访谈录 Interview 2007-04-21&23, 笑一笑，十年少

Hm-hmm
Alex Eingorn is a certified 1 laughter yoga instructor 2. Good morning to you! Alex
Good morning, Meredith.

I know there are probably some people on the audience laughing in disbelief at all of this, but the research is in that laughter really makes a difference physiologically 3.

Well, indeed. There are a lot of studies that actually do show all the health benefits of laughter cardiovascularly, neurologically, Er, when it comes to controlling work pressure, the depression, is a very major.

How does it work though, why does it have that effect on the body?

While laughter is a very aerobic 4 activity, engages every single organ system, you breathe in and out, in and out like there is a panorama 5 in the yoga, when you breathe in and out therapeutically 6. So it's very much like laughter, you get a lot of air in, it constricts 7 the diaphragm and exercises the muscles and when you are done, the muscles do relax.

And how is that impact on something like your immune system?

There are studies that do show that laughter increases the production of killer 8 T-cells for example, increases the production of endorphins which in turn turning the immune response on.

As you just said, the picture of some of your students in the yoga class. When people come in first time, are there a little bit doubtfully or cynical 9 about whether this is gonna work?

Some are, but generally when people wind up in our, in our yoga class or left yoga class, they are ready, they are looking for something to help them get better.

And they keep coming back time and time again?

Usually they'll come for a few times and they’ll disappear and they’ll come again, but we have regulars that have been coming for years.

I know some of the older people who use it as cardiovascular exercise. How effective is it for something like that?

It's very effective. Er, University of Stanford did the study which actually showed that one minute of laughter is equivalent to about 6 to10 minutes on the treadmill 10.

Really?

Indeed.

But . .that gentleman, that if you’re gonna go laughing and then take a nap, it can be exhausted 11.

It can be.

And also, you know in the piece that we just saw. It can be fake laugh. But you can fake it and still have positive results?

Indeed, it's been found that physiologically the body does not recognize the difference between simulated laughter and spontaneous laughter. Even when you smile, or pretend to smile, you still start producing endorphins.

So I know you're not a doctor, you're a yoga instructor. But what take-away value is there and all of this for people at home?

I'm actually a doctor. So I do this with patients.

And not a medical doctor.

Right.

But what people take away is a tool. And a tool that allows them to use the gift that we all have naturally, is the gift of laughter.

Start laughing.

They fake, I knew it.

Eingorn, thank you very much.