LAUGHWA NEWS UPDATE – FEBRUARY 2023
Hello again Laughter Friends
Laugh WA is off to a very busy start in 2023, so we are sharing news about our upcoming Laughter Yoga training in March. Sebastian Gendry will also be visiting Perth in late March.
Perth Laughter Club
Just a reminder to spread the word that Perth Laughter Club is thriving. We meet every Tuesday at 1pm
at the St Augustine’s Church Hall on the corner of Roberts Street and 36 Murray Street, Bayswater. To support the Church we are requesting a donation of $4.00 which includes afternoon tea. Carers invited for free. Join us for Love & Laughter on Valentine’s Day – February 14th.
Laugh WA Training
We are delighted to announce that our next training will be held on Saturday 11th March and Saturday 18th March. Please note a slight change of dates! This is to accommodate the visit of Sebastian Gendry. Training will be held at The Clubhouse at Faulkner Park Estate, 39 Elizabeth Street, Cloverdale. Please note that we have updated our fee structure to include an early bird registration, reduced fees for concession holders and those wanting to do revision. Full details under Training on our website www.laughwa.org.au
We are advertising the training on our Facebook page and attaching a flyer to this Update. Please share this flyer with your networks, or any groups or organisations that might be interested. Thanks!
Laughter Wellness with Sebastian Gendry
We are hosting the start of an international tour which Sebastian will launch in Perth on Tuesday 28th March and Wednesday 29th March. Sebastian initially visited Perth to speak at the first Laughter Yoga Conference in August 2012. He also provided a 5 day Laughter Wellness training before travelling to Melbourne and teaching and presenting at the Melbourne Laughter Wellbeing Conference. Sebastian subsequently visited Perth again for another workshop several years later.
The training here will take place at the Vincent Community Centre in Loftus Street, Leederville.
(This centre was formerly the Loftus Community Centre and is a one level building between the Library and the Recreation Centre. This was previously the home of the Perth Laughter Club for 22 years.)
We will be advertising the Laughter Wellness workshop but in the meantime, please visit Sebastian’s website: https://laughterwellness.org/events/perth-2023/
Looking forward to seeing you all soon at any of these events and sharing Laughter and friendship!
Janet Whitfield President M: 0450 351 473 Email: janetwhitfieldwellbeing@gmail.com
Janni Goss Vice President Ph. 9277 7922 Email: jannig@iinet.net.au
www.laughwa.org.au Facebook: LaughWA, Inc. www.jannigoss.com
LAUGHWA NEWS UPDATE – OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022
Good morning Laughter Friends! Some important news to share with you today including that Perth Laughter Club is about to start again in a new location. Due to changes within the management and booking system at The Loftus Community Centre (now The Vincent Community Centre), it is no longer convenient for Perth Laughter Club to remain there. Therefore, we initiated the KISS principle!!!!!
Perth Laughter Club
I am delighted to let you know that we will be meeting at the St Augustine’s Church Hall on the corner of Roberts Street and 36 Murray Street, Bayswater starting on Tuesday, 18th October at 1pm and continuing weekly. Penny’s Monday evening club will amalgamate with ours and donations will be contributed to the church. I think we have all missed our Laughter Club so I am very pleased about this and hope that over time, participation will increase as we are discovered by the local community.
Bunbury Laughter Club
In spite of COVID, the Bunbury Laughers have continued in parks or beachside in the past years and have now returned to their regular location at Bunbury Library at 10am every Saturday morning. On the 15th October they will be celebrating their 12thBirthday, so we hope you have a wonderful celebration and continue for many more years! Well done!
LaughWA AGM
After consultation with the committee, our AGM will be held at Zamia Cafe on Friday, 4th November so that Kimmy can attend during one of her visits to Perth. As usual, all places on the committee and office bearers are available. Please read the attached notification and let me know how you would like to contribute. (Janni – Phone: 9277 7922 Email: jannig@iinet.net.au)
Also, please RSVP whether you are coming or not as I have to make a booking at Zamia Cafe. I usually book a table for ten on the verandah, so don’t miss out!
Laughter Wellbeing Conference
Our annual conference is being held online on ZOOM on Saturday, 22nd October for a half-day. Details and registration ($45) can be found at www.laughterwellbeing.org
This diverse program includes the challenge of setting up Laughter Clubs, the Business of Laughter and a presentation by the creator of the “Laughie” who is a psychologist in Monaco. A research project has been established to identify the benefits of videoing a daily “Laughie” and then sharing it with yourself a few times a day. More information about this on the Facebook page “The Laughie Challenge Australia”
Looking forward to seeing you all soon at any of these events and sharing Laughter and friendship!
Janni Goss President LaughWA Inc. Ph. 9277 7922 Email: jannig@iinet.net.au
www.laughwa.org.au www.jannigoss.com
LAUGHWA NEWS UPDATE – AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2022
Dear Laughter Friends, thankfully Spring will soon be with us, while at present some people have had negative consequences from the current storms! Quite a bit of news to share with you!
Catalyst Program 9th August
This program was a breakthrough in demonstrating the stress reduction benefits of Laughter Yoga. If you missed it, you can find it on ABC iView. You can also find it on our FB page (LaughWA, Inc) where I have indicated that the segment starts at 26 minutes 30 seconds if you’re short of time. Called ‘The Science of Relationships’, it is all well worth watching.
The Laughie Challenge
This is ongoing. Have you recorded yourself laughing for one minute on your phone and then shared that laughter with yourself regularly? At the end of a presentation, you can invite your audience to record their laughter and this has proved very successful as a finale! You can also encourage family and friends to do the same. There is now ongoing research in the pipeline with the originator of this strategy and a professor in the UK with Merv so watch this space.
Lunch with Kimmy
Kimmy has recently been in Perth and gave a very successful and inspiring presentation to the stroke patients and staff at Fiona Stanley Hospital. She will be in Perth again in September, so if you would like to join us for lunch at Zamia Cafe at 12 noon on Wednesday, 14th September, please RSVP to me at Ph. 9277 7922 or email: jannig@iinet.net.au I will book a table for ten and look forward to catching up.
Laughter Clubs
Bunbury Laughter Club is still going strong at the local library! Well done!
Penny has ongoing success with a Laughter Club at the St Augustine’s Church Hall in Bayswater at 5.00 pm on Monday evenings. If you would like to attend or know someone who would be interested, please contact Penny on Mobile: 0411 595 951.
Laughter Wellbeing Conference Saturday 22nd October
Due to the current COVID situation, our annual conference will again be online, so please save the date. There is always a line-up of interesting speakers, so well worth attending.
AGM October
Your committee is planning our next AGM in October and the date and venue will be decided at the lunch with Kimmy on Wednesday, 14th September. It is another opportunity to revitalise LaughWA so I hope that we will have a good attendance.
Rwanda News
Word has come through via Kimmy that the Grant from Rotary International will soon be finalised so that Laughter Yoga Training can commence in ten villages in Rwanda in October. This process has taken nearly three years but “all things come to those who wait!”
Sam Habimana has completed the first year of his PhD at Linda Loma University and has presented his research on Community Resilience in Rwanda several times. In an upcoming Global Conference on Resilience, he is named as a Global Influencer! His next project will be to write a paper on Laughter Yoga in Rwanda and I am hoping that he will get in touch with Dr Lee Berk, who is a professor on the same campus. Dr Berk is of course known for his research into the physiological effects of laughter.
Erneste Rukinga continues to provide Laughter Yoga sessions in schools and will be a valuable asset when Training starts in October. I have posted a video from Erneste on our FB page.
Opportunities
In the next few months there are several opportunities to share Laughter Yoga with significant groups and organisations. Please note the following dates.
R U OK Day Thursday 8th September
R U OK Day raises awareness about caring for others’ wellbeing. Frankly, this should be a daily concern, not just on one day of the year! So if you have a chance to share Laughter Yoga, please do so. The stress reduction effects of Laughter Yoga are demonstrated in the Catalyst program. Participants had their cortisol levels measured before and after a session of Laughter Yoga and showed a decline in cortisol levels. This is good news for the Laughter Yoga community.
Mental Health Week Saturday 8th October - Saturday 15th October
At this time of year we are all likely to receive invitations to share Laughter Yoga to improve Mental Health. If you do receive an invitation and you are not able to fulfil it, please find someone who can. We have always backed each other up so that people who are interested in Laughter Yoga don’t miss out.
