VILLA MARIA, PA. Speaker spreads the gospel of laughter

Laughter is good for the body and the soul.
By LINDA M. LINONIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
VILLA MARIA, Pa. -- Some people may laugh out loud when they hear that Mary Mullen is a "certified laughter leader."
She likes that, because she knows laughter is beneficial to the mind, body and spirit.
Mullen is intent on sharing information on the science of laughter and its therapeutic value.
The leader of the Bethel Park Library Laughter Club, Bethel, Pa., did just that when she spoke to about 45 people during a recent program, "Laughter Heals," at Villa Maria Community Center, home of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary.
Mullen told the story of how she became a laughter leader. A patron suggested that the library would be a great place for a laughter club, and the library director thought it was a good idea.
"Funny ... it didn't click or resonate with me at first," Mullen said. "I did research on it."
Last August, she attended a training session of the World Laughter Tour Inc. in Columbus.
"It was a leap of faith," she said. "And I was told ... leap and the net will appear."
Spreading the word
The laughter club has become a success story at the library, and it's one that Mullen wants to spread. She told participants at the Villa Maria event to think about starting a laughter club.
She proceeded to go through the paces of a laughter club meeting. "We follow a six-step Good-Hearted Living program. ... That's half as much as a 12-step program," she said.
"It brightens the spirit," Mullen said of participation, and everyone can use a dose of that. "The goal is to prevent hardening of the arteries because of hardening of the attitude. This helps balance the mind, body and spirit.
"We don't tell jokes in laughter club but you have to have a sense of humor," Mullen said. "I can't tell a joke to save my life.
"Simulating laughter stimulates genuine laughter. The body doesn't know the difference," Mullen said. That's the reason for laughter club -- to focus on the positive elements of laughter.
"It has head-to-toe benefits. If you laugh 15 minutes a day, you'll be 4 pounds lighter by next year," Mullen told her audience.
"There have been studies done, and a sense of humor is what attracts men and women," Mullen said. "Men like women who laugh at their jokes. They appreciate this. Women like men who make them laugh.
Restoring joy
"Children laugh some 300 to 400 times a day, and they laugh wholeheartedly," she said, "while adults may laugh 10 to 15 times a day. As we age, we get more serious, and we forget how to laugh. But it's good to be playful, spontaneous and joyful."
But adults may need some laugh exercises to take them back to that spontaneity. "Adults have the YALE syndrome ... you aren't laughing enough," Mullen said.
To warm up to laugh, Mullen took the group through some exercises to loosen up. She instructed participants to put a hand on his or her chest and the other on the stomach and really feel the breathing motion. "Take a deep breath in and hold it, and then exhale through the mouth and end with a 'ha,'" Mullen said.
Another exercise involved grasping the opposite elbow and reaching up and making a "picture frame" around one's face. "Make eye contact with one another," she urged.
Mullen also distributed plastic straws and had participants hold them between their teeth but without touching their lips. "Warm up those smile muscles ... those are laugh lines ... not wrinkles," she said. "You may look silly ... but that's the point."
Mullen concluded with the thought that laughter is not political, religious, exploitative or perfect. But it's valuable for everyone. "It relieves stress," she said.