Come and try out the first night to see if you like it. Then register for the session after trying it out.

Call James Bay Community Centre 250.389.1470 to register.

                          We all have a “happiness set-point.”

Author Marci Shimoff reveals this in her wonderful book “Happy for No Reason.”

http://www.happyfornoreason.com/Home.asp

Scientific research into happiness shows that we all have this set point.

We fluctuate above it and below it, but we always tend toward the same place.

And, here is the great secret about this:

The “happiness set-point” is not re-set by outside circumstances.

It is nothing outside of us that changes our long term happiness.

Shimoff points to studies done with lottery winners.

Oh yes, don’t we all want to win the multi-million dollar lottery and don’t we imagine how it will change our lives.

How happy we will be, all debt erased, money in the bank, buy what we want whenever we want it, travel as much as we want, get that dream home, a few cars, throw in a motorcycle for summer days and you know the dream.

Well, the reality is nothing like that.

Oh, all the things that money can buy part is true.

But what actually happened to those lottery winners?

As you can imagine, they became very happy, very quickly.

But, after about one year, after much emotional fluctuation, they ended up about as happy as they were before the lottery win!

Now, here is the real fascinating result from those happiness studies.

People who had horrible accidents happen to them, who lost all four limbs and became quadriplegic, became depressed as you might imagine.

After about a year though, they too came back to their original level of happiness!

So, the take away lesson is this:

Happiness, our long term happiness level or “set-point,” is not determined by anything outside of us.

Happiness is an “inside job.”

And I am here to testify, that Laughter Yoga is what finally re-set my happiness set-point.

Oh, believe me, I still fluctuate up and down…get happier and get less happy. However, I laugh more easily, let go of stuff easier.

Something that upsets me still causes me to say: “Oh shoot”…but in the next moment, I remember to laugh.

Ever hear the saying: “Someday, we’ll look back on this and laugh?”

I am here to tell you that we can do it right away…we don’t have to wait for someday.

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New Laughter Yoga session starts Thursday February 2nd at James Bay Community Centre, 140 Oswego.  7:30-8:30pm.

Come and try out the first night to see if you like it. Then register for the session after trying it out.

Call James Bay Community Centre 250.389.1470 to register.

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 How to be Happier Every Day

Ever notice how young children are just naturally joyous and happy?

Have you marveled at how they giggle so much?

Have you ever wished you could just run around and laugh for no reason?

You know what?

You can have child-like joy, laughter, happiness and energy…at any age

I know what you may be thinking: “Yeah, right!”

Well, I have to tell you:

There are thousands around the world who have recaptured joy, energy, enthusiasm for life, a bright smile and dancing eyes!!

Who are they?

They are Laughter Yoga folks.

You see, Laughter Yoga is the unique idea that:

We can laugh for no reason!

It’s a concept hatched in the mind of a medical doctor inIndia, Dr. Madan Kataria.

The good doctor was preparing a paper on “Laughter as the Best Medicine” and found many scientific studies showing all kinds of health benefits from laughter.

So, he thought, well why don’t we do it?

Why don’t we just get together and laugh?

So he and 4 others did so in a park inMumbai,India.

From that small beginning in 1995, there are now over 6,000 Laughter Yoga clubs in 60 countries.

Shortcut to Happiness

Dr. K., as we affectionately call him, has found that doing Laughter Yoga helps people to get in touch with their Inner Joy.

He defines happiness as being caused by something outside of us; a great partner, family, friends, a good career, a dream home, car, travel and so on.

While Joy is something that is inside us and we can have despite all the challenges and “stuff” that may be happening outside us.

We can feel an Inner Joy, even when everything is not perfect in our outer world!

Laughter Yoga is a shortcut to that Inner Joy.

Yes, many of us thought: “How can I laugh ‘on schedule?’” How can I laugh when there is nothing to laugh at?

Some of us were even quite shy and awkward at first.

But it didn’t take long before we were laughing, having great fun, making new friends, letting our hair down, grinning from ear to ear and feeling good.

Want to Know a Secret?

Your body does not know the difference between simulated laughter and “real” laughter!

Either way, the diaphragm moves up and down and produces the “feel good” hormones like endorphins.

That’s the same hormone that produces the “Runner’s high.”

What runners are really aiming for, besides fitness and health, is that good feeling that comes when you exert yourself enough and the endorphins start pumping out.