Carers’ Week Sunday 16th October - Saturday 22nd October
Carers make a huge contribution, both personally and financially to our community. They are unsung heroes and often perform their caring role to the detriment of their own health and wellbeing. They will certainly benefit from access to sessions of Laughter Yoga to reduce their stress and enhance their wellbeing, so please look for opportunities.
Janet Whitfield Wellbeing
Janet has been very busy this year establishing a Wellbeing career. She has had several very successful presentations, both to various groups and for corporates. If you have received an invitation which you cannot fulfil, please contact Janet on Mobile: 0450 351 473 or email: JanetWhitfieldWellbeing@gmail.com
Facebook Page
Once again, if you really want to keep up to date with Laughter Yoga News, please visit our Facebook page regularly, “like” it and leave a comment. I regularly post interesting local, national and international news and would really appreciate your interest!
After such a long period of hibernation, I am really looking forward to Kimmy’s lunch in September and the AGM in October. I hope you are all staying warm, well and dry and adding some laughter to your life every day!
Janni Goss President LaughWA Inc. Ph. 9277 7922 Email: jannig@iinet.net.au
www.laughwa.org.au www.jannigoss.com
LAUGHWA NEWS UPDATE – JUNE/JULY 2022
Dear Laughter Friends, time for another update from the World of Laughter Yoga. Winter has arrived and I am sure all the gardeners are welcoming the rain! I hope you have managed to avoid COVID and your flu shots will keep you healthy as winter takes over! Remember Laughter strengthens your immunity.
World Laughter Day: On Sunday, 1st May there were plenty of ZOOM sessions around the planet to celebrate, so hope you were able to participate or at least share some laughter with friends and family.
I participated in three online events and felt a very strong connection to the Global Laughter Community.
Online Training with Katrin Marras: Katrin is again planning a two-day certified Laughter Yoga Leader Training on ZOOM on the 27thand 28th of June 2022. There are already a few people interested, so if you know anyone who has the ambition to invite Laughter Yoga into their lives and share this gift, please pass on this information. Details are on Katrin’s website www.laughter-skills.com or you can contact Katrin at katrin@laughter-skills.com
Lunch with Kimmy: At the end of June, Kimmy will be spending a week in Perth so we are planning a get together lunch at Zamia Cafe in Kings Park on Saturday, 2nd July at 12 noon. I will book at table for ten
on the sunny verandah. Please RSVP to me to ensure your place at the table – first in, first served!
This location means that Kimmy’s poodle, Finny, can also join us for lunch!
The Laughie Challenge: Merv Neal at Laughter Yoga Australia has initiated a Laughie Challenge based on research demonstrating the benefits of recording one minute of your own laughter on your mobile phone and then sharing it with yourself several times a day. This challenge is spreading overseas and an English professor and the original researcher wish to collaborate with Merv to produce an academic paper!
So try this yourself and share the idea with friends and family. If you are not already a member of the private Laughter Yoga Australia FB page, apply to join and keep in touch with all the relevant news.
Friend Requests: Please note that my computer has been hacked, so if you receive a friend request from me, just delete it! Several friends have notified me about this, for which I am very grateful, and one of them has notified Facebook for me.
Laughter Clubs: These continue in abundance on ZOOM, so please take advantage of them. There is
a list on www.laughteryoga-australia.org.au of Laughter Clubs in Oz and you can also find more by ‘googling’ ‘Social Laughter Clubs’. Perth Laughter Club is in recess, Bunbury still going strong!
Congratulations to our Vice-President, Janet Whitfield, who has recently provided two presentations in the Gosnells area. Janet made a great impression, received a very positive response and further referrals. Looking forward to seeing you at Kimmy’s lunch on Saturday, 2nd July. Stay safe and well!
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“Life is short. Break the rules. Forgive quickly. Kiss slowly. Love truly, laugh uncontrollably and never regret ANYTHING that makes you smile.” – Mark Twain
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Janni Goss President LaughWA Inc.
Ph. 9277 7922 Email: jannig@iinet.net.au
www.laughwa.org.au www.jannigoss.com
LAUGHWA NEWS UPDATE – APRIL/MAY 2022
Good Morning Laughter Friends! Just a quick update on the latest Laughter Yoga news. As you would realise, Perth Laughter Club continues in recess due to the indoor mask mandate. Hope you are all staying healthy and inviting plenty of laughter into your life!
Proposed Joondalup Laughter Club: Lize Prinsloo is planning a new Laughter Club in July.
I am in the process organising a LY club in the Joondalup area. However due to my work I need to be available on short notice to fly. Are there any trained LY instructors in my area that I can contact that may be interested/able to co-host a session once a week if the need arose for me to fly? Days and times have not been set yet, but I am looking at Wednesdays/Thursdays 6-7pm. Starting July 2022.
Please contact Lize at email: lizeprinsloo69@gmail.com
Online Training with Katrin Marras: Become a Laughter Yoga Leader in only two days and start sharing laughter with the world. The Certified Laughter Yoga Leader course is probably the most fun training you’ll ever enrol in. I am happy to announce that the Certified Laughter Yoga Leader Training is now a 2-day Live Online Training. The next training dates are April 28 & 29, 2022. For more info and booking, get in touch via email or click the link to my website: www.laughter-skills.com
I'm looking forward to laughing with you :) Katrin’s email is: katrin@laughter-skills.com
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World Laughter Day – Sunday, 1st May: Join Peter Schupp at 12 pm at South Beach, South Fremantle, Parkland north of cafe.
for two free 30 minute sessions of Laughter Yoga.
Come along and try this simple system that enables you to laugh even if you don't feel like it!
You can contact Peter on 0408 944 815
Also ..... A GLOBAL ZOOM EVENT from UK. With Sylvia and team. details on our LaughWA facebook page.
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Please visit and ‘Like’ the LaughWA, Inc FB page for regular updates from the world of Laughter Yoga.
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Janni Goss President LaughWA Inc.
Ph. 9277 7922 Email: jannig@iinet.net.au
www.laughwa.org.au www.jannigoss.com
LAUGHWA NEWS UPDATE – CHRISTMAS 2021
Good Morning Laughter Friends! I hope you have all arrived safely at the end of 2021. It has been a year of challenges for many people, however we have been very fortunate here in WA to have our freedom for most of the year. If all goes to plan, our border will be open on the 5th February 2022. But who knows what the consequences will be! The Laughter Yoga World has been very active in the past year, and of course, ZOOM has made Laughter Yoga very accessible, as well as major conferences and events.
Training: Although face-to-face Training was not available this year, we have planned to do a Training on
Saturday, 12th and 26th March 2022 at The Clubhouse, Faulkner Park. All details are fully updated on our
website. So, if you know anyone who might be interested, please share this information with them.
Perth Laughter Club: Our Club did very well when it started up again, and for our final meeting we had
13 participants who enjoyed a Christmas theme with plenty of fun and laughter. Surprise! Surprise!
The Loftus Centre provided us with an amazing buffet style afternoon tea, which just added to the
festivities. Our thanks to The Loftus Centre for their generosity. We will start again on the 19th January.
Country News: Sending best wishes to Tammie, Wendy and all the members of Bunbury Laughter
Club. So pleased for your ongoing success in your 11th year of sharing Laughter Yoga in Bunbury.
Best wishes to Jo and Heather in Albany and Kimmy in Denmark for their contributions to the Laughter
Community. Remember that ZOOM Laughter Clubs in Australia are listed on the Laughter Yoga Australia
Website. As it is summertime, all the times given are AEST and we are three hours behind.
Catalyst: The good news from Merv is that in 2022 there will be a Catalyst program on the ABC about the
stress reduction benefits of Laughter Yoga. Two filming sessions were held one week apart in Sydney
recently. Merv and several Laughter Yogis from Sydney participated. A scientist took saliva tests to
measure cortisol levels before and after the Laughter Yoga session in Week 1. A week later, the results
demonstrated that the majority of participants had a significant drop of 35-65 percent in their cortisol
levels. This important information demonstrating the benefits of Laughter Yoga will be aired on the ABC
in 2022. Catalyst is a highly regarded science program, so will certainly benefit our Laughter Community.
House of Wellness: In Melbourne filming of Laughter Yoga has also taken place for the House of Wellness
which will also be aired in 2022. I will let you know the dates when these programs will be broadcast.
