Laughter on command, really? For Melanin Bee, a comedian and speaker in Los Angeles, the answer is yes. By arching her back like a cat stretching and letting out a burst of forced laughter, she eventually triggers genuine, uncontrollable laughter. Her method, which she calls "Laughasté," is inspired by laughter clubs that emerged in India in the 1990s: you start by pretending, and the body follows. "You have to accept being a little clumsy," she explains. "That's where the silliness releases involuntary laughter."
Behind the playful aspect, science makes its presence felt. The cardiologist Michael millerA professor at the University of Pennsylvania compares laughter to exercise. "Just as we recommend exercising three to five days a week, I would say: laugh heartily two to five days a week." According to him, a good laugh improves cardiovascular health, boosts immunity, and acts as a natural pain reliever.
Research on laughter, called gelotology, became structured in the 1960s. At Stanford, the psychologist William F. Fry He conducted some surprising experiments: by watching Laurel and Hardy, he observed an increase in blood cells that support immunity. Later, in Mumbai, the doctor Madan Kataria popularized laughter yoga after discovering that breathing exercises and deliberately absurd sounds were enough to trigger collective hilarity.
The physiological effects are now better understood. Laughter releases endorphins, promotes the production of nitric oxide—which dilates blood vessels—and helps lower blood pressure, inflammation, and cholesterol. It also reduces cortisol, the stress hormone. For Jenny RosendhalAccording to a medical psychology researcher at the University of Jena, simulated laughter can even be more effective than spontaneous laughter. In a meta-analysis of 45 studies, she observed benefits on blood sugar levels, chronic pain, mobility, and mood, particularly in older adults. "Well-being comes through the back door," she summarizes: exercise starts, and genuine laughter follows.
How can we laugh more every day? Those who practice it recommend simple techniques: look into each other's eyes and repeat "ha" for a minute, inhale deeply and then burst out laughing on the exhale, or transform an annoyance—even a bill—into an excuse for hilarity. The idea isn't to force it, but to activate the "laughter muscles" until you rediscover a childlike laugh, free and unconditional.
