If you would like to get out some giggles, Derry City and Strabane District Council will be hosting a free online laughter therapy workshop next week.
The Zoom session, which is aimed at people aged 50 and over, will take place on Monday 14th March at 2.30pm and is part of a series of workshops taking place during March covering a wide range of topics, co-ordinated by Council and supported by the Public Health Agency.
During the Laughter Therapy workshop, the laughter therapist will start with a warm-up followed by a range of activities designed to get you giggling.
Participants will learn more about how laughter doesn’t come easily to everyone, but luckily the body can’t actually distinguish between real and fake laughter – so faking it has the same beneficial effect!
Attendees at the session will hear about the science behind laughter and how it not only provides a full-scale workout for your muscles, but it also unleashes a rush of stress-busting endorphins.
They will learn that laughter therapy is suitable for everyone and is used as a means of relieving stress. One session may leave you feeling elated and exhausted in equal measure.
Muscle tone and cardiovascular functions may be improved, and oxygen levels in the blood may be boosted.
In the long term, laughter therapy teaches us that we don’t just have to laugh when we are happy.
Laughing in the face of anger, stress or anxiety – even if it’s forced laughter – can actually lift your mood.
Ciara Burke, Council’s Age Friendly Co-ordinator, said: “Laughter helps to provide human connection and emotional bonding which can have many benefits and is one of the most powerful tools against depression and loneliness, as well as helping with pain, anxiety, and insomnia, and helping maintain overall well-being.”
The Zoom workshop is free to attend but places are limited, therefore, to register please contact the Age Friendly Co-ordinator on 02871 253 253 or email [email protected]
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