Rwanda: Erneste and Fanny completed Teacher Training online with Duncan (Laughter Yoga Ontario) and
are now running Trainings in Rwanda. Sam is now at Loma Linda University in California doing his PhD.
This is all happening thanks to our wonderful Angel Kimmy.
Wishing you all the Blessings of Christmas and a Safe, Healthy and Happy New Year in 2022.
Love Laughter and Peace
Janni Goss President LaughWA Inc. Ph. 9277 7922
Email: jannig@iinet.net.au www.laughwa.org.au www.jannigoss.com
LAUGHWA NEWS UPDATE – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021
Good Morning Laughter Friends! We recently held our AGM at Faulkner Park on Saturday, 30th October so this update will include the President’s Report and other relevant information.
President’s Report: Welcome to our AGM for 2021 and a review of the past year since our 2020 AGM
on Saturday, 26th September at Kings Park. Again, the past year has been influenced by COVID although
we have had no lockdowns in recent months and fortunately enjoy our freedom here in WA.
Communication and Media: LaughWA News Updates have been published bi-monthly with local,
national and international news and forwarded to the members by Deb. Our FB page is updated regularly
and I continue to attend the monthly teleconference with Merv Neal. In January 2021 Katrin and I were
approached for a feature article about the benefits of laughter. We had a photo shoot in Kings Park and
an interview on ZOOM. However, it was not until the 4th August that the three page feature appeared in
the Today section of the West Australian. Anne Williams was also featured, as well as Kimmy for her
work in Rwanda.
Training: There has been no Training again this year due to COVID uncertainties. Online Training is now
available with Merv Neal, Katrin and the Rwanda School of Laughter Yoga, for which Kimmy and I are
advisors. Should we plan a Training in 2022?
Perth Laughter Club: We continue with a good attendance of 12-15 and new people every week who
sometimes return! Our 10th November meeting will coincide with Seniors’ Week and the club is
advertised on our Facebook page each fortnight.
World Laughter Day: There were multiple events on ZOOM, including a collaboration between Australia
and New Zealand initiated by Judith Croner-Small with me. Our own celebration in Kings Park was
cancelled at the last minute due to the risk of a possible continued lockdown. Hope we will have better
luck in 2022.
ZOOM Laughter Clubs: These continue in Australia and around the world, available in every time zone.
They have made Laughter Yoga widely available and connected people isolated in lockdown. There is
growing recognition of the negative impact of lockdowns on people’s mental health and the benefits of
sharing Laughter Yoga online or in person.
Laughter Wellbeing Conference 2020/2021: In 2020, this was held online on ZOOM in late October,
although originally planned to happen in Perth. It was a one-day event and WA was well represented
by Peter Schupp, Anne Williams and Katrin Marras. This year Adelaide was to provide the venue but
instead the Conference and Joy Festival were held for four hours each day on ZOOM.
(Brief overview was provided at the Meeting.)
Country News: Bunbury Laughter Club continues to thrive and recently celebrated their 11th Birthday.
They have returned to the Library after using a local park, due to COVID restrictions. They also receive
regular requests for presentations from the local community i.e. The Relay for Life. In Albany, Jo will
be starting up weekly Laughter Yoga sessions again at a local hall as the weather warms up. Jo and
Heather also travelled to Cranbrook to share Laughter Yoga at a Seniors’ venue.
Laughter Yoga in Schools: An English Girls’ School has recently introduced Laughter Yoga to reduce stress
and benefit the mental health of students. I recently provided six sessions of “Laughter Games” for the
students at Kewdale Primary School for Mental Health Week. I am happy to share my format with
anyone who is interested.
Global Congress – 19/20/21 November 2021: An online event with Dr Kataria will be for three hours a
day for three days. Local time will be 9pm till midnight! A fee is involved and recordings will be available.
Nine international speakers will include Merv Neal, and there will be teachings from Madan every day.
Information is on our FB page and the Laughter Yoga FB page. Laughter Yoga has now reached 115
countries and ZOOM has made it even more widely available. A new hybrid model combining online with
face-to-face is now emerging.
Finally, I am committed to continuing to support the growth and accessibility of Laughter Yoga in WA and
I welcome your ideas. We have held an occasional informal committee meeting following Perth Laughter
Club. I want to sincerely thank Kath, Deb, Penny and Grant, as well as Kimmy, Katrin and Anne, and our
country reps, Jo in Albany and Tammie in Bunbury for their ongoing commitment. Today, we have an
opportunity to revitalise LaughWA and plan for the future, which for all of you, I hope will be filled with
Love, Laughter and Peace. Janni Goss.
Our AGM was held on Saturday, 30th October at The Clubhouse, Faulkner Park Estate with seven
members in attendance. Following the acceptance of reports, the elections took place.
President Janni Goss
Vice President Janet Whitfield
Treasurer Grant Stone
Training Coordinator Anne Williams
PR, Media, Newsletter Janni Goss
Committee Penny Thomas
Kath McKeown and Katrin Marras (website)
Kimmy O’Meara
Country Reps Jo-Anne Glenie and Tammie Reid
It was decided to plan for a Training on 12th and 26th March 2022 at The Clubhouse, Faulkner Park.
Themes have been an important contribution to Laughter Yoga in recent times. So, there have been
many Laughter exercises based on COVID, Halloween, Melbourne Cup, The Royal Show, and you might
like to try Around the World in 80 Laughs, which has loads of potential.
Perth Laughter Club will have their final meeting for the year on Wednesday, 8th December at 1pm at Loftus CC, so please join us for our Christmas Festivities!
Wishing you all the Blessings of Christmas and
a Safe, Healthy and Happy New Year in 2022.
Janni Goss President LaughWA Inc.
Ph. 9277 7922 Email: jannig@iinet.net.au
www.laughwa.org.au
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LAUGHWA NEWS UPDATE – APRIL/MAY 2021
Good Morning Laughter Friends! Much has been happening in the world of Laughter Yoga, so hope you enjoy this update.
World Laughter Day – Sunday, 2nd May
This year our celebration will be held in Kings Park as usual. You will find us in our usual space below Zamia Cafe between 12 midday and 2 p.m. It would be great if you would organise a picnic with your family and friends and celebrate World Laughter Day with all the other Laughter Yogis around the world for Health, Happiness and World Peace. Hope to see you there!
Perth Laughter Club
We continue to meet at the Loftus Community Centre at 1 p.m. every second Wednesday. Last Wednesday 14th April coincided with my birthday and it was a very joyful occasion! Please spread the word! Bunbury Laughter Club continues to be very successful as well.
STM Feature Article
We still have not heard when this feature article will be published. When I find out, I will post the info on the LaughWA, Inc Facebook page so please check it regularly!
Online Trainings
LaughWA has no concrete plans as yet for a Laughter Yoga Training, however Katrin Marras is holding an online training on the 7th and 8th of May, so if you know anyone who might be interested, please pass on Katrin’s mobile number 0490 338 750.
The World Laughing Competition (FB)
Our Angel Kimmy O’Meara entered this competition to represent Australia as a ‘wild card’! It was organised on ZOOM by Laughter Yoga Ontario at 6 p.m. on Thursday, 1st April. Due to the time difference, it all started at 6 a.m. on Friday, 2nd April here in W.A., which made for a very early start for Kimmy and me! There were participants from 30 countries and the winner was Dmitriy Efimov from Russia, who has since had an explosion of media coverage! Kimmy got a special mention, and in my opinion, has the best contagious laughter in the world!
You will be very pleased to know that Kimmy is recovering well from her stroke with a lot of intensive therapy and flew home to Denmark last Tuesday. We wish her well.
Rwanda News
Thanks to donations from the Laughter Yoga community, Sam Habimana was able to do a one hour program on National TV in Rwanda (Flash TV) to share Laughter Yoga and try to help people’s mental health at the start of the Commemoration in Rwanda.
Mental Health Pandemic
As mentioned in the last newsletter, maintaining good mental health is still a challenge for many people. Please take any opportunities to share Laughter Yoga to help people dealing with stress and trauma, particularly due to recent weather events. Thank you.
