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.
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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
