Laughter, Music, and Dance: Joyful Rituals for Aging Well

Deepa Yerram MD
Nov 9
7 min read

Have you ever noticed how a good belly laugh, your favorite song, or dancing like nobody’s watching leaves you feeling lighter — as though you’ve pressed “reset” on your body and mind? It’s not just in your head. Emerging research suggests that these timeless rituals — laughter, music, dance — may actually interact with your genes in ways that support vitality, reduce stress, and promote graceful aging.

In this article, we’ll explore how positive experiences and arts engagement link to epigenetics, how laughter programs and movement-based practices show measurable effects, and how you can weave these “forgotten rituals” into your life so that you’re not just adding years, but adding vitality to years.

The Science of Positive Experiences & Arts Engagement

It may seem obvious: when you listen to music you love, your mood improves, your body relaxes, you feel more connected. But science is beginning to test what happens beneath the surface — how your experiences with art, music, dance, and laughter impact stress, inflammation, mood, and even gene expression.

Studies exploring arts engagement suggest that positive affect and artistic exposure are associated with better well-being and may help modulate biological pathways tied to aging. While the field is still in its infancy, the idea is clear: your environment and experiences don’t just fill your day — they help shape your biology.

For example, laughter programs that combine music and movement have been studied in cancer-care settings, showing improvements in stress, depression, and quality of life. By reducing stress and improving emotional state, these activities may indirectly reduce the load on systems that accelerate aging (e.g., persistent cortisol, inflammation, poor sleep).

Meanwhile, broader literature on epigenetic aging highlights that lifestyle factors—diet, sleep, exercise, social connection—are modifiable and tied to slower epigenetic clocks. Within that context, arts engagement emerges as an important, under-recognized lever.

Music, Dance, & Epigenetic Aging: What the Emerging Evidence Shows

Physical Activity and Dance

Physical activity is well established as a longevity factor. More active people tend to show slower epigenetic aging in some studies (for example, slower “Phenotypic Age” clocks). Dance, in particular, offers more than movement: it combines rhythm, coordination, social connection, joy, and full-body engagement.

Here’s how dance may support your biology:

It boosts cardiovascular, muscular, and brain health simultaneously.
It enhances coordination, balance, and neural plasticity (which supports healthier aging).
It often involves music, social interaction, and positive emotion — all of which influence stress systems.

By stepping into dance, you’re not just exercising — you’re activating a multifaceted ritual that resonates across body and mind.

Music and Gene Expression

Here’s where things get especially fascinating. Some preliminary research suggests that music exposure can influence gene‐expression patterns, including those tied to brain health, stress regulation, and cellular repair. For example:

Music has been shown to modulate gene expression in brain pathways involved in autophagy (the process of clearing damaged proteins), which is relevant to aging and neurodegeneration.
The emerging field of Sensogenomics (how sensory stimuli like music shape gene expression) hints at music’s potential to “rewrite” silenced or dysregulated gene pathways.
Engagement with music may support neuroplasticity, greater emotional resilience, and improved coping—all of which feed into slower aging trajectories.

While the bold claims about genre-specific gene rewiring (e.g., classical vs heavy metal vs EDM) require far more research before they become clinical truths, the underlying notion is powerful: music may act as a stimulus that supports healthier cellular regulation, not just mood.

Laughter & Movement Programs

Laughter is biology’s reset button. Laughter programs combined with music and movement have been shown to improve stress, decrease depression symptoms, support immune function, and quality of life in diverse populations. Because laughter triggers parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) responses and reduces chronic sympathetic arousal, it may lighten biological stress burden. When stress burden decreases, systems tied to faster epigenetic aging (like inflammation, hormone dysregulation, oxidative stress) calm down.

While direct epigenetic studies on laughter are sparse, because the upstream mechanisms (stress reduction, improved mood, social connection) are known modulators of epigenetic age, we can reasonably view laughter as an influential ritual in your longevity toolkit.

Why These Are “Forgotten Rituals” – And Why They Matter

Why do we call laughter, music, and dance “forgotten rituals”? Because in many modern wellness strategies, we focus on diet, sleep, strength training, supplements—but we forget the simple rituals our ancestors performed without thinking: communal singing, rhythmic movement, spontaneous laughter, celebratory dance.

These rituals matter because they:

integrate body and mind simultaneously,
activate neuro-endocrine systems in balanced, joyful ways,
connect us to community and meaning, and
lighten the stress burden that accelerates aging.

When you treat these as optional “fun extras,” you miss their biological potency. Instead, frame them as core elements of integrative longevity care. You’re not just “adding fun”—you’re reinforcing systems that support your genomic health.

A Practical Roadmap: How to Use Laughter, Music, and Dance for Vitality

Let’s take this from idea to action. Here’s a simple roadmap you can begin today.

Step 1: Set your intention

Decide: “I will engage in a joyful ritual that moves, sings, laughs, or dances for at least 20 minutes this week.” Choose your medium: music alone, dancing with a friend, laughter-yoga, drumming circle, or singing aloud.