Janni Goss President LaughWA Inc. www.laughwa.org.au
Ph. 9277 7922 Email: jannig@iinet.net.au www.jannigoss.com
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LAUGHWA NEWS UPDATE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021
Dear Laughter Friends – I hope you have had an enjoyable break over the festive season and that you are still inviting Laughter into your lives and sharing in Laughter Yoga at every opportunity. Have you accessed the many ZOOM Laughter Sessions available on the internet? There is a ZOOM Laughter Club in Australia every day. Most of them are in the Eastern states, which makes some a bit early for us. You can find the info at www.laughteryoga-australia.org/laughterclubs
Perth Laughter Club
We were so pleased to meet again at the Loftus Community Centre at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, 20th January to reconnect and enjoy some therapeutic laughter together. One of our members has been attending Laughter Clubs since 2001! We meet fortnightly, so if you can ever come along, we would love to welcome you. Next meeting is the 3rd February! Signing in is required, hand sanitiser is provided and suitable distancing is observed. Cost is $4 paid at reception.
Committee Meeting – 20th January
We met briefly after Laughter Club to share information and plan for 2021 and I will address these topics and others in this newsletter.
STM Feature Article
Katrin and I were contacted by the Features Editor of the Sunday Times Magazine, Katherine Fleming, for a feature article on the benefits of laughter. We had a photo shoot in Kings Park and then a ZOOM interview. We are not sure when it will be published but probably some time in February. I will keep you posted! (We posed and laughed for 40 minutes on a very hot day, so we were pretty exhausted after all that exercise!)
Training – 13th & 27th February
Our Training will go ahead at The Clubhouse, Faulkner Park with the usual precautions – signing in, hand sanitiser and suitable distancing. Registration forms are being sent out to all those who expressed interest and I would encourage anyone who would like to refresh their Laughter Yoga skills to come along on the 13th. There will be increasing interest in Laughter Yoga following the STM article and you might want to contribute your skills as well. Please contact me for details.
LaughWA Inc. Facebook Page
Please visit our Facebook page regularly as I frequently update it with all the local, national and global Laughter Yoga news. This is the best way of keeping in touch. I recently posted a link to a Go-Fund-Me page to raise funds for Rwanda, initiated by Ernest Rukinga to support several families with babies who have no resources. This page was set up by Judith in New Zealand and is a demonstration of how the Global Laughter Family can offer support to each other. Small donations by many people can really make a difference.
Rwanda News
Sam has been in touch recently and the Training grant from Rotary International has been confirmed. However, the money has not yet arrived, and unfortunately Kigali is in lockdown due to COVID, so Trainings can’t take place yet. Another excellent initiative is the provision of 160 wheelchairs for kids in Rwanda with disabilities. They are manufactured here in Malaga and will probably arrive in Rwanda in April. Over 100 have been allocated to Sam’s organisation – Rwanda Resilience & Grounding Organisation (RRGO). They will be employing an experienced O.T. and physio to assess the kids and prescribe the wheelchairs. This will make a huge difference to the kids’ ability to participate in the community.
Canadian Laughter Conference – 29th to 31st January 2021
I have posted a link to this Conference on our Facebook page. We are actually 13 hours ahead of Ontario, which means much of it is happening overnight! However, it is being live streamed on Facebook and will be available for some time if you would like to check it out. Four Aussies are presenting – Ros Ben Moshe, Bron Roberts, Annie Harvey and yours truly. Everyone was asked to submit a recording, but as I am a Luddite and technophobe, Duncan the organiser recorded me on ZOOM. Quite an adventure!
Ernest will also be presenting in a session on Sunday called ‘Duncan and Friends’. We are hoping that this will encourage people to donate to the Go-Fund-Me page. I will also be presenting in this group which is scheduled on Sunday.
Mental Health Pandemic
There is a lot of discussion about the effects of COVID on people’s mental health. We have been very fortunate here in W.A., but even just isolation has a very negative effect on wellbeing, which I discovered myself! Merv Neal is promoting the idea of Laughter Yoga contributing to Mental Wealth, so we need to be prepared for increasing interest and opportunities to promote and share Laughter Yoga!
Laughter Buddies
During this year, I have acquired three Laughter Buddies! Whenever Kimmy (in Denmark) or Jo-Anne (in Albany) chat with me on the phone, we finish with Laughter and a Hug! Katrin and I have been sharing Laughter for five minutes on ZOOM at 7 p.m. starting back in May. It was every night to start with, now it is just the WE. We act out a little story and laugh and breathe! We go to the beach, the gym, ride a bike up a mountain to enjoy the view, go skiing or go to work. On Friday nights we always go to a nightclub, getting ready first, driving there, arguing with the bouncer, dancing, drinking cocktails, flirting and then we need to ring an Uber to get home, finishing off with hugs, and all in five minutes!!! Several other people join us, including Katrin’s mother from Germany! Laughter Buddies is the topic of my presentation at the Canadian Laughter Conference.
World Laughter Day – Sunday, 2nd May
This year our celebration will be held in Kings Park as usual. I will place a notice in the Community column of Have-a-Go News in April (which is free!) Hopefully we will have a good turnout due to increasing publicity and awareness. Hope to see you there!
I would welcome your feedback and comments about this newsletter, and hope that you will share it to your networks to promote awareness of the benefits of Laughter Yoga.
Wishing you well in 2021!
Janni Goss President LaughWA Inc. www.laughwa.org.au
Ph. 9277 7922 Email: jannig@iinet.net.au www.jannigoss.com
LAUGHWA NEWS UPDATE – MAY 2020
D ear Laughter Friends
Once again I would like to share with you some news from the Laughter Yoga world!
# Merv Neal is holding a Zoom meeting every Thursday at 5:30pm WST to address issues influenced by COVID -19. There have been numerous on-line Laughter Yoga
events specially for World Laughter Day. Merv advises that there should be no posting of recordings or screen shots as this is a breach of privacy. Many people overseas do this, so join in at your discretion!
# There is now an opportunity to join in a daily Laughter Yoga session here in Australia on Zoom organised by Laughter Yoga Australia. You can find the list at -
All the times are AEST so you need to deduct 2 hours for WST! You can contact the leaders by email to obtain the links. Peter Schupp has a link on his FB page and also on the LaughWA FB page for his session on Tuesdays at 6:30pm WST - so do join him!
# Merv has created a protocol for on-line Laughter Clubs which he can send to you. It will be some time before there are face to face clubs as laughing in an enclosed space is not a healthy option! Some people over east are continuing their clubs on Zoom but a code is recommended to prevent " Zoom- bombing!"
On-line presentations are also being explored.
# Sam in Rwanda has recently been in touch & was planning to celebrate World Laughter Day last WE in Bugesera - a village where both victims and perpetrators have been trained to share Laughter Yoga with very positive results. However this event has been postponed to 10th June as there have been cases of COVID-19 in the village. LaughWA has sent $200 US/$366 AUS to support this celebration.
Sam has a Masters in Psychology and is the Executive Director of the Rwanda Resilience and Grounding Organisation (RRGO) "Building resilience to trauma is my passion"
# Kimmy has returned from her sojourn up north where she has put Laughter Yoga training to good use! She will be heading south next week but plans to return to Perth around 19th June. Meanwhile Sam has met with Wifred from Vic Park Rotary and Kigali Rotary on-line for successful discussions re funding for training in 30 villages in Rwanda. Kimmy's work in Rwanda continues to expand and help the community to heal from the genocide! LaughWA is proud to support this!
# Merv is still planning for the next Laughter Wellbeing Conference to be held in Perth at the end of October, combined with streaming. This will give us here in WA the opportunity to present and participate.
However this will depend on borders opening, airlines flying and fares being affordable! Maybe a fully on-line Global Conference might be the answer - but quite a few people have expressed interest in coming to Perth! If Rotto is available they could share their Quokka selfies!
# Merv is also planning on-line Laughter Yoga Training on May 25th/26th. Participants will be able to do on-line Laughter Clubs but will require an extra day of face to face Training in order to run a regular Laughter Club,. This will be provided by LaughWA eventually.
Meanwhile we have no plans for further training until restrictions are lifted. Social/physical distancing may
be required for some time.
# I hope you are all staying safe, well and socially connected as much as possible. Also inviting laughter into your life at every opportunity! I will add my laughter prescription as a reminder and do take advantage of the on-line Laughter Clubs! Please contact me if you need further info or I can support you in any way!
We Who Laugh ... Last!
Love Laughter and Peace
Janni
Janni Goss B.App.Sci(Physio)
Phone: (08) 9277 7922 Email: jannig@iinet.net.au
Website: www.jannigoss.com
LAUGHWA NEWS UPDATE – JANUARY 2020
Good morning LaughWA Members!
It may be a little late for New Year wishes, but I do hope you all have had a joyful and relaxing festive season. Just wanted to update you on some proposed activities in 2020.
