Army turns to Laughter Yoga to help stranded folk cope

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE Paolo Martin Trinidad (left) conducts Pinoy Laughter Yoga sessions two to three times a week for locally stranded individuals under the care of the Philippine Army. —Photo courtesy of Paolo Martin Trinidad

MANILA, Philippines — To ease anxiety and depression among locally stranded individuals (LSIs) who find themselves facing an uncertain future due to the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Philippine Army has turned to Pinoy Laughter Yoga (PLY) founder Paolo Martin Trinidad for help.

Twice or thrice a week, Trinidad guides LSIs temporarily staying at the Libingan ng mga Bayani gymnasium in Taguig City through a series of PLY exercises that produce “cathartic laughter” to help them relax, improve their mood and boost the immune system.

The participants who were wearing face masks and seated a meter apart from each other included construction workers and employees in Manila who suddenly found themselves jobless, stranded overseas workers and people evicted from their houses, according to Lt. Ronald Recio.

A reserved Army officer, Recio is the only clinical psychologist looking after the needs of the LSIs temporarily under the care of the Philippine Army as they wait for rides to take them home.

“We wanted PLY as it matches the Philippine culture. It’s also nonthreatening and easy to do. There are people who do not want to talk about what they go through. Through laughter yoga, they laugh without noticing we are already processing [their grief],” he said.

Advocacy over virus

Trinidad, a diabetic who is vulnerable to COVID-19, said he agreed to the Philippine Army’s invitation to hold PLY sessions for LSIs as his advocacy was “more important than the virus.”

“For them to bounce back to normalcy, I include bioenergetics exercises to allow them to use their bodies to release the too much anxiety that they are experiencing,” he said.

He also added simplified meditation and breathing techniques to relax their minds and bodies.

One of the participants, a domestic helper whose flight to Japan was canceled due to the pandemic, was teary-eyed before the PLY session but shared afterward that she felt her stress level go down from 9 to 6.

“Laughter yoga is much needed. You will feel the tension inside the center. There is a height of emotions. If one gets angry, all of them will follow; there were so many weak people also in terms of handling their emotions,” Recio said.

Rush of endorphins

“The exercise has power. You may force the laughter in the first 30 seconds. It will bring a rush of endorphins. It will not solve the problem but it will facilitate the process, help you solve problems better,” he added.

Trinidad has been conducting PLY sessions for years for victims of the drug war, natural disasters, the Zamboanga siege and Battle of Marawi, even for people dealing with cancer and disabilities.

The sessions for LSIs, however, are a little tougher, he admitted. “It’s hard to do sessions with a mask on so I stay away from the participants and ask permission from them to remove my face mask because I find it so hard to breathe. I am also using a face shield for the participants’ protection.”

“There is also a big chance I may catch the virus so I eat malunggay leaves, hydrate myself, sleep a lot and pray, pray and pray…” he added.

“But honestly, the spiritual preparation is what I work hard on and I know what I do is not really my work, but of Someone bigger than myself whom we call Jesus or Allah. I call on them to use me profusely and I know that it happens because I see how the participants experience healing,” he said.

Recio said the most common advice he would give LSIs was to try to have a sense of normalcy.

“We cannot not fight. I don’t like the word ‘Magtiis tayo’ (Let’s bear it). I ask them to try to be productive and learn new skills instead. Let’s not allow ourselves to suffer and merely survive. Let’s do something about our situation,” he added.