Relax , De-stress , Re-energise , Team Bonding, Boost Creativity , Boost Immune System , Enhance General Wellbeing , Motivate Staff , Team Building , Feel Better, Work Better, Work Smarter
Laughter Yoga with our London Laughter Club for Red Nose Day
We had a fabulous laughter class with all proceeds donated to Red Nose Day. Following on from the laughter we headed to The Bread and Bean Cafe in Archway where the laughter continued over a cuppa.
In total Laughter Yoga Wellness raised £74 for comic relief. We were part of a team of Laughter Professionals who held Laughter Clubs and events throughout the UK with a Team Total of over £700 raised by Laughter Yogis for Red Nose Day. Special thanks to my laughter colleague Maggie who inspired us all to get involved.
Laughter Club on Saturday was extra special for a number of reasons. Firstly embracing the lovely Summer weather we decided to Laugh in Nature and what a better place than Queens Wood, an ancient woodland in North London.
Queen’s Wood was once called Churchyard Bottom Wood, and was originally part of the Great Forest of Middlesex. It was said to be the site of a plague pit. In 1898 it was purchased from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners by Hornsey Urban District Council, and renamed Queen’s Wood in honour of Queen Victoria. (Thank you Wikapedia 🙂 )
The second reason that made our Laughter Club session extra special is because we were joined by Shoko Kimura, an illustration student and as part of her MA: Communication Design course, she is working on her major project about how she can demonstrate a humorous approach to her reportage illustration. She is researching ‘Laughter Yoga’ because of the importance laughter has in our daily lives. The theme is to combine laughter and observation drawing. As part of her project she had a quick interview with a few of the participants.
Shoko has so very kindly shared her illustrations with me. We were pretty much constantly moving and enjoying the feeling of freedom that the woods allows. Totally awesome that she captured these incredible illustrations in the short time that she had. Love Love Love them. So very talented 🙂 Check out Shoko’s Website http://www.shokoportfolio.com/
A slightly different Meditation at the end.and some breathing exercises that originate from Yoga
Ooo and for our final treat, we were joined by Francesca, a Laughter Yogi friend who shared some awesome games with the group.
So the day began when we met for a cuppa at the Woodland Cafe which was great to get to know one another before the session. A rare opportunity to do so prior to the session.
Then during the workshop we had Tree Laughter obviously! Hi Hi so we swayed like trees and laughed as our trees blew in the wind. To round off a fabulous afternoon of laughing in the woods we went to the pub for more socialising. I must say, there is something truly special about laughing in nature and I am sure the trees loved it too 🙂 Ha Ha
Finally a few shots of Francesca and Kasia grounding with tree energy 🙂
We have a fabulous day of spontaneous laughter along with some laughter yoga exercises. We will start the day off at Trafalgar Square and then head off as a group, hopefully picking up more people to join us along the way for more laughs around London.
Researchers studying the process of ageing know that laughter improves blood circulation to the head and to the heart. Laughing is good for you. A good belly laugh every day improves mood, improves physical health and improves emotional health.
Laughter can also help you look younger too! No jokes, really. Did you know it requires as many as 15 muscles to squeeze facial muscles into a smile? Now what does this mean? It simply means that laughing actually helps increase the blood flow around the face, helping you look and feel younger.
Stumbled upon this fabulous clip of a lady at just 102 years young! Now, no surprise to me that this lady has reached this ripe old age.
So the mission to de-stress London continues. The holistic tools I work with include Reiki, Laughter Yoga , Meditation and Gong and Sound Baths. Basically holistic tools that can really enhance our general health wellness and well-being. Laughter is a serious contender and the effects of laughter and exercise are very similar. An interesting statistic for you from William Fry, a pioneer in laughter research. He claimed it took ten minutes on a rowing machine for his heart rate to reach the level it would after just one minute of hearty laughter. After a laughter yoga workshop you will feel like you have had a really good cardio workout.
A little more about Laughter Yoga and how I work with it. I am a professional Laughter Yoga Leader and Laughter Skills Facilitator. My workshops are a fusion of my various holistic tools and are specially tailored to suit different groups. A lively and energetic workout for high spirited giggly Hens or a slower paced, perhaps seated session for those who are elderly and frail. We can focus on more team building and bonding games for corporate groups. Which ever method we use, those who participate will most likely come away feeling lighter , brighter and re-energised.
As the saying goes, Laughter is the best Medicine !! When we laugh we release and let go of negative emotions and thoughts. That is something so incredibly powerful to our well-being. I am forever grateful to have found this amazing tool so I too can help people feel better. This is life changing, this is something else for sure.
If you would like a Laughter Yoga sessions or workshop for your group or organisation in London or further afield please get in touch via https://laughteryogawellness.co.uk/contact/ .