LAUGHTER YOGA TRAINING
The dates for our two-day Training are Saturday, 14th March and Saturday, 21st March at The Clubhouse, Faulkner Park Estate.
FUNDRAISER FOR RWANDA
Kimmy is proposing to have an FUN event on Saturday, 28th March to raise funds for the ongoing promotion of Laughter Yoga in Rwanda where she intends to visit, leaving late in March 2020. Laughter Yoga has had a huge positive impact on both victims and perpetrators, following the genocide in 1994. It has provided healing, connection, forgiveness and improved mental health for men, women and children. LaughWA has been supporting these projects and last year donated $1,700. As we provide our training as volunteers, we feel that this is a very appropriate way to share the fees that we receive.
Recently Sam Habimana shared a Laughter Yoga session for women with Dr Kataria and Madhuri by Skype! I regularly keep in touch with Sam by Skype also. As a psychologist with a Masters Degree, Sam will be teaching at the University in 2020 whilst also undertaking his Ph.D. with formal research on the benefits of Laughter Yoga for people in Rwanda.
HARMONY DAY
This day occurs on the 21st March - the same day as Level 2 of our facilitator training. - You might like to look for opportunities to share Laughter Yoga during the week of celebrations.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF HAPPINESS
Another special day is Tuesday, 24th March when sharing Laughter Yoga would be a great idea! I am going to check out some of my connections to see if I can contribute to people’s happiness and wellbeing. I am quite accustomed to sharing Laughter Yoga without a fee as there are many flow-on benefits which can occur!
BUSHFIRE RELIEF
It is recommended that if you wish to donate, it is preferred to do so to well-known organisations such as Red Cross and the Salvos who are directly involved in supporting people affected by the bushfires, as there are scammers around! It is interesting to note that the Myrtleford Laughter Club in Victoria is advertising its services to local people who are threatened by nearby bushfires.
Janni Goss President LaughWA Inc. Ph. 9277 7922 Email: jannig@iinet.net.au
LAUGHWA NEWS UPDATE – NOVEMBER 2019
The end of the year is rapidly approaching with anticipation of Christmas and New Year holidays, and of course reflecting on our goals for 2020.
Please note the following dates for your diary:
Monday, 4 November:
There will be an interview on Fremantle Community Radio which is 107.9 I think, if you have time to listen at 11am.
Wednesday, 13 November:
LaughWA will be celebrating Seniors’ Week at the Loftus Community Centre, Leederville at our usual Laughter Club time of 1pm, so please come and join us if you can.
Saturday, 16 & 30 November:
Our next Laughter Yoga Training will be held as usual at The Clubhouse, Faulkner Park Estate, Cloverdale. All the details are at www.laughwa.org.au so please share this information and consider attending Level 1 on 16 November to update your skills and renew your enthusiasm for Laughter Yoga. Please contact Janni if you wish to discuss this further.
Wednesday, 11 December:
Perth Laughter Club will meet for the last time this year at the Loftus Community Centre, Leederville at 1pm and we will celebrate with a Christmas theme and shared afternoon tea.
You are invited to the LaughWA End of Year Christmas Celebration to celebrate our achievements in 2019
Date: Saturday, 14 December 2019
Time: 10.00am to 2.00pm
Venue: The Clubhouse, Faulkner Park Estate, 39 Elizabeth Street, Cloverdale
Lunch: Please bring healthy finger food to share and festive dress!
RSVP: To Janni at janni@iinet.net.au or 9277 7922 by Wednesday, 11 December
This is an opportunity share inside info from the wonderful Laughter Wellbeing Conference and Joy Festival held recently on the Gold Coast. It was an amazing and joyful event and we also welcomed ten ‘Laughter Lovers’ from Japan, including Michi and Wakako, who attended the Conference last year. I would like to share with you the highlights from the Conference and some of the activities that we enjoyed.
Wishing you all the Blessings of Christmas and hope that you all have a safe, joyful and relaxing Festive Season, full of Love and Laughter.
Janni Goss President LaughWA Inc.
Ph. 9277 7922 Email: jannig@iinet.net.au
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P.S. At the 2019 Laughter Wellbeing Conference Merv Neal, CEO of Laughter Yoga Australia, decided to donate $10 from every registration to support Laughter Yoga Trainings in Rwanda, and this was topped up to $1,000. Sam Habimana skyped in a presentation from Rwanda to discuss the genocide and the benefits of Laughter Yoga.
LAUGHWA NEWS UPDATE No. 5 – AUGUST 2018
In this edition of the LaughWA News Update, we will share the President’s Report and the outcomes of our AGM which was held at The Clubhouse, Faulkner Park on Saturday, 28thJuly. However, as several important events are coming up, I will share these with you first!
Friday, 24thAugust
A film evening is being held to showcase a film about Rwanda which was created by a team from Western Australia to demonstrate positive aspects of life there. Laughter Yoga, which was introduced to Rwanda by Kimmy O’Meara, is featured in the film and demonstrates the value of the training which was conducted recently. Kimmy’s account of her recent trip to Rwanda can be found later in this update.
The film will be shown from 6.30 pm to 8.00 pm at The Tim Winton Lecture Theatre, Building 213 at Curtin University, Bentley. Tickets are available at Eventbrite and all the details can be found at the LaughWA Facebook page - www.facebook.com/laughwa
Sunday, 14thOctober
The Loftus Centre in Leederville will be celebrating its 40thAnniversary on this day with a name change and a major celebration from 10.00 am to 2.00 pm. As this is the venue for The Perth Laughter Club, LaughWA Inc. will be involved in promoting and demonstrating Laughter Yoga. We would love you to come and join us at this event which will include program demonstrations and short trials, food trucks, a coffee van and family entertainment.
Saturday, 20thOctober
LaughWA Inc. has been invited to the Conscious Living Expo to co-create and help to achieve an Australian record for the largest participation in a Laughter Yoga Session in one venue in Australia, in the Australian Book of Records. It is hoped to have 600 people participating. The Laughter Yoga Session will take place on Saturday, 20thOctober at 11.00 am in the Silver Jubilee Pavilion at the Claremont Showgrounds Exhibition Centre at 1 Graylands Road, Claremont. The participants can register for a free ticket on Eventbrite which will include FREE admission into the Expo. The ticket is QR coded and each participant will have their ticket scanned and checked in. Participants must be present in the Pavilion to be checked in by 10.30 am in order to enter the event. They will be given a coloured armband and directed to the designated areas where they will be counted by the team of volunteers and an official adjudicator using clickers. The session will be delivered from the Main Stage over the PA system and other Laughter Yoga facilitators will assist participants in each of five areas.
This event will commence at 11.00 am and conclude at 11.30 am and aims to promote Laughter Yoga and its health benefits to the community. It is envisioned that this event will help grow participation in Laughter Clubs. Info at www.facebook.com/ConsciousLivingAus
Volunteers will be required on the day to run the sessions, as well as assist with registering the participants. Please contact Janni to confirm your participation.
President’s Report – AGM – Saturday, 28thJuly 2018
Welcome to the 16thAGM of LaughWA Inc. It is an opportunity to reflect on the past year and plan for our future. We have had several changes to our committee in the past year. Tracey, our Vice-President, moved to NSW to start a new venture with her partner. Anne, Training Co-ordinator, resigned from her position and Luke has relocated to Pemberton.
Rosemarie from the Bunbury Laughter Club, who had become Membership Secretary, very sadly passed away following a stroke. Rosemarie was farewelled at a colourful and warm-hearted memorial service at Koombana Bay, Bunbury. Rosemarie was a much loved and active member of the LaughWA and Bunbury communities. Our condolences were sent to Rosemarie’s family, friends and the Bunbury Laughter Club and a notice was placed in the West Australian on behalf of LaughWA Inc. This has therefore required some adjustments and sharing of roles which will need to be clarified at this AGM.
Trainings
We continued with our Two-Day Trainings in August 2017 and March and June 2018. This new format has been very beneficial. The gap between Level 1 and Level 2 has been 2-3 weeks depending on the availability of the Clubhouse. Feedback has consistently been excellent. Although mentoring has been made available, there has been little response apart from Jacquie, who has re-started the Busselton Laughter Club. Wendy, Chooi and Trudy from the Bunbury Laughter Club attended Level 1 in June which will help to revitalise the Bunbury Laughter Club. Deb, Kath and Penny have consistently contributed to the success of the Trainings – my thanks. Our final Training for 2018 will be decided at this AGM.
