According to the World Health Organisation, 15 million people suffer from stroke worldwide, 5 million of which die from stroke and another 5 million become permanently disabled. High blood pressure contributes to over 12.7 million strokes worldwide.With limited resources and financial constraints, stroke survivors in South Africa are facing many challenges which is impacting negatively on their biopsychosocial functioning.
"Professionals are skeptical about accepting laughter as a healing tool." said Dr. Gita Suraj-Narayan, University of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa.Reduction in intensity of pain,recovery from cognitive deficits,strengthening of the immune system,cardiac exercise,enhanced mobility are some of the benefits of Laughter Yoga.The aim is to explore the biopsychosocial impacts of laughter yoga on stroke survivors in South Africa.
Since laughter yoga reduces blood pressure which is one of the major causes of stroke , it can reduce the incidence of stroke-“
L .Yoga should integrated into stress-managemnt programmes to reduce caregiver burden and compassion fatigue/ stress and burnout for health care professionals caring for stroke survivors.
More over, Laughter Yoga should be integrated into a holoistic model of health care aimed at reversing the adverse effects of stroke by accelerating the brain’s ability to develop new neural pathways.
Professionals are skeptical about accepting laughter as a healing tool. Laughter, a birthright of all human beings, is actually misunderstood and undervalued as a healing, cathartic process. “Like any expression of the true self, laughter is radical and revolutionary, and it upsets conformity.”
from western models that lead to therapeutic constraints, regain their own laughter, and learn the techniques to facilitate laughter in their patients/clients.
With increasing comfort with the laughter catharsis, health care practitioners and patients can enjoy healing therapy sessions together. This contributes incidentally to the prevention of burnout and stress for the practitioners. Laughter in therapy is not a paradox. The two belong together in the quest for healing and is most appropriate for the
African-Asian context given the nature of traumas, stressors, grief and problems experienced. It is the wisdom of nature that equipped human beings with the capacity to laugh as a buffer against pain and sorrow. If doctors, nurses, and related health care professionals are taking care of the patients-then who is taking care of them.
It is highly recommended that health care professionals should train as laughter professionals or practise laughter yoga enhancing the biopsychosocial functioning of both patient and health care professionals.
The researchers are currently offering a research masters/doctoral programme on Laughter Yoga and Therapy at the University of Kwazulu-Natal. "Laughter Yoga integrating into Psychotherapy and Psychiatry", the researcher and laughter yoga teacher Ms.Sheroma Suraj-Narayan added.
Health care practitioners and patients can enjoy healing therapy sessions together in the evening at Intercontinental hotel in Dubai Festival City on 22.04.2011.Dr. Gita Suraj-Narayan is accompanied by Sheroma Suraj-Narayan and Bhupendra Suraj-Narayan,The Technical Director.
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According to the World Health Organisation, 15 million people suffer from stroke worldwide, 5 million of which die from stroke and another 5 million become permanently disabled. High blood pressure contributes to over 12.7 million strokes worldwide.With limited resources and financial constraints, stroke survivors in South Africa are facing many challenges which is impacting negatively on their biopsychosocial functioning.
