News Lifestyle Want to keep stress at bay? Join a laughter club

Want to keep stress at bay? Join a laughter club

New Delhi: As dawn breaks, a group of men and women standing in a circle in a neighbouring park twirl their arms in the air, waddle like penguins and start laughing. They are part of



Thirty-eight-year old Satish Chawla, a businessman, said, "The session makes me feel better. I feel healthy and it's more than just laughing: You bring your good energy to whatever you do in life. The simple and playful exercises - waddling like a penguin, roaring like a lion and hooting like an owl - pump up your energy levels and elevate your mood."

Psychologists say that when one laughs, the body responds by releasing feel good neuro-chemicals into the brain.

"The brain is divided into two sets of nerves - the sympathetic system and the
para-sympathetic system. Each of these nervous systems releases chemicals that affect mood, behaviour and body," Nikhil Raheja, psychiatrist, National Institute of Psychiatry told IANS.