MEET THE OLDEST LAUGHTER YOGA LEADER IN THE USA

Dr. Howard Leslie has just become a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader. What makes him unique is that at almost 93, he’s the oldest graduate of the Iowa School of Laughter Yoga and Dr. Kataria has just verified that he's also the oldest laughter yoga leader in the USA. Howard is such an inpiration that I’d like to share his story with you.

A retired podiatrist, Howard lives in Ft. Meyers, Florida. He describes himself as an optimistic, upbeat person. He’s in great health and plays tennis four mornings a week. For the past ten years, he’s been the sole caretaker for his wife, Gladys. She has Alzheimer’s disease and is now living in a nursing care faclity. Because of Gladys’ diagnosis, Howard studied up and found that the three things Alzheimer’s patients respond best to are affection, touch and approval. As a result, Howard has spent the last decade showering Gladys with these things and they’ve helped her immensely. Howard reports that she is in much better condition than many other residents who have had Alzheimer’s for a much shorter time.

The two of them, pictured here, have been married 69 years now and their love is just as strong as ever. Each day Howard and Gladys toast to their marriage and sing “You Belong to My Heart” to one another. Though she can only speak a few words, Gladys can sing this song joyfully with her loving husband.

Howard decided to learn laughter yoga so he could share it with Gladys and the other residents at her facility. He began leading these sessions even before he enrolled in my e-course. Now that he’s learned more about laughter yoga, he’s decided to start a laughter club at his condo as well.

He explains: “My reason for being enthused with being a laughter yoga leader is that I get what I give. The joy I send out will come back to me like an echo. Hopefully it will give me a longer,healthier, happier life. It's exciting to be the oldest laughter yoga leader in the country. "

Ha Ha Ha Howard, as he now refers to himself, can be reached at howard100@webtv.net. Feel free to send him a word of congratulations.

He's also been featured at the international laughter yoga website. Click here to read his article.

IOWA SCHOOL OF LAUGHTER YOGA STUDENT FEATURED ON THE INTERNATIONAL LAUGHTER YOGA SITE

Jody Ross attended my laughter yoga leader retreat last year. Ever since then, she's been laughing, loving, and spreading the joy. Her wonderful work with Dementia and Alzheimer's patients has garnered her a lot of media attention. Currently, her smiling face is on the homepage of www.laughteryoga.org. Here is the article Dr. Kataria has posted about her. Way to go, Jody!

How Laughter Yoga Changed Me And Others With Dementia & Alzheimer's

Jody-Ross

Jody Ross USA: After meeting several physicians for years trying to find an answer to my longstanding problem of a debilitating mood disorder, chronic pain & fatigue, I stumbled into a new way of being with Laughter Yoga. I laughed, breathed & clapped, and felt a joy that I could savor – for hours! I called my dear friend shouting, “Guess what? I feel great! I have to do this. Everyone should have a chance to feel this way!”

This friend had faithfully listened to me for years as I described not only my physical problems but also my emotional challenges as well. In the past year, I had lost four family members, one of whom died by homicide. I was filled with sorrow. I cried every day. He thought I sounded a bit crazy, but he was all for anything that would make me feel and sound as alive and happy as I did after my laughter session.

I attended the Iowa School of Laughter for my Laughter Yoga Leader certification. There I discovered that crying is not the only way to release sorrow. Deep belly laughs are a nice alternative. I stopped crying and noticed some important physical changes. My pain was reduced by 90%. I had more energy. What’s more, I began sleeping restfully for the first time in years.

My own journey with physical and emotional pain has been a blessing in my work doing Laughter Yoga with persons with Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia. I know what it is like to want to participate in life to the fullest, but having limitations that make it impossible. In my first session at Lakeview Ranch in Darwin, Minnesota, an innovative facility for people who have Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia, I expected some would laugh and others would simply hang out and enjoy the positive feelings. But in spite of low expectations, almost all of 15 residents or so laughed!

One of the residents had decided she would not laugh, but very quickly, the contagious laughter won her over. She has become an enthusiastic member of the group. Residents who began the class unable to clap their hands suddenly started clapping enthusiastically. They had forgotten how to raise their hands over their head, and then, suddenly, they could do it. Many residents seemed irritated. At the end of the session, they couldn’t stop smiling. I’m told their happy mood continued throughout the day. One asked, “When can we do that again?”

Not only are the residents blessed by Laughter Yoga, but also their families. Often, families feel as though their relatives are gone. They’re in body only. The daughter of a resident, who was unable to speak with an expression seemingly frozen in a scowl, connected with her father and they shared something positive for the first time in a long time.

Of course, Laughter Yoga is a marvelous boost for the staff at a dementia care facility. Their work is hard and thankless. Often, they must assist residents who do not want their help and will fight not to be helped. Laughter Yoga allows them to connect in a positive way. As one staff member said, “I usually go home and crash on the couch when I get home from work, but today I think I will go home and clean my house.” Instead of feeling drained, she felt renewed.

I am continually inspired and amazed by the incredible results I see each time I work with people with Alzheimer’s and Dementia. They don’t remember my name or what Laughter Yoga is, but as soon as we start, they pick up right where we left off. They remember the emotional connection. In fact, their enthusiasm grows with each session.

I am very thankful for my life – all of it. Everything I have experienced thus far has made my work with these people possible. I feel so blessed to have a new way to live, and a renewed sense of purpose with Laughter Yoga.

About Dementia & Alzheimer's disease

Dementia is a brain disorder of declining cognitive abilities. The likelihood of experiencing dementia increases with advancing age. Alzheimer's disease is the major cause of dementia. The main symptoms are loss of memory, confusion, intellectual decline, depression and personality, disorientation and agitation. In advanced stages the patient becomes incapable of performing even simple tasks of daily living. They become totally dependent upon others and need help round-the-clock.

Worldwide with a new case every seven seconds, the number of dementia patients is more than 24 millions worldwide. In India alone 3.2 million people suffer from dementia.

Laughter Yoga plays an important role in helping people suffering with Dementia and Alzheimer's disease. It is ideally suited for such people because they cannot comprehend humor due to lack of cognitive abilities. Therefore, when laughter in Laughter Yoga is dome in the form of an exercise, it brings about the same health benefits.

Laughter Yoga helps to increase the net supply of oxygen to the brain cells thereby improving the brain functions. Also, by releasing certain chemicals from the brain it helps to elevate the mood states and lift depression. We also incorporate physical exercises to improve bodily functions. Laughter Yoga has been very well received in senior care centers and people suffering from Dementia and Alzheimer's disease have really benefited.

Dr. Madan Kataria