude. Guidance counselor Paolo Trinidad says laughing out woes will promote a healthier mindset, and he has embarked on a mission to spread the laughter and the good vibes. Laughter yoga involves self-triggered laughter that is not necessarily initiated by humour. The exercise routines combine yoga breathing techniques and laughter simulation with stretching, chanting and role playing. 'That's the gist of laughter yoga. We will be laughing without any reason, no jokes. We will be laughing because we want to be healthy. We have to have a good mind, good mindset,' laughter yoga professor Paolo Trinidad said. He has just completed training in Bangalore with Madan Kataria, who popularised laughter yoga or 'hasyayoga'. Kataria's routines led to the formation of Laughter Clubs in 60 countries, following his precept that mood can be changed at will. Trinidad left India convinced of hasyayoga's therapeutic potential and has since promoted the philosophy in the Philippines. Advocates of laughter yoga say it can uplift one's mood, increase energy levels, improve memory, tone the body and strengthen the immune system. 'Actually, faking and real laughter - there's no difference when it comes to the effect. The psychological effects to the brain, to the behaviour, and the physiological. They are all the same. So it's so good to fake it till you make it,' Trinidad said. Trinidad emphasised however that laughter yoga is not a cure-all, and laughing is not meant to bury problems but rather help the individual rise above them. 'Through laughter yoga, you will automatically become positive. So you will see the problem in a different light. You will see what the purpose is. I really recommend that people try this because it's a very very rich experience, and it's very spiritual,' Trinidad said. Trinidad conducts laughter yoga sessions in other institutions, including an abused children's shelter, a cancer ward, schools and corporate offices.