Have-A-Go News
LaughWA was approached to place an advertisement and article in the Active Ageing lift-out in this newspaper for Seniors for the April Issue. A new advertisement, which was also used in the Loftus Community Brochure, was designed by Leanne and has also been published in our Newsletter. It is appropriate for any publication. As the Active Ageing lift-out was so successful, we were recently approached to contribute to the August Issue. It was agreed to do so, and the article will consist of an independent review of Love Laughter and Longevity, as well as our new advertisement.
Loftus Community Centre
This year we were invited to advertise the Perth Laughter Club in the brochure in the first term which had a print run of 30,000. The Perth Laughter Club decided to run every second Wednesday instead of the 2ndand 4thand the advertisement was updated for Term 2. The Centre will be celebrating its 40thAnniversary on Sunday, 14thOctober and LaughWA Inc. has been invited to participate.
Laughter Clubs
Bunbury and Albany Laughter Clubs continue and Jacquie has re-started in Busselton. Heathridge needs a new location which hopefully will be finalised soon. Trevor continues at RAAFA but Julia has cancelled her club at High Wycombe as her husband is not well. Most of our graduates have introduced Laughter Yoga into their workplaces or existing groups to schools, aged care facilities, disability groups and yoga classes, cancer support groups, etc.
Marketing and Communication
A workshop was held with Luke to clarify our future goals and plans. Luke has also updated the Facebook and Meet-Up pages with news of Trainings and events – thanks Luke. Kath has also continued to update our website, which is greatly appreciated. A brief news update has been published regularly to keep our members informed.
Laughter Wellness Conference Sydney 2017
The Annual Conference was held late in October 2017 with an interesting and diverse program. Unable to attend, I provided a half hour presentation on Zoom. This year’s Laughter Wellbeing Conference is being held on the Gold Coast and I plan to attend and present at the two day Joy Festival – previously known as Immersion. My topic ‘Love Laughter and Longevity - self-care to share’.
Laughter Yoga Australia
Merv Neal continues as CEO and organises a monthly teleconference on Zoom to keep in touch with each state and share news and ideas. It is the first Thursday of the month at 7.30 pm AEST. He also produces a monthly newsletter and contributes to the Laughter Yoga Australia Facebook page and organises the conferences.
World Laughter Day
Once again we celebrated in Kings Park on 6thMay – having two sessions – one blessed with sunshine and the second one finishing just as the rain arrived. Poor weather had been forecast so there were not many people in Kings Park to join us. Thanks to everyone, especially Trish for her gazebo, for which we were very grateful as we sheltered easily afterwards!
Rwanda Update
Kimmy recently returned to Rwanda to assist in further trainings with Sam and Erneste. Research data has been collated about the benefits of Laughter Yoga in reducing the effects of past trauma and improve the wellbeing of genocide survivors and their children. Rotary Clubs have supported this venture. Kimmy held a Quiz night in March 2018 to raise funds for her trip which was very successful. A WA film crew in Rwanda recently filmed various aspects of life there, including the introduction of Laughter Yoga. This film will be presented at Curtin University, Bentley on Friday, 24thAugust and the details and link for tickets are on the Laughter Facebook page. Please support this event. www.facebook.com/laughwa
Gerontology Conference
In November 2017 I was fortunate to have an abstract accepted for a National Gerontology Conference at Crown Perth. I had a 20 minute oral presentation and had about 50 people join me for Laughter Yoga. The next conference is in Melbourne in November and again I will be attending for one day only to present ‘Wellbeing Matters-are we doing enough in Aged Care?’
End of Year Event
Once again we celebrated with a delicious shared lunch (in spite of a double booking at The Clubhouse!)
Living Well in WA Expo – May 2018
I was invited to present a workshop at this event and to promote my book on Saturday, 19th May. Kath very kindly spent some time to assist me with these tasks, which was greatly appreciated. I have also been approached to present Laughter Yoga at the Conscious Living Expo on Saturday, 20thOctober. Jacquie Walker will be attending this AGM to discuss the possibility of having a major Laughter Yoga event at the Expo involving everyone there! This will require a team effort, but is a great opportunity to showcase Laughter Yoga.
Committee Roles
We need to re-evaluate and commit to all the roles so that LaughWA can continue to flourish and fulfil its vision and mission. Thanks to Tammie, hard copies of the membership list have been obtained and been utilised by Deb.
Finally, my sincere thanks to the core group of committee members who continue to support all the endeavours of LaughWA – Kath, Deb, Penny, Grant, Trish, Kimmy, as well as our country members in Albany, Mandurah, Busselton and Bunbury and other club leaders. Laughter Yoga continues to expand and flourish around the world with numerous events, Trainings and Conferences. Dr Kataria, and his wife Madhuri, deserve our respect and appreciation for bringing Laughter Yoga to W.A. and we need to uphold their vision of contributing to Good Health, Joy and World Peace.
* * * * * * *
AGM Outcomes
The following positions have been filled:
- President - Janni Goss
- Vice President - Grant Stone
- Treasurer - Deb Fforde
- Website - Kath McKeown
- Membership Secretary - Deb Fforde
- Training Co-ordinator - Deb Fforde
- Minute Secretary - Janni Goss/Kath McKeown
- PR & Marketing - Janni Goss/Luke Be
- Grants Co-ordinator - Grant Stone
- Committee Members - Kimmy O’Meara, Trish Jamieson, Penny Thomas, Vanessa Jessup, Luke Be
Financial Report from our Treasurer: Our balance is currently $2,592.18.
At a subsequent committee meeting, it was agreed to support three members to attend the Laughter Wellbeing Conference on the Gold Coast from 26thto 28thOctober by paying the registration fees. With regard to the major events described on page 1, a roster will be organised for the events at The Loftus Community Centre (14thOctober) and the Conscious Living Expo (20thOctober).
Training
It was agreed that our next Training would occur on Saturday, 3rdNovember and 17th November at The Clubhouse, Faulkner Park to take advantage of the opportunities to promote it during October.
Kimmy’s News from Rwanda
Hooley Dooley! Great news from our sister Laughter Club in Rwanda.
My recent trip to the rural village of Butare was so successful. The RRGO (Rwandan Resilience and Grounding Organisation) that is made up of psychologists and doctors, whom I taught Laughter Yoga in 2014, and I spent four days teaching ten ladies from the village to become Laughter Yoga facilitators.
They were chosen by the districts’ HR psychologist for their level of PTSD, depression, and trauma - a high level, that had paralysed them from being active, productive, happy and resilient in life.
The ladies arrived displaying visible signs, slumped over, very teary, sad faces, little interaction and mobility. This body language told me the stories of suffering and pain at a high level.
We slowly introduced them to the world of Laughter Yoga. We did a whole day of breathing and learning about the benefits of Laughter Yoga first so that everyone could understand WHY they would want to laugh in such challenging times.
We taught them how they could gain physical and mental strength through laughter and how positivity and optimism can spread through the village.
Each day was a joy for me, watching them grow and blossom into people who have been resuscitated by laughter.
I’d like to invite you to a movie night and talk about the magic happening in Rwanda.
So many of you have supported this project through LaughWA and now I’d like to show you what has been achieved in a country recovering from Genocide and building an optimistic future for themselves and their children.
As always, I am very grateful to you all and pass on the enormous love the Rwandese have for LaughWA and the many individual people who have been beside them on this journey of recovery through laughter and its benefits.
If you cannot make it to the movie night and would like to donate, please buy a ticket and the proceeds will go to help raise $7,500. This money will be joined together with Rotary International, Rotary Kigale Rwanda and Victoria Park Rotary Club to raise a grand total of $48,000.
We are planning a two-year Laughter Yoga tour to 30 rural villages to teach facilitators and begin laughter clubs promoting health, wellbeing and resilience throughout Rwanda.
‘World Peace Through Laughter’
Madan Kataria
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Please share this invitation with your friends and family and enjoy a couple of hours of feel good news. www.facebook.com/laughwa
Janni Goss President LaughWA Inc. Ph. 9277 7922 Email: jannig@iinet.net.au
LAUGHWA NEWS UPDATE No. 4 – JUNE 2018
World Laughter Day
Once again we celebrated World Laughter Day on Sunday, 6thMay and managed to enjoy sunshine for our first session of Laughter Yoga and the rain held off for session No. 2! We then all huddled under the gazebo, still laughing, as it was very cosy! Thanks in particular to Trish who shared her gazebo and flags to provide a very festive occasion.