Well, you can have the same “Runner’s high” with much less effort and no pain.

(I love George Carlin’s take on the old “No pain, no gain” mantra: “No pain…NO PAIN!”)

Bypass Rowing Machines and Treadmills

In fact, Dr. W. Fry, writing in the Journal of General Psychology in 1938, said:

“One minute of hearty laughter is the equivalent of 10 minutes on a rowing machine.”

So, you can bypass running, jogging, rowing machines, treadmills and so on and get the same health benefits as runners or joggers.

But beyond that are all the other health benefits:

* Improves circulation

* Boosts the immune system

* Stimulates digestion and internal organs

* Helps with pain management

* Slows the aging process

* Smooths out wrinkles

* Improves breathing

All this and:

No Yoga Postures!

Deep breathing is the only thing we take from yoga.

A Disease Free Life is Possible

The deep breathing is actually an important part of Laughter Yoga.

Dr. Otto Warburg, president of the Institute for Cell Physiology, and twice a Nobel Prize winner said this:

“Deep breathing techniques increase oxygen to the cells and are the most important factors in living a disease-free and energetic life. When cells get enough oxygen, cancer will not and cannot occur.”

No guarantees, of course, but:

Laughter Yoga worked for Oprah Winfrey

“Laughter yoga combines laughter with yogic breathing exercises. It is a perfect way to laugh and get exercise at the same time. It approaches laughter as a body exercise, so it is easy to laugh even if you are depressed or in a bad mood. Last year I highlighted laughter yoga on my TV program. I have tried it, and it works.” –Oprah Winfrey, January, 2008,Australia

Here is what some Laughter Yoga Folks on Vancouver Island have said:

“A lot of times we are so concerned about how we look or how others perceive us but in laughter yoga you laugh off your inhibitions and relax. At first I was apprehensive but soon I was laughing away.” -Kaitlyn Lande. Easter SealsCampShawnigan.

“I found the best way for me to laugh hard was listen to other people genuinely laughing, and so a group of people laughing was the best place for me to laugh! Thank you.” Duncan Brown. Easter SealsCampShawnigan.

“I heard of Laugh Yoga before. I always say it was silly. But when I actually did it I found out it is really good for you. I didn’t really expect that if had that kind of reaction to me. It was awesome.” – Rey Hermoso. Easter SealsCampShawnigan.

“Laughter Yoga has affirmed by belief that laughter can heal; it is a comfort to the soul and can change your world if you choose to look at with different eyes and engage your innate sense of humour. It has inspired me to try laughing at my most trying moments.” Lindsay Korns. Easter SealsCampShawnigan.

“Laughter Yoga has inspired me to try and laugh more after daily situations that may normally make me feel frustrated. After the session I felt rejuvenated, light, content, balanced and at peace with myself. I hope to remember this experience and use what I learned to increase my general level of happiness.  – Katie Thompson. Easter SealsCampShawnigan.

“This experience made me feel so connected to my body and emotions as well as all the people around me. I felt energized, joyful, and positive at the end of the session. I would love to do this again! –Michelle Leach. Easter SealsCampShawnigan.

“After one session of Laughter Yoga I felt grounded, inspired and emotionally at ease. Everyone should take the time to laugh and there are few better ways to do so than with Laughter Yoga.” Dave Hall. Easter SealsCampShawnigan.

“Hahaha! Laughter Yoga is wild energy full of many emotions! I’ve never really experienced yoga to this degree of connectedness with my community. I felt very balanced and happy, my spirits were flying, my soul was at peace, and my belly hurt with happy pains. Thank you for sharing laughs, smiles.” –Navi Bhatti. Easter SealsCampShawnigan. P.S. I’m also interested in the leader training.

Elizabeth, Laughter Yoga Participant, November 2009:

“Laughter Yoga is an immeasurable avenue of emotional release.” – Elizabeth,Duncan,BC.

Matti Anttila, Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher, October 2009 update:

“I read that laughter was healing from the Norman Cousins book “Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient.” Cousins laughed himself back to health from an often fatal disease.

I had been doing Laughter Yoga weekly when a friend said going more than once a week had made a big shift in his and his wife’s life. His wife had suffered a stroke so he was looking after her needs 24/7 and both were down emotionally. The laughter sessions now meant both of them had more laughter and lightness in their lives.

