Ever wonder why a gorilla dressed in a pink tu-tu was singing “Happy Birthday” and telling jokes in one of your classes?

Sally Shaver, professional clown and independent wellness consultant has made appearances in ISU classrooms and at several events for adults and children. She performs singing telegrams and gives presentations for businesses about the benefits of using humor on a daily basis to relieve stress.

“It’s part of my personality,” Shaver said. “I have a good sense of humor and have always done silly things.”

Shaver, a 1986 ISU alumna with a degree in physical education, taught pre-schoolers through college-aged students until 2004. She has been a professional clown since 1996 and during that time has noticed the benefits of using humor for children early on in her classrooms.

“Humor is an important part of wellness,” Shaver said. “I teach the benefits of humor and adding laughter into life.”

Shaver began working with Vickie Setterberg and Avenues for Health, through which Setterberg provides therapeutic massage and acupuncture. They worked together to come up with the idea of giving presentations to different businesses to inform them about the benefits of having a positive outlook.

“I have always been creative,” Shaver said. “With my music minor and appreciation for creative arts, the work fit me really well.”

Shaver has been delivering singing telegrams for five years and has done presentations for adult groups about using humor to improve their wellness and lifestyles.

“I’m not a doctor, but I know that laughing lowers blood pressure and helps with the immune system by creating less stress,” Shaver said. “Children laugh about 400 times a day; adults chuckle about 15 times a day.”

She said adults tend to put up walls and stress out easily.

Marty Martinez, staff psychologist and counselor at the Student Counseling Center, said counselors know about the significance of positive outlook and perception and the importance of optimism.

“There is no question about the power of positive thinking and humor,” Martinez said. “When people are looking at things negatively, the importance of one’s outlook can be tremendous.”

Martinez said he supports the idea of using humor and a positive outlook, although the Student Counseling Center has not yet done any specific work focusing on healing with humor.

“We support the idea, and we would want it to be a part of our work with students,” Martinez said. “Laughter brings good thoughts.”

Shaver said she got the idea from working with kids.

“Kids are used to being entertained; it’s important for them to see that I’m a person just like them. Humor breaks that barrier,” she said.

Susan Cross, associate professor of psychology, has used humor indirectly in her teachings.

“People learn better when they are in a better mood,” she said.

Shaver has given presentations to the Lyme Disease Association and always receives good feedback. She uses props such as a rubber chicken and a clown nose and does magical illusions for her audiences.

“I hand out red rubber noses to people in the audience,” she said. “Interaction is very important.”

She said she feels good about helping people because she gets to perform and enjoy her time with kids.

Laughter could be your best medicine

Five health benefits of adding humor and laughter to your life

1. Laughter strengthens the immune system: Laughter increases activity within the immune system, which helps increase the number of natural killer white blood cells.

2. Laughter decreases stress hormones: Laughter is one of the best ways to relax muscles, as it reduces the level of stress hormones.

3. Laughter is a natural pain killer: Humor increases the endorphins in our bodies, which can help with fighting pain.

4. Laughter can help alleviate bronchitis and asthma: Deep belly laughing can help improve lung capacity and oxygen levels in the blood.

5. Laughter and humor help to decrease depression and increase self-confidence: Laughter and humor bring positive emotions that can enhance conventional treatments. Over time, this can help people feel better about themselves.