Laughter Yoga as a Social Work Intervention

Abstract

Using simulated laughter, clients follow laughing patterns without using memory recalls or associating with any thinking or feeling. This practice update describes laughter yoga as a social work intervention. It demonstrates the functions, principles, and procedures of laughter yoga to help clients alleviate stress and at the same time enable social workers to practice with the clients as a self-care exercise during an emotionally intensive session. A composite case is used to demonstrate how the social worker used laughter yoga as an exercise with Mrs. X, a patient with cancer. The outcomes, in this case, are used to show the method and its procedures rather than evaluating efficacy. It suggests that social workers may benefit from utilizing laughter yoga as an intervention. Future research should address its effectiveness by measuring beta-endorphin increases for relaxation and improvement in social bonding.