At that point, I also committed to going a few times a week and yes, something did shift. More lightness and ease and ability to smile and laugh more often. It was as if my happiness “set point” had been raised.

Marci Shimoff, in her wonderful book, “Happy for No Reason” explains it this way. Research has shown that big ticket lottery winners become very happy, even ecstatic quickly. That lasts for a while, but after about one year, they come back to the level of happiness they had before the win.

The other side held true as well. People who suffered horrible misfortunes in their lives such as losing both arms and legs in an accident, fell into terrible depression and despair, which also lasted for a while. But, after about one year, they also came back to their previous level of happiness.

Shimoff says that tells her we each have a happiness “set point.” We may fluctuate above it and below it, but it is where we consistently and habitually come back to.

The founder of Laughter Yoga, Dr. Madan Kataria, explains the difference between happiness and joy this way. Happiness is something that comes from outside circumstances. This could be a lottery win, getting married, buying a new car, TV or house, having children and so on. All the “stuff” of life “out there,” outside of us. Joy, meantime, is something that resides inside us, independent of outside circumstances.

Laughter Yoga has the ability to tap into this inner source of joy and awaken it in our lives, so that we feel it more and more every day, despite all the challenges and “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” that life throws at us. We still have moments of more happiness and more unhappiness, but we come back again and again to this higher happiness “set point” or fountain of inner joy.

This quote lives with me and has inspired me to treat laughter as a necessary daily nutrient:

‘Submit to a daily practice.

Your loyalty to that is a knock on the door.

Keep knocking and the joy inside

Will eventually open a window

And look out to see who’s there.”

- Rumi’

–Matti Anttila CLYT (Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher and Professional Laughter Dude) October 2009

NitaNg: March 13, 2009:

“Being a yoga teacher and volunteer at a local hospital, I’ve always been convinced of the benefits of laughter. When I first heard about Laughter Yoga and tried a class near me inKuala Lumpur, I wasn’t so convinced that the concept of LY works. Well, maybe for some but not all. It might have been my lack of understanding or the lack of group dynamics (there were only 3 of us and only the leader had done it before).

Then I found Lee Jean and the laughter club in Johor Bahru. They have reaffirmed my initial interest and I have learnt a lot more about not taking myself seriously. Exercises like the Bill laughter and our own (Denise and I) creation, the Ah Long (Loan Shark) Laughter, showed that even when life is not all peachy but we can still laugh and feel better. I believe that the joy from within gives us hope and more optimism, especially right now during challenging times.

I now laugh more easily at anything and everything in my daily life and wish to share this joy with the world. After all, a roomful of laughing people, emitting strong positive energy can definitely beat much of the negative around us. In fact, right after my CLYL training, I incorporated LY into my yoga classes and workshops!”

-Nita Ng. Laughter Yoga Leader,Victoria,BCMarch 2009

“I’ve only been practicing Laughter Yoga for several weeks and I’m already noticing positive changes in my inner responses to stressful situations.

The other day I was backing out of a parking spot when somebody backed into my car.  My first response was frustration and annoyance bordering on anger.  As I got out of the car I felt a change taking place in myself.  I started to relax, took a deep breath and starting laughing quietly inside myself.

By the time the other driver and I got to the back of the cars to see what damage was done, I felt open and calm.  Very much the same way I feel after a Laughter class.

We stood there and watched a big dent in her car bumper slowly pop out leaving no signs of damage.  I looked at the woman and saw that she was near to tears.  I mentioned that she looked quite distraught and asked if a hug might help.  I opened my arms, she said that she was having a terrible day and accepted the hug.

We held each other in a gentle moment that felt very healing. She thanked me for being kind and caring and left feeling a lot better.

I drove away from that accident felling content in myself for acting in a supportive manner at a time when anger could have easily been my reaction of choice.

I still laugh inside and feel good inside when I think of it.” –Paul, Laughter Yoga participant at Esquimalt Recreation Centre. July 2009.

Testimonial September 2009:

“It was a wonderful experience! I loved it!” – Barb Davis,Calgary,Alberta.

Testimonial November 1, 2009Duncan:

“Laughter Yoga is an immeasurable avenue of emotional release.” – Elizabeth,Duncan,BC.

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More here on our website:

http://victorialaughteryogaclub.wordpress.com/what-laughers-are-saying/

Also, the current schedule is here:

http://victorialaughteryogaclub.wordpress.com/laughter-schedule/

You will love it. Just come and try it.