Step 2: Choose your ritual format

Pick one of these three to begin:

Dance session (20-30 minutes): Put on a playlist that makes you move, bounce, and connect. No need for choreography—just move.
Music immersion (15-20 minutes): Choose one piece of music you love. Sit or walk with it on. Notice your breath, your heartbeat, your body responding. Optionally, sing or hum along.
Laughter break (10-15 minutes): Use a laughter-yoga clip or jump into a fun conversation or game with a friend. Let yourself laugh without inhibition.

Step 3: Anchor it in your weekly routine

Schedule a “ritual time” each week. For example:

Friday afternoon dance playlist,
Sunday morning music-immersion walk,
Wednesday evening laughter circle with friends or family.

The more consistent the cue, the more habitual the benefit.

Step 4: Track your response

At the end of each ritual, notice:

How do you feel emotionally?
Did you feel lighter, more energized, less stressed?
How was your sleep that night?
Did you feel more connected or joyful?

Create a simple journal: Date, Ritual, Duration, Feelings.

Step 5: Build and layer

Over 4-8 weeks increase:

Duration (from 15 min → 30 min),
Frequency (once weekly → twice weekly),
Complexity (add group dancing, live music, new styles).

Add micro-rituals during the week: humming a tune in traffic, five deep breaths if you feel tension, burst of movement and laughter when you switch tasks.

Step 6: Combine with foundational wellness pillars

Pair these rituals with your diet, movement, sleep, stress-management practices. For instance: after your dance session follow with a nutrient-rich smoothie, then a 10-minute breath practice, then rest. This stacking builds integrative benefits.

Common Questions & Considerations

Q: Will dancing or music alone slow my epigenetic clock?

These practices alone aren’t magic pills. But when used consistently, within a broader wellness strategy, they contribute meaningfully. Combined with good sleep, nutrition, movement, and stress management, they help tilt the system toward resilience.

Q: I don’t like dancing or music much — can I still use this?

Yes. The key is positive engagement. If dancing feels uncomfortable, try rhythmic walking, drumming with hands, or clapping to music you like. If music isn’t a primary love, pick an audio-story you enjoy, or laughter clusters with friends. The joy, connection, and movement matter more than style.

Q: Are there safety concerns?

As with any movement, if you have an injury, balance issues, or cardiovascular conditions, speak with your clinician before starting intensive activity. Choose gentler formats (chair-dance, seated humming, laughter-yoga) when needed.

Q: How soon will I notice changes?

You may feel immediate shifts: improved mood, energy uplift, lighter body. Long-term changes like stress resilience, improved sleep, and better brain function may take weeks to months. Cellular and epigenetic shifts are subtle — focus on habit, not obsession.

The Big Picture: Joy as Genomic Medicine

Joy isn’t a luxury. It’s a component of integrative longevity care. When you activate laughter, music, and dance, you’re engaging the nervous system, hitting rhythm and meaning, and calibrating your biology toward restoration. These rituals guide you into a state where your genes express vitality rather than wear-and-tear.

The concept of “turning back the epigenetic clock” isn’t about reversing time—it’s about optimizing how your biology responds to life. Use these rituals to reclaim connection, movement, and play. Let them be your allies in aging well.

Stand up. Press play. Laugh out loud. Let your body move, your spirit lighten—and your cells thank you for the rhythm.

Continue the series

References

Fancourt D, Finn S. What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well‐being? A scoping review. World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe; 2019. Available at: https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/329834.
Demir M. Effects of Laughter Therapy on Anxiety, Stress, Depression and Quality of Life in Cancer Patients. Journal of Cancer Science & Therapy. 2015;07(09). doi:https://doi.org/10.4172/1948-5956.1000362‌
Brigati C, Saccuman MC, Banelli B, et al. Toward an epigenetic view of our musical mind. Front Genet. 2012;2:111. Published 2012 Jan 11. doi:10.3389/fgene.2011.00111
Hsueh A, Ross G, et al. Dancing to remember – moving to the rhythm of music improves mental and cognitive health. El País. 2025 Jun 13. Available at: https://english.elpais.com/health/2025-06-13/dancing-to-remember-moving-to-the-rhythm-of-music-improves-mental-and-cognitive-health.html.
MyCourierNews. Dance, dance, dance—then dance some more. 2022 Sep 8. Available at: https://mycouriernews.com/articles/2022/09/6262/dance-dance-dance-then-dance-some-more.
Fuhrer M. “You Think, So You Can Dance?” Science Is on It.. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/15/arts/dance/dance-neuroscience-body-brain-behavior.html. Published July 15, 2024.
Harvard Medical School. Published 2024. https://hms.harvard.edu/news-events/publications-archive/brain/dancing-brain.
Gómez-Carballa, A., Navarro, L., Pardo-Seco, J. et al. Music compensates for altered gene expression in age-related cognitive disorders. Sci Rep 13, 21259 (2023).

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult your healthcare provider before beginning any new mindfulness, nutritional, or lifestyle practice.

Essential Aging