Whoever said, “Laughter is the best medicine,” might have been onto something.

At least that’s the theory behind the new Laughter Yoga Club at the Senior Resource Center in Waynesville.

Certified Laughter Yoga leader Suzanne Hendrix said laughing is something everyone is born knowing how to do, but scientific studies have shown that as people age, they tend to laugh less and less.

“The older we get we begin to lose that,” she said. “We’re fortunate if we’re laughing up to 15 times a day. This is how our bodies begin to break down.”

Compare that number to the 300 times a day babies typically laugh and smile, and Hendrix said adults are in bad shape.

“This laughter yoga helps get our childhood playfulness back,” she said.

Based on a technique developed by Dr. Madan Kataria, of India, ...