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Janice Bird (center) participates in an exercise with Susan Hanson (left) as Jennifer Bellin laughs in the background during a meeting of the Laughter Club in Albuquerque. Laughter yoga is touted as a stress reducer and is gaining popularity worldwide, with more than 5,000 clubs in 50 countries. Albuquerque's club meets at various locations around the city each month.

Lillian J. Kelly/Tribune

Mindi Horwitch (left) makes the American Sign Language symbol for "I love you" with Julianne Terrill and others at the Laughter Club of Albuquerque.

Lillian J. Kelly/Tribune

Marilyn Stock listens to instructions from Bobbi White, a Laughter Club instructor, at a group meeting. The group meets at various locations around Albuquerque each month.

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A group of adults pretend they are characters in "Pirates of the Caribbean," slashing away at their troubles and chuckling with each playful gesture.

"You're really getting in touch with your inner child," said Bobbi White, a laughter educator for the Laughter Club of Albuquerque.

The sword-slashing exercise at First Unitarian Church, 3701 Carlisle Blvd. N.E., is one of many White uses during her free sessions to provide people with cathartic release from everyday struggles and stresses.

It's called Laughter Yoga, and it's growing at laughter clubs worldwide. In fact, there are more than 5,000 of the clubs in more than 50 countries, according to the Dr. Kataria School of Laughter Yoga Web site.

White said she first heard of Kataria in 1994 when she read the book "Laugh for No Reason," co-written by Kataria and his wife, Madhuri. She was so inspired, she said, that she became a laughter educator.

"I read the book, and I instantly felt this would be something I would want to get involved with when I retired," she said. "I am a very serious person and I need laughter in my life."

White became a certified laughter educator at a weeklong workshop.

Since White began teaching in June, she said she has helped about 100 people laugh freely.

On this day, a group of about six people participate in a session at First Unitarian Church. Many said laughter provides them a chance to act silly in a world where they're taught to always be serious.

Kathy Nunn, a participant in the Laughter Club, said she needed an opportunity to let loose, but she didn't want to get too crazy.

"I was wondering how hokey it would be. And once we got into it, I decided it was fun," Nunn said.

White said she prefers to use exercises rather than tell jokes to get people to laugh.

"What you think is funny, I may not," she said. "It's a cultural thing. Sense of humor is different from culture to culture."

And anyway, she said, if she relied on jokes, eventually she would run out of them.

In White's exercises, the laughter is forced. However, you get the same benefits, she said.

"That's what we're after is the benefits - like increased endorphin flow and all kinds of things that go on in the brain," she said.

In one of the laughter exercises, people are told to bend over crying and come up laughing.

White tells people they are laughing their troubles away.

Some people might think participating in these exercises is sheer insanity, but laughing is actually good for mental health, White said.

"People think you're crazy if you laugh. If you've been in a loony bin, they don't laugh," she said. "It's a sad fact that adults can't get in touch with their inner child."

Felipe Zanghellini, a participant, said people need to have laughter in their lives.

"It would help a lot of people," he said. "You see a lot of sad people around and too many serious people."

He said people need to have a human connection with one another.

"Most people avoid making eye contact with you," he said. "We are human beings, and human beings like to connect on different levels."

For Zanghellini, laughter truly is the best medicine.

"Sometimes (laughing) could be the healthiest thing to do," he said. "Actually that may help you a lot."

White said there is actual proof laughter can improve a person's health.

She said Norman Cousins, former editor of the Saturday Review, had a disease of the tissue diagnosed. He bought several comedic videos to make himself laugh. She said he laughed his way out of a crippling disease.

In today's world, people need to have that hope and positive outlook, White said.

For Roseann Cimino, laughter is the best form of stress relief she's ever had.

"I feel laughter is something we need in this time we're living in, with the war in Iraq," she said.

With all the bad things happening in the world, White said, everyone needs to laugh it all away once in a while.

"I think life may be difficult and we don't laugh enough," she said. "I like bringing joy into people's lives."