{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-c03aa079.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-517835be.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='Laughter is the best medecine' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54bc7ad8eafeecae12cf30' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54bc7ad8eafeecae12cf30' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nLaughter is the best medecine\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003eGiggles, chuckles and belly laughs.The pupils in this class know laughing makes you feel good.It's certainly amongst the most unusual of the classes on offer at this school in Addis Ababa.The laughter class is the first of its kind in...\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003eGiggles, chuckles and belly laughs.\u003cbr/\u003eThe pupils in this class know laughing makes you feel good.\u003cbr/\u003eIt's certainly amongst the most unusual of the classes on offer at this school in Addis Ababa.\u003cbr/\u003eThe laughter class is the first of its kind in Ethiopia and it's founded by Belachew Girma, the 2008 title holder of the World Master of Laughter.\u003cbr/\u003eA former teacher, Girma went though many emotional upheavals before he landed up at the Laughter championships in Germany five years ago. \u003cbr/\u003eHis business was destroyed by fire and flooding and Girma tried to forget by drowning his sorrows with alcohol and consuming too much khat, a locally grown herbal stimulant. \u003cbr/\u003eGirma says promiscuity was part of his lifestyle of self abuse.\u003cbr/\u003eHe reached crisis point when he discovered he'd not only become infected by HIV, but that he had passed the disease on to his wife.\u003cbr/\u003eShe died from AIDS. \u003cbr/\u003eGirma says his life changed when he learned to laugh.\u003cbr/\u003eHe won the tournament in Germany by laughing continuously for three hours.\u003cbr/\u003eGirma says: \"When I laugh from the bottom of my heart, really my laughter becomes contagious. It touches. Now, when I look your eye contact now, something is coming up from you. The nature of laughter when it is natural, it splits, and it breaks, it evokes the others.\" \u003cbr/\u003eRather than teaching maths, or geography he decided to put his teaching and laughter skills to better use.\u003cbr/\u003eHe now runs the laughter school where students pay an equivalent of $25 (USD) for 8 weeks of laughter therapy.\u003cbr/\u003eIt attracts people from all ages and different walks of life.\u003cbr/\u003eOne pupil here is Kokeb Yemanh.\u003cbr/\u003eHe was diagnosed with cancer two years ago and comes to the laughter sessions because it gives him hope.\u003cbr/\u003eYemanh says: \"Before I was worried because cancer is a killer disease, I felt dead and hopeless, but after I came, I feel I can live again.\"\u003cbr/\u003eThe therapeutic effects of laughter have been studied for many years.\u003cbr/\u003eDoctors at the Maryland School of Medicine in the US argued it could have as beneficial an impact on the heart as statins.\u003cbr/\u003eIn Sydney doctors have been investigating whether it could be used to help the elderly dementia patients in nursing homes.\u003cbr/\u003eGP Dr. Berhane Redae believes it can be beneficial.\u003cbr/\u003eHe says: \"Laughing by itself through different mechanisms, it relaxes the blood vessels, then the oxygen flow increases, the patient starts to feel better, the tissues start to get oxygenated from the blood supply which is increased.\" \u003cbr/\u003eSince gaining he got his title, Girma has been invited to numerous international conventions to share his laughter.\u003cbr/\u003eGirma says he's laughed with patients in hospitals around the world and he's sure it's benefited them.\u003cbr/\u003eHe says: \"Being with laughter is being with love. Laughter is the best tool which can connect whole world. As you have seen in our session, people from all over the world come and laugh without any discrimination. So laughter is really sometimes, it is better than food.\" \u003cbr/\u003eJust over a year after opening the school, the world master of laughter has trained close to 200 people.\u003cbr/\u003eGirma bases his teachings on the belief that laughter has a hidden power to make any human being a better person.\u003cbr/\u003ePerhaps the quest of finding a stress-free life makes more people register at his school.\u003cbr/\u003eStudent Mahri Tesfaye says: \"After I just joined this school, I can laugh very (more) easily than before.\" \u003cbr/\u003eDr Redae approves.\u003cbr/\u003eHe says: \"Laughter therapy, as a therapy it can have many effects, both psychological, metabolic activity, in well being, in how you look, how you communicate with people, and how you feel about yourself also.\"\u003cbr/\u003eGirma isn't content to stop, he now dreams of opening a university of laughter in Ethiopia.\u003cbr/\u003eHe hopes eventually, that global institutions will begin to research how laughter can be used to help society.\u003cbr/\u003eAccording to Girma: \"Stress is growing, increasing. So to minimise this stress we have to learn how to laugh natural laughter, indigenous laughter, laughter without reasoning, and laughter which can minimise your stress.\" \u003cbr/\u003eIn the meantime Girma is happy practicing with his students and with his family, driving, shopping, or just relaxing at home.