The Sandspur

Issue date: 3/19/10 Section: Opinions

I had a stressful week.

Between two midterms, three papers, and countless pages to read, the thought of even cracking a smile was far from my mind.

But the hectic week before Spring Break was over and I found myself walking towards a group of people sitting Indian-style on Mills lawn. It was Thursday afternoon and the Laughing Club was about to start.

When I first heard about the Laughing Club, I had the same reaction most Rollins students have when they read the E-mails its founder, Christian Kebbel, sends out about upcoming meetings: Why would anyone want to just sit around and laugh for 15 minutes?

Believe it or not, people have been doing it for centuries. Common to several parts of India, laughing bars date back to ancient China. The idea is simple. A person stands in front of a group and begins to laugh. The laughter becomes contagious and soon everyone begins to laugh along with them.

Research has shown that laughter has a profound effect on our health. From relieving stress, boosting the immune system, and even burning off some calories, a few chuckles can really go a long way.

So there I was, sitting Indian style on Mills lawn in a small circle made up of three other people. We began by sitting upright and, to the count of Christian's snapping fingers, did breathing exercises that consisted of quick and sharp exhalations of breaths to warm up for our laughing session. After our lungs were ready and our minds were clear, we all stood up. The laughing was about to begin.

I have to admit, I felt nervous. What if I just couldn't laugh? What if I ended up just standing there silent while everyone else around me was cracking up? All of these thoughts began to spin around my already worn out mind. And then it began.

Christian started it. He gave out a loud laugh, hands on his stomach, body bending far back and face pointing to the sky. Immediately, the two other people there followed suite, giving their own renditions of the laugh that started it all. Before I could even realize I was doing it, laughter was pouring out of me. It just came naturally.

Christian pointed at the person across from him, indicating that it was his turn to lead the laughter. He did just that. Giving out a loud belly laugh, he set off another chain reaction amongst us. Contagious was an understatement.

And then suddenly I was pointed at; it was my turn to step up and set the tone for the round of laughter. From somewhere deep within me erupted laughter. Inhibitions gone, my body shook as the laughter took over. It contaminated everyone around me until we were left breathless.

It was over, and I was left feeling light-headed and a bit sore, like I had just worked out. I looked around me and saw the same giddy expressions on everyone's faces. We spent the next couple of minutes laying on the grass and absorbing the sun's warm rays. Christian mentioned how he had needed a good laugh that week because of the stress from finals and I suddenly realized that I too had had a long week. But at that moment, a calm feeling flooded me and all I could think about was the week vacation ahead of me.

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