The Japanese have a unique way of eyeing at life, with wellness at the core of their lifestyle beliefs. The world over, laughter therapy is considered an effective stress-relief method. The Japanese ‘crying therapist’ Hidefumi Yoshida has concluded that the tear ducts have the power to calm and cure many ailments. The new Japanese therapy called rui-katsu, which translates to ‘tear seeking’, is built around deliberate weeping sessions designed to reduce stress and allow participants to relate to their emotions.
The tear-jerking workshops Yoshida holds across Japan have had over 50,000 participants so far and include group discussions, watching tragic films, grouping readings of sad books and stories. The Roman poet Ovid wrote, “It is some relief to weep; grief is satisfied and carried off by tears.” Scientists have long concluded that there is nothing like a good cry to get over a negative or traumatic experience.
It is considered a form of self-soothing, described by researchers as self-directed behaviours and internal processes that are aimed to calm an individual in distress by reducing negative emotion and corresponding physiological reactions. Charles Darwin believed that children cry to experience the relief generated by crying as from ‘any great exertion’, suggesting that more intensive the cry the greater the relief.
Psychiatrists believe that crying helps to boost spirits and make sufferers feel better. The mood-improving oxytocin and endorphins in tears are known as ‘feel good’ chemicals. The act of crying releases toxins such as stress hormones and other chemicals, thereby reducing their levels and lowering stress levels. Crying oneself to sleep is not just a phrase; a 2015 study found that babies sleep better after crying.
Crying even kills some bacteria and cleans the eyes with a fluid called lysozyme, which has powerful antimicrobial properties strong enough to reduce bioterror risks, such as anthrax, according to another study. Yoshida offers walking-and-weeping tours of the Kamakura, south of Tokyo. The atmosphere of the place is conducive to melancholy, with deep woods, history of wars and deaths and teems with temples such as the Hokaiji Temple. Kamakura is the land of the Hojo clan, which fostered Zen Buddhism in Japan. Many of their warriors died repelling the Mongol invasions of Japan, albeit successfully.
An ancestor, Hojo Tokimasa, became Japan’s first shogun. Eventually, popular resentment and imperial enmity culminated in the fall of the Hojos. The tragic history of the region, seeped in blood and tyranny, is the focus of contemplation inside the Buddhist temples. In intensely folklore-obsessed Japan, Kamakira is protected by the flying tengu spirits, a half-man and half-monster bird which is a Japanese version of the Garuda. Currently, Yoshida’s crying tours are not accessible to Indians and other international tourists because of the pandemic restrictions.
Future trainings and tours at TearsTeacher.com or by following Yoshida on Facebook
Benefits of shedding tears
Soothes emotions: A 2014 study said crying activates the parasympathetic nervous system and encourages relaxation
Supportive response: A 2016 study found that crying has interpersonal or social benefits being an attachment behaviour, since it urges other people to rally around you
Reduces pain: Shedding emotional tears releases feel-good chemicals oxytocin and endorphins, creating a sense of well-being
Aids sleep: The soothing, mood-enhancing, and pain-relieving effects of crying helps a person fall asleep more easily
Fights bacteria: Lysozyme chemical in tears kills bacteria and keeps the eyes clean
Vision enhancer: The lubricating effect of basal tears, which are released every time a person blinks, keeps the eyes moist and prevents mucous membranes from drying. This boosts
clear vision.