"After Years in High-Tech, I Found My Mission in Laughter Workshops"

"Laughter is good for health" - If I once knew this phrase as just a cliché, I discovered this week that it is astonishingly accurate. This revelation came when I participated in one of Tzipi Dagan's laughter workshops. The workshop took place in the heart of Bnei Brak, and to my surprise, I encountered women from all walks of life: ultra-Orthodox, religious, traditional, and even secular. From teenagers to those over seventy plus plus.

Tzipi explained to us at the start of the workshop that many studies have already been written on the benefits of laughter for both short-term and long-term health: it helps relieve pain, boosts joy, and even strengthens our immunity against various illnesses. Laughter raises endorphin levels - chemicals that lead to good feelings and strengthens our immune system by reducing body stress and tension, thereby improving blood pressure.

It is also proven that laughter improves memory, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Studies on laughter's impact in groups show it enhances sociability, builds group identity, and fosters cohesion within a group.

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Laughing and Drawing Closer to Hashem

"Let me explain where the method of laughter healing began," Tzipi captivated us, "In 1995, an Indian doctor named Madan Kataria published an article titled 'Laughter is the Best Medicine'. During his literature review, Kataria discovered numerous studies examining the positive effects of laughter on the body and mind. Based on this idea, he devised the concept of laughter clubs, where participants would try to make each other laugh. Through his experiences with these laughter clubs, Kataria discovered something amazing: the body cannot distinguish between genuine laughter and forced laughter.

"Dr. Kataria relied on Dr. Patch Adams, who founded medical clowning twenty years earlier, and research suggesting that children laugh between three hundred to four hundred times a day, compared to adults who laugh between ten to fifteen times a day. Together with his wife, Madhuri, a certified yoga teacher, he invented group exercises designed to stimulate the laughter reflex, as when someone starts laughing, it tends to spread to those around. Alongside the exercises, they incorporated breathing and meditation from yoga.

"In 1998," continued Tzipi, "the 'Laughter Yoga' method arrived in the USA, and further to other places in the Western world, gaining acclaim. The method reached Israel in 2004, and since then, numerous laughter clubs have spread across the country".

Tzipi herself took the method a step further. As an observant woman, she realized that everything comes from Hashem, and the scriptures include many examples showing that laughter is good and beneficial to health. With the help of Yehuda, her husband, they began investigating sources in Judaism that teach about laughter. Together, they adapted laughter yoga to align with the spirit of Judaism, and thus Dagan developed "Imuzitschak": integrated training with laughter. As a dance teacher, Tzipi combines dance, breathing, and meditation with the laughter, along with imparting values, gratitude, love for the Creator, and strengthening faith in serving Hashem with joy.

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Laughing Seriously

Tzipi Dagan (60) is a mother of six children and many grandchildren. She resides with her husband Yehuda in the settlement of Shave Shomron. Her son, Yossi Dagan, is the head of the Samaria regional council. For years, she worked in high-tech and was completely distant from the topic of laughter.

So how did you get into Laughter Yoga?

"At age 40, after years of working in high-tech, I decided to make a change and started studying psychology. I studied with young people the age of my daughter and enjoyed it immensely. I discovered a new and vast world. After my studies, I found work at a large company. One of my roles in the company was to build empowerment groups. It was a project by the Ministry of Welfare. The groups would come to a hotel for several days, each with a common denominator - parents of children with special needs, single mothers, widows, terror victims. I would run workshops for them, always thinking about how I could add more value. At that time, I came across an article in the newspaper about Dr. Madan Kataria, and I realized it could enrich the workshops".

About sixteen years ago, Dr. Madan Kataria came to Israel, and Tzipi decided to attend a demonstration he held in Jerusalem. She says she was somewhat skeptical, because what could he teach the cynical Israelis?

"He said: 'In a few minutes, people here will be rolling with laughter'. We didn't believe him. There were about one hundred fifty of us there, religious and secular, and after a few minutes, we were all bent over in laughter. Dr. Kataria then conducted a facilitator training course, and I decided to participate in it. It truly changed my life for the better. I began leading my first workshop at Ezer Mizion in Jerusalem, and it continued from there".