\u003cbr/\u003eHis wife Mesert Gotu says: \"When he comes home, he wants to laugh and make fun with his children and they also become happy. When he comes and he spends time with his children's, its makes it a good week.\"\u003cbr/\u003eWith Girma's future looking promising, it's pretty clear who's bound to have the last laugh.\u003cbr/\u003eAddis Ababa, Ethiopia, August 12, 2013\u003cbr/\u003e1. Mid of woman laughing in laughter school class\u003cbr/\u003e2. Mid of man laughing uncontrollably \u003cbr/\u003e3. Mid of woman smiling \u003cbr/\u003e4. Wide of world laughter master Belachew Girma encouraging his students to laugh\u003cbr/\u003e5. Wide of photographs of laughter school students on the wall \u003cbr/\u003e6. Close tilt up of laughter school photos and poster showing Girma with students\u003cbr/\u003e7. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Belachew Girma, world laughter master\u003cbr/\u003e\"You know when I laugh from the bottom of my heart, really my laughter becomes contagious. It touches. Now, when I look your eye contact now, something is coming up from you. (laughs) The nature of laughter when it is natural, it splits, and it breaks, it evokes (laughter in) the others.\"\u003cbr/\u003e8. Mid of woman laughing in class \u003cbr/\u003e9. Close of man laughing in class\u003cbr/\u003e10. Wide of Girma urging class to laugh\u003cbr/\u003e11. SOUNDBITE: (Amharic), Kokeb Yemanh, cancer patient \u0026amp;amp; laughter class member\u003cbr/\u003e\"Before I was worried because cancer is a killer disease, I felt dead and hopeless, but after I came, I feel I can live again.\" \u003cbr/\u003e12. Close of Girma and woman laughing \u003cbr/\u003e13. SOUNDBITE: (English), Dr. Berhane Redae, doctor\u003cbr/\u003e\"Laughing by itself through different mechanisms, it relaxes the blood vessels, okay? It relaxes the blood vessels (then) the oxygen flow increases (and then) the patient starts to feel better. The tissues (muscles) start to get oxygenated from the blood supply which is increased.\"\u003cbr/\u003e14. Mid of Girma laughing with boy in class\u003cbr/\u003e15. Close of boy laughing \u003cbr/\u003e16. Close of another young boy laughing in class \u003cbr/\u003e17. Wide low view of Girma and students at laughter school\u003cbr/\u003e18. SOUNDBITE: (English), Girma Belachew, world laughter master\u003cbr/\u003e\"Laughter is the best tool which can connect (the) whole world. As you have seen in our session, people from all over the world, that means from the French corner, they come and they laugh without any discrimination. So laughter is really sometimes, it is better than food.\"\u003cbr/\u003e19. Mid of Girma laughing with man in class\u003cbr/\u003e20. Wide of Girma dancing and clapping with students in laughter class.\u003cbr/\u003e21. SOUNDBITE: (English), Mahri Tesfaye, pupil \u003cbr/\u003e\"After I just joined this school, I can laugh very easily than before.\"\u003cbr/\u003e22. Mid of Girma speaking to seated woman in class \u003cbr/\u003e23. Close of female student laughing.\u003cbr/\u003e24. SOUNDBITE: (English), Dr. Berhane Redae, doctor\u003cbr/\u003e\"Laughter therapy, as a therapy it can have many effects, both psychological, metabolic activity, in well being, in how you look, how you communicate with people, and how you feel about yourself also.\"\u003cbr/\u003e25. Wide of Girma leading class \u003cbr/\u003e26. Mid of students following class exercise\u003cbr/\u003e27. Close of women following exercise and laughing \u003cbr/\u003e28. Mid of Girma holding and laughing woman during laughter class\u003cbr/\u003e29. SOUNDBITE: (English), Girma Belachew, world laughter master\u003cbr/\u003e\"Stress is growing, increasing. So to minimise this stress we have to learn how to laugh natural laughter, indigenous laughter, laughter without reasoning and laughter which can minimise your stress.\"\u003cbr/\u003e30. Various of Girma laughing and clapping with students outside the school\u003cbr/\u003e31. Mid of Laughter school entrance.\u003cbr/\u003e32. Close of Girma driving his car.\u003cbr/\u003e33. Wide shot of Girma shopping with his family in supermarket\u003cbr/\u003e34. Wide of Girma and his family hugging as they arrive back at their home.\u003cbr/\u003e35. SOUNDBITE: (Amharic), Mesert Gotu, Girma's wife \u003cbr/\u003e\"When he comes home, he wants to laugh and make fun with his children and they also become happy. When he comes and he spends time with his children. It makes it a good week.\"\u003cbr/\u003e39. Various of Girma joking with his family at home\u003cbr/\u003eThey say laughter is the best medicine and for one man in the capital of Ethiopia that couldn't be more true.\u003cbr/\u003eBelachew Girma, a former elementary school teacher, has made it his task to teach the country how to laugh.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='action-container flex justify-between'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' aria-label='Read more description' class='rp-full-description' type='button'\u003e\n\u003ci class='fai fa-solid fa-align-left'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cspan id='read_more'\u003eRead More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-report'\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='resource-details-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' id='resource-details-heading'\u003eResource Details\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-resource-details clearfix'\u003e\n\u003cdiv 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