I know you are busy, it is the 21^st Century after all and life has speeded up.

And that is another reason to come.

Laughter Yoga can help slow down time

We can build a sense of serenity over time.

That can mean we handle our tasks and our stresses more calmly.

Laughter Yoga folks report that they are having better balance in their lives.

Their lives no longer seem quite as hectic.

So…if you are feeling this is just another item to try to squeeze into my already jammed calendar…that is the very reason to come out to Laughter Yoga!

Shift Happens

An internal change, a shift to higher “Happiness Set Point.”

It’s probably what Einstein discovered: Relativity.

Time is relative. When you have those endorphins working for you, when you are feeling warm and fuzzy, well, you just seem to get things done and there is less stress doing them.

You may have heard:

Stress is listed as the #1 killer!

And guess what?

Laughter IS THE #1 Stress Buster!

Again, we all have more outside stressors. So much is coming at us.

However:

We can have less stress on the inside.

And Laughter Yoga Regulars do find stress relief on the inside.

Get More Done in Less Time.

That is the potential we all have…if we can get stress under control, find ways to release it in our every day lives.

That’s what Laughter Yoga can do and does for thousands around the world.

Prove it for Yourself.

All it takes is willingness.

If you are willing to “give it a shot,” to try it out, you too may find a happier, more fulfilled life…just by laughing!

Sound Too Simple?

We all want the “Magic Bullet” to solve all our worries and take away our woes.

What if it really was staring us in the face?

Could it really be that simple?
Could it really be that just laughing, even “simulated” laughter, can make life easier, more fulfilling, more joyous?

Is it possible that laughter can erase pain, give us more energy, health, happiness, joy and even longevity?

Yes!

Dr. Kataria found a wealth of evidence to that effect in his studies.

In fact, you can check out his website for a small part of that evidence and see what laughers around the world have experienced.

http://www.laughteryoga.org/

And there is a further wealth of evidence to that effect on the wonderful website of AmericanSchoolofLaughter Yoga.

http://www.laughteryogaamerica.com/

Victoria Laughter Yoga Club site:

http://victorialaughteryogaclub.wordpress.com/

You can even try out Laughter Yoga in the privacy of your own home first, if you like.

My website has a free video you can download and laugh along with me first: http://joyenergyandhealth.com/

So, there you have the story.

Why Wait Any Longer For The One You Love?

(as Bob Dylan sang)When the one you love is You!

Choose to enter your Inner Joy now.

The Key is waiting for you now. Come laugh with us.

Matti Anttila

Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher

Professional Laughter Dude.

P.S. Have Inner Joy Every Day:

• More energy,
• More health,
• More smiles,
• More laughter,
• More smiles,
• Increase circulation,
• Boost your immune system,
• Get efficient exercise,
• Stimulate digestion,
• Ease Pain (some headaches just disappear,
• Slow the aging process,
• Get more done in less time,
• Relieve stress,
• Access your Inner Joy more of the time.

Check it out:

New Laughter Yoga session starts Thursday February 2nd at James Bay Community Centre, 140 Oswego.  7:30-8:30pm.

Come and try out the first night to see if you like it. Then register for the session after trying it out.

Call James Bay Community Centre 250.389.1470 to register.

Other sessions, check our schedule:

http://victorialaughteryogaclub.wordpress.com/laughter-schedule/

http://joyenergyandhealth.com/

Monday morning 10:30 classes now at 3200 Lynnwood Avenue (at Tolmie). Lynnwood Court, middle building in the lounge. Arrive early to ensure parking available. By donation: suggested $5-10.

Kathleen Roxborough fans don’t have long to wait either. She starts her classes on the 18^th:

◊Wednesdays 3:15pm to 4:15pm: start January 18: The Monterey Centre (19yrs +) Kathleen Roxborough leading.  1442 MontereyAvenue, Victoria, BC V8S 4W1 (250)-370-7300 or Contact Kate at (250) 516-9378. kate@laughterheals.ca Be sure to book ahead, if possible and these are multi class sessions.

Gracie Gaughan’s laughers restarted already Thursday, the 12th.

