By Laurie Whittier
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Anyone passing by the Wind Crest classroom on April 15 may have thought this group had lost their minds. Thirty-five adults walked in a circle plucking pretend flowers or screaming “Ha!” at one another. But in reality, they were learning how to enhance their lives through laughter.

This laughter seminar, aptly played out on Tax Day, was the final presentation in Wind Crest’s spring Center for Continuous Learning series. Like all Center for Continuous Learning seminars, this one was free and open to the public.

Unlike what people might find at a comedy club, this experience wasn’t about jokes. It was about learning how to make laughter a bigger part of life. Through a combination of education and mindfulness exercises, two Aurora Mental Health professionals showed grown men and women how to take full advantage of the benefits of laughter.

Laugh—it’s good for you
Among its many benefits, laughter disengages stress, reduces pain, and releases endorphins, says Judy Nosler, a registered nurse at Aurora Mental Health. And those who embrace it stand to benefit in ways they never imagined. From immune function to breathing to digestion and even sleep, laughter can enhance our health and emotional well being. “It even boosts healing,” she says.

“Stanford University reports that three minutes of good, hearty belly laughing is equal to ten minutes on a rowing machine. This isn’t psychobabble—it’s science,” says Nosler.

Both Nosler and Gail Birks—a medical assistant who works with Nosler—became Certified Laugh Leaders through the World Laughter Tour several years ago. They’ve been performing these workshops on the side ever since.

Beyond laughter exercises, they gave participants tips they can use to make humor a part of everyday life—advice that resonated with Wind Crest residents Charlie and Joann Holdinsky.