more from the Columbia News Service article ... Many scientists believe Cousins had discovered an important healing tool. "Laughter not only increases the body's immunity and reduces stress," said Dr. Joan Hoffenberg, co-director of the Institute for Psychoanalytic Training and Research in New York City. 'We live in an age where people feel isolated. Laughter provides a way of feeling communally connected to others." At Laff-A-Rama in Manhattan, people hurtling tee-hees and hee-haws had different reasons for attending the laughter class. One woman with lupus, a serious autoimmune disease, liked developing techniques to laugh when she's otherwise feeling down. Another participant saw Laff-A-Rama's ad in New York Time-Out, and thought $12 was a small price to pay to shed some of the stress she's been feeling. - Tatiana Castanet, 27, a case worker in a city foster care program."I thought it was very exhilirating. Normally I am a shy person. It really opened me up. I'm definitely coming back." Writer and artist Marget Ananda, 51, agreed. "It's nice to laugh spontaneously," she said. "But it's also nice to have exercises to call upon. Sometimes you need a key to get you started. It was a great class." Galfin, 40, a tall, lean woman leads the class dressed in a T-shirt, sweatpants and jogging shoes. Her outgoing, jovial manner seems effortless. A former mime with a degree in dance, she's been a clown for 15 years with the Big Apple Circus Clown Care Unit, which visits hospitals throughout the New York Metropolitan area. Galfin also has her own company Clown Around Town, and produces a woman's comedy show, Lavender Lunacy. She recently started teaching laughter classes at a senior citizen's center in the city and plans to bring them to a drug rehabilitation facility and a homeless shelter. For the corporate crowd, Galfin plans to launch Laff-A-Latte, 15 to 30 minute laugh breaks for stressed-out workers. "The laughter club's goal is to uplift the spirit and help people relax," said Galfin. "As the comedian Victor Borge said, 'Laughter is the shortest distance between two people."'