Does simply starting to laugh help?

"Dr. Kataria started from the assumption that the body doesn't differentiate between genuine and intentional laughter, so even if laughter initially seems artificial and a bit silly, it activates the body, and very quickly, the artificial laughter becomes genuine and contagious to others. Anyone can laugh at any age. It's like returning to childhood, as it's known that children sometimes laugh even without a reason".

Tzipi emphasizes that laughter is a natural reflex we are born with. "We all eagerly await the first smile from a baby, and it happens quickly with everyone clapping excitedly. But throughout life, the environment suppresses this natural reflex. Whether it's a teacher in school who 'doesn't understand what's so funny for the students', or when someone laughs suddenly without a special reason, and everyone looks at them in amazement.

"According to Dr. William Fry, a psychiatrist and laughter researcher from Stanford University, numerous physiological changes occur in our body during laughter. It impacts the cardiovascular system, immune system, muscles, skeleton, and even the central nervous system, helping to improve the heart and lung functions. Another advantage is the flexibility of blood vessels, contributing to significant blood pressure balance. Medical research has revealed that laughter can significantly lower blood pressure. The respiratory system benefits as well. Most of us suffer from some level of stress, leading us to breathe shallowly, from the neck up.

"In simple terms: when laughing, everything becomes possible. Laughing about challenges and with them," concludes Tzipi, pointing out that her entire family experiences laughter and joy. During stressful times, like Fridays or holiday eves, when stress can cause tension and arguments, one family member starts laughing, captivating the others, and the atmosphere changes for the better. Her daughter, a teacher, applies the method in her classroom, dedicating ten minutes daily to laughter yoga, which she says works wonders throughout the day.

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At Tzipi's workshops, laughter is strongly connected to joy and serving Hashem. The session begins by stating that laughter is a gift from Hashem, accompanied by Chassidic songs expressing gratitude for all the goodness.

Tzipi adds: "I am very connected to Rebbetzin Yemima Mizrachi, who once quoted the holy Alsheikh: 'A woman who cries like she laughs and laughs like she cries will see salvation, for crying, laughter, and prayer can change fortune.' I find this a wonderful statement. I understood how important it is to incorporate laughter yoga into the mothers' prayer journeys for matches. I accompany women on prayer journeys, where we pray and ask with the internal joy we create together on this journey through joy and laughter before the prayers, to reach prayers with a joyful open heart and connection. Before the journey, the mothers write down their children's names for matchmaking. On the trip, we sing and laugh with an accordion, preparing our hearts and souls for prayer. After laughing, your heart is open, you're more connected to yourself and your emotions, and your prayer comes from joy. A laughing mother is not a pressuring mother. Singles already feel the societal pressure without being told. Our principle is that even those who have already seen salvation join the group again, to give thanks, make l'chaim, and bless their friends for success soon. Singles also join us, and we make them a canopy of joy. They dance under the canopy, and all the women around them dance with joy, as a sign for good news, with Hashem's help".

"The great benefit is when we practice laughter, we are completely freed from the obsessive and relentless preoccupation of 'how do I look and what do others think of me'," adds Tzipi. "Moreover, laughter activities are suitable for people with limited mobility, and also for those who are bedridden or in wheelchairs. Another benefit is that laughter relaxes the facial muscles and strengthens the smile muscles, which of course contributes to a younger appearance. This infectious quality of laughter stays with us throughout our lives. I feel I've found my mission, teaching people to laugh. I thank Hashem for it".

Finally, what are your recommendations for readers?

"Find time to laugh every day, the most important is to laugh with yourself and your family. The medical recommendation is to laugh for 20 minutes a day. Try to think about how many minutes you laugh during the day. From the ages of six-seven, laughter began to decline. Try to bring it back into your life and your family’s lives. You can use the 'laughter gun' exercise, making a gun shape with your hands and start shooting laughter bullets at the surroundings... and that will already bring everyone to laughter and joy. And of course, breathe deeply and thank Hashem who loves everyone. And when leaving the house, don't forget the important item: a smile".