ART THERAPY  |  PSYCHOTHERAPY  |  MUSIC THERAPY  |  DRAMA THERAPY  |  LAUGH THERAPY  |  COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY  |  DANCE/MOVEMENT THERAPY  |  JUNGIAN ANALYSIS

Laugh therapy

"The Joy of Improv" at Peoples Improv Theater

We know what you’re thinking: Ha! But seriously, laughter has been found to have major benefits for the human body and mind, including strengthening the immune system and, well, raising one’s spirits, which is important: “Laughter releases endorphins, which elevates the mood,” says Mandan Kataria, M.D., who founded the first laughter club in Mumbai in 1995 (now, he says, there are more than 6,000 such clubs around the world) and swears by chortling as an antidepressant. “If your mood is good, you have positive thoughts,” he adds, “which greatly enhances your quality of life.”

Through yogic exercises and breathing techniques, you can induce belly laughs even if you’re not amused by anything (the body can’t tell the difference between real and forced laughter, so you can essentially fake it till you make it). These deep chuckles greatly increase oxygen flow—which is especially good for mental function, as the brain needs 25 percent more O2 than other organs do to be at its best. “Children laugh 300 or 400 times a day, while adults laugh only 15 times daily,” says Dr. Kataria. “We adults evaluate what’s funny, but children’s laughter comes from the body, not the mind. This is the technique we use in laughter club.”

Where to find it: You know where best to get your jollies, but for a hearty 30-minute session of belly laughter (which Dr. Kataria says is far more beneficial than any kind of superficial giggling you might do at the Comedy Cellar), try the free weekly hooting fest at Yogalaff (1430 Broadway at 40th St, No. 1107; yogalaff.com. Wednesdays 8pm).