BOMBAY-ADDA
BREATHE IT ALL IN, LAUGH IT ALL OUT!
Laughter is the best medicine'. I personally would've never believed it if it hadn't been for that hour-long session on laughter therapy with Mr. Kishore Kuvavala. A morning walk along Girgaum Chowpatty and you won't leave without noticing Mr. Kuvavala along with his group rejuvenating beneath the subtle glaze of the early sun.Kuvavala's students include not only the elderly, but also youngsters, corporates, sportspersons and kids. My 15-year old notion that laughter clubs are only for older individuals, today stands shattered. But the question that arises is, 'isn't sports therapy in itself? How then would a sportsperson benefit out of laughter therapy?Ironically, laughter therapy could mean serious business for sportspersons. A sportsperson is bound to face two kinds of hurdles during the course of his sports career - Physical and mental. Mr. Kuvavala who himself has been a sports coach for 15 years of his life says, 'although sports works as a huge stress buster, it's almost impossible that it could entirely serve the purpose.
While laughter cannot heal a broken bone or a sprained ankle, it sure can benefit a sportsperson in more ways than you think.1. Reduces stress: stress hormones, as one can imagine, are not good for the body. Short term effects include increased blood pressure, headaches and body aches. In the long run, they could wear away at one's immune system, leaving the body more prone to illness. A sportsperson may face stress during a career slump or because of the weight of expectations on him.Laughter therapy reverses these effects by decreasing the level of stress hormones, thereby physically and mentally helping the body and creating a stronger immune system. 2. Reduces pain: studies have shown that laughter makes a person more relaxed. this is because the body releases particular endorphins during the process of laughter that enduce a general state of well being and calm, reducing the effect of pain. An athlete cannot laugh off an injury but it may help speed up the process of recovery. 3. Lowers blood pressure: Although the numbers are small, cases of heart attacks among young sportspersons ( below 35), are on the rise. Laughter therapy could prevent this from happening. When one experiences a genuine belly laugh, many muscles constrict briefly. Afterwards the muscles relax, enducing relaxation in the whole system. This process reduces blood pressure and regular laughter therapy could prevent an untimely heart attack. The process also helps one get more relaxed sleep.One would pay a lot of money for these health benefits; luckily they're all free. Without having to shell out any money, sportspersons can improve their lives and careers by regularly taking themselves lightly. Maybe we should all try it once in a while?
-Riviera Vaz