Laughter has been shown to have surprising benefits ranging from endorphin release to mood elevation. One study from the University of Maryland Center for Preventive Cardiology found that laughter even increased blood flow, which aided in blood vessel function. That’s not bad for something you can do for free. But does it have a place in a spa?

We couldn’t help but notice the buzz surrounding a new “tickle spa” in Madrid. The spa’s name, Cosquillearte, already indicates the main draw for spa goers. The Spanish word cosquillear means “to tickle.” However, we think of spas as bastions of relaxation. Tickling is more exciting than relaxing, isn’t it? Maybe not. Available in half hour and hour sessions, the tickle therapy takes place in a dimly lit treatment room, incorporates light massage, gentle fingertip touch and, believe it or not, a feather. So it doesn’t sound like getting pinned down and tickled by an older sibling, which I can tell you, as the youngest of three children, is not relaxing.

How do you feel about tickling as a spa treatment?