Soul food: Laughing one’s way to better health, mental wellness in Cebu

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Thinking it was a normal class, Meley Tabonares eagerly signed up for a laughter yoga session on Saturday, March 9, only to discover that it was not what she was expecting.

Rather than being disappointed, Tabonares found the experience to be unexpectedly fulfilling.

“I was thinking it was yoga, but it’s laughter…. Yoga and laughter combined together makes sense in our lives because my son is a standup comedian in Manila…. I am still very happy to be here and to realize that our minds need cleansing,” she said.

Tabonares was one of the over 30 individuals who experienced laughter’s healing power at a free health and laughter yoga session held at the Cebu City Public Library on March 9.

The laughter yoga session facilitated by Father Loreto Jaque, a priest and member of the Laughter Yoga International and the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor, drew participants from in and out of Cebu.

The session aimed to reconnect individuals with their playful inner child.

“Ang problema gud nato, we have become too serious now with our lives. Nakalimot na ta og katawa. Nagtuo ta nga life is all about working and working,” he said.

(Our problem is that we have become too serious now with our lives. We have forgotten how to laugh. We believe that life is all about working and working.)

He said a study showed that adults only laughs less than 10 times a day, far less from number of times a child laughs, which is around 400 times a day.

Jaque emphasized the importance of laughing more as it entails health benefits by providing extra oxygen to the brain, promoting relaxation and facilitating the release of neurochemicals, such as dopamine and oxytocin.

Participants, ranging from senior citizens to youth, were selected based on the registration received by the Cebu City Public Library, in partnership with the Cebu City government.

Jaque said the participants included individuals grieving the loss of loved ones, as well as those feeling a sense of emptiness and searching for the meaning of life.

Teresa Secuia flew to Cebu from Makati on Saturday morning to join the laughter yoga session. She said the experience was a stress reliever

“It’s something for the soul. I work from 9 am to 6 pm and every day is work and this is a break,” shared Secuia, who said she is a follower of Jaque.

Laughter yoga began in India around 1995.

According to Jaque, laughter yoga is not about comedy. Participants don’t laugh in response to jokes or humor. Instead, it’s an aerobic exercise that allows people to laugh freely, without any specific reason or inhibitions.

Jaque said before engaging in the laughter exercise, participants, many of whom were strangers, took part in a dancing activity aimed at breaking down awkwardness to ease them into the main activity.

“After six to seven dance movements, we became closer, and that’s when we started laughter yoga. I simply guided them through some basic laughing exercises, and because of mirror neurons, laughter became contagious. Every time someone laughed beside you, even if you didn’t feel like laughing initially, you would start laughing along,” Jaque said.

Jaque has been facilitating laughter yoga in other parts of the country, including Cavite, Tagaytay, Davao, and Bohol. 

Laughter, Jaque emphasized, cannot solve problems, or ultimately erase pain and suffering, but it can help people change their perspectives about themselves and the world.

“Life is painful, but to be happy is a choice that we have to make every day,” he added.  – Rappler.com

Wenilyn Sabalo is a community journalist currently affiliated with SunStar Cebu and is an Aries Rufo Journalism fellow of Rappler for 2023-2024.