As the World Laughter Day is marked on 6 November, it serves as a reminder of the profound impact this simple, and entirely free, gesture can have on our wellbeing.
For Gabi Roncatti, a laughter therapist, laughter is far more than a reaction to joy \u2014 it\u2019s a powerful tool for emotional and physical health. Trained in laughter therapy in Argentina \u2014 as no formal course yet exists in Brazil \u2014 Gabi has dedicated her career to studying and applying techniques centred on the healing potential of laughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cI often say that a smile is a direct gateway to our inner world,\u201d she explains. \u201cIt relaxes, it comforts, and it brings colour back to the hardest days. It\u2019s a natural medicine \u2014 and the best part is, it\u2019s free!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through her project \u201cRumo ao Riso\u201d (Towards Laughter), Gabi brings laughter therapy into hospitals, combining it with music, literature and therapeutic clowning to create meaningful, emotional experiences for patients, their families and healthcare professionals alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur brain doesn\u2019t distinguish between a forced laugh and a spontaneous one. Once the body enters the state of laughter, the benefits start to flow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So \u2014 have you laughed today? You\u2019ve probably heard the phrases \u201claugh until your belly hurts\u201d or \u201cdie laughing.\u201d The truth is, laughter\u2014whether genuine or even forced, since the brain doesn\u2019t distinguish between the two\u2014does wonders for both body and mind. As the World Laughter Day is marked on 6 November, it serves as a reminder of the profound impact this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14114,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trendpop.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14109","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/trendpop.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/trendpop.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trendpop.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trendpop.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14109"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/trendpop.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14109\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14112,"href":"https:\/\/trendpop.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14109\/revisions\/14112"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trendpop.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trendpop.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14109"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trendpop.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14109"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trendpop.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
The results are often immediate. Children who refused to eat or were suffering from intense pain began to engage, smile, forget their discomfort for a while \u2014 and in some cases, even ask for food. These small moments, she says, lead to big transformations through laughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/trendpop.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Screenshot_20251106_152125_Gallery-1024x651.jpg\")
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According to Gabi, the benefits of laughter are extensive and scientifically proven: improved mood, a stronger immune system, reduced stress, pain relief, better sleep, the release of feel-good hormones \u2014 and even weight loss.
\u201cIt\u2019s amazing how powerful laughter can be,\u201d she notes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still, she stresses that laughter is not a replacement for medical treatment \u2014 rather, it\u2019s an important complement, particularly in hospital settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen we combine laughter therapy with proper medical care, we open up space for recovery that\u2019s lighter, more human, and full of meaning,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On this World Laughter Day, Gabi\u2019s invitation is simple: smile \u2014 whether you spark laughter in others or allow yourself to be carried away by it. Small gestures, when shared, can brighten routines and transform lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLaughing is an act of courage,\u201d Gabi reflects. \u201cOur society often sees laughing too loudly as inappropriate, or laughing too much as a sign of despair \u2014 as the song by Frejat goes. But the truth is, laughter is the most beautiful way of reminding our body that life is still pulsing through us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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