Laughter Yoga Training Level 1 was held on Saturday 9th June and we were delighted to have nine participants, three of whom travelled up from Bunbury. We had a very succesful day with great feedback. Looking forward to Level 2 which will take place on Saturday 30th June.
Laughter Yoga in Rwanda Once again Laughter Yoga has been successfully introduced into some remote villages in Rwanda and a research project has evaluated some very successful outcomes. Sam Habimana, in his conclusion to the research, says "Laughter Yoga helps the persons in homeostasis. It brings harmony in our body, mind and spirit. Like practicing a headstand, it takes consistent practice to master the pose. Laughing is the same. We can master joyfulness by practicing Laughter Yoga to prevent health issues that we may experience in our daily life. The way to make people laugh for their health is laughter yoga."
16thAnnual General Meeting
This will take place at the Clubhouse, Faulkner Park, 39 Elizabeth Street, Cloverdale from 11am to 1pm on Saturday, 28thJuly. Please see the flyer (On our Events Page) for details and please RSVP to Janni and consider nominating for a position on the committee!
Janni Goss President LaughWA Inc. Ph: 9277 7922 Email: jannig@iinet.net.au
LAUGHWA NEWS UPDATE No. 3 – APRIL/MAY 2018
World Laughter Day
Just a quick update! Maybe the gorgeous photo taken on World Laughter Day 2015 will remind you that we will be meeting again
next Sunday, 6thMay to share Laughter Yoga at the Synergy Playground, just below Zamia Café.
We plan to meet at 11.00am to set up and then provide 2-3 Laughter Yoga sessions with the people in Kings Park from 12.00 to 2.00pm. Please bring your own picnic and forward this newsletter by email or print it out to share with your Laughter Club
members or other friends. We will be celebrating World Laughter Day with many other people around the globe in 106 countries.
As Dr Kataria says, we can bring good health, joy and peace to the world, starting with ourselves.
Laughter Yoga Training
Our next Training will take place on Saturday, 9th June – Level 1 Saturday, 30th June – Level 2
Venue – The Clubhouse, Faulkner Park Estate
Time – 9.30am till 4.00pm
Full details are at www.laughwa.org
We have several people interested!
Committee Meeting
This will take place after the Perth Laughter Club meeting on Wednesday, 2nd May and will focus
on final arrangements for World Laughter Day and the June Training. Please RSVP.
Laughter Yoga in Rwanda
The Laughter Yoga Trainings in Rwanda are having great success and Sam has provided a report demonstrating the benefits.
Rotary International is funding further Training. Well done Kimmy!
Janni Goss President LaughWA Inc. Ph: 9277 7922 Email: jannig@iinet.net.au
LAUGHWA NEWS UPDATE No. 2 – MARCH 2018
LaughWA Inc. is proud to be a sponsor with the Victoria Park Rotary Club of:
THE SECOND FUN-RAISER FOR RWANDA QUIZ NIGHT EXTRAVAGANZZZA!
The event will be held on Saturday, 24th March. Cost $25 per person or $200 for a table of 8.
Please arrive at 7.00 pm as the event runs from 7.30 pm until 11.00 pm.
BYO alcohol and nibbles for your table. Tea, coffee, juice, milo and biscuits available.
Theme your group with costumes, table décor and props. Prize for most creative theme.
Gold coin games throughout the night and auctions of limited art pieces by local outstanding artists.
Venue: Mandala Hall, 1 Mandala Crescent, Bateman
Bookings by 17th March – limited space so book early!
Kimmy - 0404 732 324, Karren McMahon - 0421 428 781
Payment and donations for the quiz night can be made to: Account name - Counselling Volunteers Club, BSB 036 045, Account 328093.
I have booked a table for 8 on behalf of LaughWA and need another 6 people to join me! Please contact me on ph. 9277 7922 or email: jannig@iinet.net.au to book your place. You can pay me on the night.
Laugh WA has placed an advert in the Active Ageing section of the March issue of Have-A-Go News. It will also appear in The Loftus Community Brochure and in the publicity for The Living Well in WA Expo at The Claremont Showgrounds on 19/20 of May 2018.
I have been invited to present a workshop at this Expo on Sunday, 20th May from 11.00-11.45am called ‘Is Laughter the Best Medicine?’ My book ‘Love Laughter and Longevity – The Art and Science of Wellbeing’ will also be available for sale at the Conversation Café. You can obtain free tickets for the Expo using the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/living-well-expo-tickets-42591780161?aff=JanniGoss
Please note that Level 2 Training on Saturday, 24th March has been deferred.
Janni Goss President LaughWA Inc. Ph: 9277 7922 Email: jannig@iinet.net.au
LAUGHWA NEWS UPDATE No. 1 – JANUARY 2018
I hope your New Year is off to a good start and you have plenty to look forward to. I just need to share some relevant info to help you make the most of Laughter Yoga in your life!
Simply Laughter Online Summit Friday, 19th January - Tuesday, 23rd January 2018
This Summit was a significant event in the Laughter Yoga calendar. I hope you were able to see some of the presentations and perhaps you have signed up to have lifetime access to it. As I was in Albany from the 13th-21st January, teaching at the Summer School, I missed a great deal of it, but look forward to catching it in future. www.simplylaughteronlinesummit.com
Laughter Club Updates
Perth Laughter Club met yesterday, (lovely to catch up with everyone) and it was suggested that we run it weekly, alternately at 1pm on Wednesday one week, and then in the evening at 6.30pm on the alternate Wednesday. This will, of course, require commitment from our members and we will need to create a roster to ensure the viability of this new schedule. However we will discuss this at our Planning Workshop with Luke. It would be great to provide an opportunity for our faithful evening members to attend again.
Planning Workshop Saturday, 10th February 2018 from 12 noon to 3pm
Luke is planning a follow-up workshop for the committee and any other members of LaughWA who would like to attend. There will be a focus on marketing and the use of social media and other strategies to promote the benefits of Laughter Yoga. We will start with a shared lunch at The Clubhouse, Faulkner Park, and then proceed with the workshop. This is an invitation to all the committee members, Laughter Club Leaders and recent training graduates to attend, so I would appreciate receiving your RSVPs by Wednesday, 7th February.
Laughter Yoga Training
The first Training in 2018 will take place at The Clubhouse, Faulkner Park on Saturday, 10th March and Saturday, 24th March. Please share the information and encourage people to attend the Training - thanks! You can also share this newsletter with your Laughter Club members and anyone else who may be interested. Of course, all the details of the Trainings are available on our website www.laughwa.org.au
Insurance for LaughWA
Following a recent request about insurance, I have been in touch with Merv Neal, CEO of Laughter Yoga Australia. Merv is going to investigate the possibility of having Australia-wide insurance for everyone doing Laughter Yoga. There would be an individual fee, but this will be significantly reduced because of the numbers involved. We would then be covered for Laughter Clubs as well as presentations to organisations and groups.
Love Laughter and Longevity
I am delighted to share with you the news that my book was published in December 2017. The title is Love Laughter and Longevity – The Art and Science of Wellbeing. You can find details about it at www.lovelaughterandlongevity.com and it is also available as an e-book on Amazon.
World Laughter Day
I expect that World Laughter Day will involve a big celebration all around the planet following the Online Summit. This event will occur on Sunday, 6th May 2018 at Kings Park at the Synergy Playground, just below Zamia Café. So I hope that we will have a good turnout to share the celebration which will be occurring in 106 countries for World Peace.
News from Kimmy
Rwanda - Thanks to the support of the Rotary Club of Victoria Park, Kimmy will be travelling back to Rwanda on the 5th of April for a month. During this time she will be visiting remote villages with Sam and Erneste to provide more Laughter Yoga Training and support the development of Laughter Clubs. During the festivities in April in Rwanda, Kimmy will be introducing Laughter Yoga at every opportunity.
Quiz Night - Kimmy is planning a quiz night in conjunction with the Rotary Club, possibly on the 23rd or 24th of March to raise further funds for Rwanda. She would welcome any donations or prizes for the evening and of course I hope the members of LaughWA will support such a fun evening. Those of us who attended last year had a wonderful time so I am looking forward to supporting this venture again! I will confirm the date later.
