I am a sexologist and also a certified Laughter Yoga Leader.

Laughter Yoga is a technique that successfully combines yogic breathing (or Pranayama) with unconditional laughter.

Laughter Yoga is the brainchild of Dr. Madan Kataria, a Physician from Mumbai, India. Laughter Yoga launched its first Laughter Club at a Park on March 13, 1995, with merely a handful of persons.

Today, it has become a worldwide phenomenon with more than 6,000 Social Laughter Clubs in about 60 countries.

This list of sex-laughter similarities is enough to convince us that laughter is more than just a good joke:

1. Laughter and sex both alleviate stress and anxiety—We sometimes tend to take sex too seriously and think about too many “what ifs.” A good laugh will change our mood and help us calm our mind and body in the presence of our better half.

2. Both laughter and sex stimulate the immune system— It is a known fact that laughter club members rarely catch a flu or a cold. The explanation is that laughing, just like sex, activates the so-called killer-cells that reside in our immune system.

Sex creates exactly the same effect. Moderate sexual activity results in stronger immune system. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania found that those who have sex one to two times a week have 30% higher levels of antibodies called immunoglobulin A than those who have sex less often.

3. Laughter and sex help us feel pleasure faster—All it takes to be the master of laughter and sex is practice. Just like sex, laughter builds more neuropathways in our brain and body and this will help us feel pleasure and sensation more often and without effort.

4. Laughter and sex can alter our mood in a positive way—We don’t need to get in the mood in order to have a good laugh. It can happen anywhere, we just have to embrace the laughter unconditionally. Sex works in the same way—well, we cannot have sex in the bus, but we can get over that headache after a long day at the office and have some fun with our better half in the bedroom.

5. Laughter and sex have the same stages, especially in women—During sex and laughter, the skin is more sensitive. The relaxation we feel after we have sex resembles with the one we feel after laughing. The breathing is normal, while the temperature of our body drops.

6. Laughter and sex keep us in shape—We lose weight doing Laughter Yoga, and also when having sex. Research conducted by Vanderbilt University Medical Center revealed that laughing for 10 to 15 minutes burns between 10 and 40 calories. According to a statistic attributed to HealthStatus.com, a 150 pound person who has sex for 15 minutes will burn approximately 72 calories.

7. Laughter and sex aid in hormonal balance—Whether we are laughing or having sex, biochemical reactions occur which lower the levels of stress-causing hormones like cortisone and adrenaline. Both activities also cause a surge of endorphins, which gets us high and strengthens our immune system.

Indeed, sex and laughter are two activities that can work together to improve the health of our relationships.

Laughter is a great bridge to keeping boredom at bay,and strengthening relationships. Go ahead and look up joining a Laughter Yoga session in your city today.

Or we may wish to give ourselves permission to laugh during sex—as long as we are not mocking our partners.

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Author: Martha Lee

Editor: Ashleigh Hitchcock

Photo: flickr, flickr