When we laugh together, either at the Ferntree Gully Laughter Club, in the various Knox Libraries, or anywhere else, we do so by involving ourselves in simple, childlike playful activities. It begins with pretending to laugh, which is the key.
When we laugh together, either at the Ferntree Gully Laughter Club, in the various Knox Libraries, or anywhere else, we do so by involving ourselves in simple, childlike playful activities. It begins with pretending to laugh, which is the key.There is no need for yoga mats or chairs, unless people feel the need to bring them along, as we move about and there is time later on at the cafe where we have a cuppa, for a sit down and talk.
Talking also is discouraged, as we do want to be in touch with our creative side of the brain, instead of the analytical side. When we sing, it is usually not using words, or a minimum; instead we use ha ha language. There is also no right or wrong with how we laugh, because we are all distinct individuals with varying mannerisms.
We begin with deep breathing, greeting laughs and clapping. It then flows into spontaneity and lots of singing and some dancing. All of these encourage new brain functions, read more about Neuroplasticity.
We choose to laugh because of the overall benefits to our body system. It is often referred to as ‘fake it till you make it’ because the body cannot distinguish between between fake and real laughter. It begins with pretend laughter, quickly changing to genuine belly laughter.
The name Laughter Yoga refers to the deep yogic breathing that we do which is important to connect the whole body, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. After each laughter exercise, we clap three times saying Ho Ho, Ha Ha Ha and then take deep breaths. Or else we say Very Good, Very Good, Yay with our hands stretched up in the air. Laughing this way we connect with as many people as possible, using our eyes and our hearts.
Below is an example of some of the laughter exercises which may help you understand how it all goes. If you like, you can download a sample page of laughs that we regularly practice here: Laughter Session Laughs.
Greeting Laughter: Begin the session by shaking each person’s hand, with a hearty laugh.
High 5 Laugher: Give each one a high five and laugh. Then you can change hands and do two high fives.
Cell Phone Laughter: Pretend to hold a mobile phone up to your ear and laugh.
Lion Laughter: Fully extend tongue with wide open mouth and eyes, make like paws and roar like a lion in any direction roaring and laughing. This one is taken from Hatha Yoga and is very good for thyroid gland.
Angelic Laughter: Smile like an angel or a baby, the most beautiful smile that you have ever seen. This gives you an angelic feeling and helps access our first memory of laughter stored in the deeper parts of our consciousness.
You can do these exercises by yourself or you may like to join us as a regular laughter club member. Feel free to contact us by phone or email