Laughter at South Beach - Kimmy and Kate have started up their Laughter Club again, but because of other commitments, it may happen on either a Tuesday or Wednesday evening at 6.15pm in Freo. Kimmy will post the details on her facebook page which is ‘Angel Kimmy’. So please check it out and share it with your Freo friends!
Kimmy’s Phone Number for further information is 0404 732 324.
Conferences in 2018
Australia - The Annual Laughter Wellbeing Conference 2018 will be held on the Gold Coast on the weekend of the 27th-28th of October, so if you are looking for a tax-deductible trip to Queensland to catch up with family and friends, here is a great opportunity for you!
Japan - Merv Neal has been invited to present at a Laughter Conference in Japan from the 15th-16th September. The organisers have offered to provide a package tour to anyone from Australia who would like to attend. So if you have ever wanted to go to Japan, here is another tax-deductible opportunity to tick something off your bucket list!
Janni Goss President LaughWA Inc. Ph: 9277 7922 Email: jannig@iinet.net.au
LAUGHWA NEWS UPDATE No. 7 – DECEMBER 2017
Christmas is nearly here so I just wanted to send my best wishes and give you some dates for your diary for 2018.
Simply Laughter Online Summit Friday, 19 January - Tuesday, 23 January 2018
This Summit is being organised by Jo-Dee Walmsley, a Laughter Yoga entrepreneur based in England, who thought it would be a good idea to invite Laughter Yoga practitioners and business professionals to present to the Laughter Yoga community. I have posted the link on the LaughWA Facebook page so please look at all the information - you can sign up for free, or go to www.simplylaughteronlinesummit.com to view the complete program.
Planning Workshop Saturday, 10 February 2018 from 12 noon to 3pm
Luke is planning a follow-up workshop for the committee and any other members of LaughWA who would like to attend. There will be a focus on marketing and the use of social media and other strategies to promote the benefits of Laughter Yoga. We will start with a shared lunch at The Clubhouse, Faulkner Park, and then proceed with the workshop. I will send out a reminder closer to the date and look forward to your RSVPs!
Laughter Club Updates
Perth Laughter Club will be advertised in the Loftus Community Centre brochure which will have a print run of 30,000 copies! It will be the 40th Anniversary of the Centre and the Club will recommence on Wednesday, 24 January at 1pm and continue every second Wednesday. Please update your Laughter Club information with both Kath (for the website) and Luke (for social media - Facebook and Meet-up).
Laughter Yoga Training
The first Training in 2018 will take place at The Clubhouse, Faulkner Park on Saturday, 10 March and Saturday, 24 March.
Please share the information about the Simply Laughter Online Summit widely, as this may encourage people to attend the Training - thanks!
World Laughter Day I expect that World Laughter Day will involve a big celebration all around the planet following the Online Summit. This event will occur on Sunday, 6 May 2018. (In Perth it will be held in Kings Park, check on our Events Page for details).
Christmas Wishes
Wishing you all the Blessings of Christmas and I hope that you all have a safe, joyful and relaxing
Festive Season, full of Love and Laughter.
Janni Goss President LaughWA Inc. Ph: 9277 7922 Email: jannig@iinet.net.au
LAUGHWA NEWS UPDATE No. 6 - NOVEMBER 2017
As the end of the year approaches, time seems to accelerate! I provided an overview of the past year's events in my President's report in the July Newsletter. The past few months have included our second Laughter Yoga Training on Saturday 12th and Saturday 26th August and our final training for the year on Saturday 21st October and Saturday 4th November. Our training team functions really well. Tracey shared the Training in August but has now left WA to start a new life in Deniliquin, New South Wales. We wish Tracey and Colin every success in their new venture. Deb, Kath and Penny always contribute to the Trainings in their unique ways and we form a very competent and well-integrated team. Thank you all so much! Our first Training in 2018 will be in March, the dates to be finalised.
Laughter Wellbeing Conference, Sydney 26th - 29th October 2017. Merv Neal, CEO of Laughter Yoga Australia, once again organised the 12th National Conference at The Vibe in Sydney. There was a diverse and amazing program which you can still find at www.laughterwellbeing.org.au and Kimmy and I had the opportunity to 'Zoom' in and provide our presentations online (which was quite an adventure as the technology wasn't very co-operative). Kimmy's presentation about her experience in Rwanda was well appreciated and rated brilliant. The conference attendees decided to set up a crowd funding website to support her endeavours. How wonderful is that!!
My presentation involved sharing experiences of providing wellbeing education and Laughter Yoga to several groups of carers and discussing their evaluations. It was lovely to see some familiar faces and share the mantra that gets me going in the morning....... I'm awake - I'm Alive - I'm enthusiastic' followed by laughter. Try it three times aftr a cold shower or any time you need to boost your mood or energy!
The next Laughter Wellbeing Conference wil be held on the Gold Coast, Queensland towards the end of October 2018, so put it in your diary and start saving.
Mental Health Week and Carers Week. October was a very busy month providing workshops for carers, aged care staff, and for the WA Association of Mental Health. National Council of Women WA held a forum which included Health and Active Ageing for Older Women. Dr. Jenny Brockis, who is an expert on Brain Fitness, and I both presented and hopefully did some good.
50th Australian Association of Gerontology Conference This conference took place here in Perth from 8 - 10 November at Crown Convention Centre. I had the privilege of having a 20 minute presentation about Laughter Yoga and fortunately had a very enthusiastic audience with open hearts and minds. It all went well and people responded very positively to all the questions I asked at the end to illustrate the benefits of Laughter Yoga. These questions are *Do you feel warmer? *Are you more awake and alert? *Has your mood improved? *Do you feel lighter and more relaxed? *Do you have a sense of wellbeing? *Did you experience genuine laughter? I have only recently added the final question and I think it is a useful one to reinforce the magic of Laughter Yoga. I made many interesting contacts during the conference and I hope that there will be more opportunities for all of us to contribute Laughter Yoga to the quality of life of older people, whether they are living in villages or retirement facilities. I feel that there is a huge potential to train people living in villages so that they can set up their own Laughter Clubs. Julia and Trevor have been very successful in doing this. We need a plan!
Laughter Clubs. Perth Laughter Club has decided to continue on the second and fourth Wednesdays each month at the Loftus Communty Centre at 1 pm. Our final dates for the year are Wednesday 22nd November and 13th December. Next year the Club will recommence on Wednesday 24th January and will change to every second Wednesday (instead of 2nd and 4th of each month). Please update your Laughter Club details with Kath so that she can keep the list on our website up to date. Thanks.
Future Planning. Early next year we hope to conduct a Planning Workshop so that we can really focus on our vision and strategies for marketing, improving our profile and using social media and free advertising to our advantage. Local papers promote community activities so we need to make the most of these opportunities. We also need to optimise our relationshop with Act Belong Commit.
Wellbeing Matters Do you need to outsmart stress and improve your wellbeing? Do you recognise early signs of stress and choose healthy coping strategies? Explore the five pillars of wellbeing from Positive Psychology including positive emotions and positive relationships. Gratitude is the foundation of wellbeing, but there are also five wasy to wellbeing which are promoted through daily activities, including "Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Give". We must take responsibility for our own health and wellbeing throughout life, based on self-awareness, self-respect, self-appreciation and even just self-preservation! Understand what triggers your stress and how to react to it. Choose healthy coping strategies when your early warning signs of stress are activated. Learn the difference between a red brain and a green brain and how to use mindfulness and neuroplasticity to strengthen the positive pathways to your brain. Healthy lifestyle choices are crucial for our body, mind and spirit. Our body is a unique and amazing organism which deserves our best care, but when we experience stress, the healing and regenerative systems cannot work competently. Negative emotions produce negative chemicals which contribute to chronic diseases. Outsmarting stress is an important goal. Laughter is one of the most accessible and cost-effective remedies to reduce stress, boost the immune system and contribute to health and wellbeing. Research demonstrates that Laughter reduces the level of the stress hormone Cortisol. Laughter improves oxygen supply to the brain, so you feel more awake and alert. A dose of endorphins improves your mood and Laughter burns calories and stabilises blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Laughter enhances relationships and improves productivity in the workplace. We will explore the Laughter Prescription, so be prepared to fully participate in experiencing the power of Laughter and Laughter Yoga.
Is Laughter the best Medicine? Try a dose and see!
Janni Goss President Laugh WA.Inc Ph: 9277 7922 Email: jannig@iinet.net.au