◊ Thursdays, 7-8pm  In Fernwood, Laughter Yoga Facilitator Gracie Gaughan. call for more information:  250.590.0488.  email: LaughterWorks@live.ca

Miho Lindley’s Saturday classes continue:

◊ Saturdays 11am to noon in Colwood. Phone Miho Lindley for details:250.391.1117. Suggested donation $5. Note: Miho also leads a group energy healing prior to Laughter Yoga: Group Energy Healing: Saturdays, 10am ~ 11am cost: suggested donation $5

◊ Thursday classes at James Bay Community Centre 7:30-8:30pm. Starting on Feb 2 to March 22, 2012. Matti Anttila leading.  Drop in for first class $8. If you like it, you can sign up for the 8 week session.

◊ Saturday club (with Matti) still looking for a new venue. Contact Matti if you know of a good one.

Victoria Laughter Yoga Schedule: http://victorialaughteryogaclub.wordpress.com/laughter-schedule/

Take note that there are classes in Comox as well as Port Alberni. I heard of a class in Nanaimo, but have not been able to contract the leader there yet.

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More News

Laughter Yoga on the Phone. This is a great way to keep laughing during the week or on weeks when you can’t make it to class:

http://www.laughteryoga.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=675:365-days-laughter-yoga-on-phone&catid=252:new-trends-in-ly&Itemid=283

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Quote break: “If Laughter can not solve your problems, it will definitely DISSOLVE your problems; so that you can think clearly what to do about them “- Dr. Madan Kataria

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ARTICLES

Study reveals laughter really is the best medicine (As if we did not know thisJ) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14889165

The Seven Habits of Highly Happy People Really good points:

http://www.divinecaroline.com/22189/97602-seven-habits-highly-happy?ordersrc=yash101011foods1

Message from the Universe:

Whatever your problem or challenge may be, laugh at it. Laugh long and hard. Because you are forever and it is temporary.  Love you,

-The Universe

NETWORKING

Links:

Victoria Laughter Yoga Club site:

http://victorialaughteryogaclub.wordpress.com/

Founder Dr. Madan Kataria’s site:

http://www.laughteryoga.org/

Laughter is one of the missing nutrients. Vitamin “L” is needed daily.

F r e e daily laughter here:

Click here now: http://joyenergyandhealth.com/

Includes

Bonus: f r e e email course:

“108 Tips for more Joy, Energy and Health”

http://joyenergyandhealth.com/

Matti Anttila, Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher
Victoria Laughter Yoga Clubs
Laughter Yoga is the unique concept that we can laugh for no reason at all.
* Laughter exercises send endorphins (feel good hormones) to the brain.
* Yoga breathing: more oxygen to brain and body equals:
* Feeling healthier and more energetic.
* Sessions are led by a certified Laughter Yoga Leader.
* Non-profit, non-religious, non-political
110-174 Wilson Street Victoria, BC, Canada V9A 7N7
250-477-8608 To be removed from future mailings, reply to this email with REMOVE the subject field.

Latest news about Esquimalt Club: We are no longer affiliated with the Rec Centre. They felt there wasn’t enough revenue from our small numbers. That door closed, so I am open to another and better door opening. And we can go back to attendance by donation, so no one is excluded.

In fact, I am looking for a place to hold weekly laughter sessions. Or monthly, if that is what everyone wants.

And, we can take this as an opportunity to find out what you and other Laughter Yoga folks would like to see for our club this winter and into the spring and summer.

If you would be so kind as to answer a few short questions. That way, we can find what works best for the most of us.

Questions for Laughter Yoga folks:

1) What is the best time of week for you?

Saturday morning?

Saturday afternoon?

Sunday Morning?

Sunday afternoon?

A weeknight?

If so, which one?

7PM? Or?

Other comments about time?

2) Do you prefer weekly Laughter Yoga clubs?

Every 2 weeks?

Every 3 weeks?

Every month?

Other?

Further optional questions:

3) What would you like to see more of at Laughter sessions?

Less of?

4) If you have not been attending, what would it take for you to attend in future?

Different time?

More Variety?

Other?

5) What question(s) did I not ask that I should have? And what is/are the answer(s)?

Much appreciation, many, many thanks, and joy and laughter and love. Thanks again for answering these questions…many, many, many thanks…showers of thank you’s all over you….:-)

P.S. I will be leading the Thursday night class atJames Bay, so that is one night not available for the Esquimalt Club.

Let me know by return email: victorialaughteryogaclub@gmail.com

Victoria Laughter Yoga Schedule updated January 4, 2012: http://victorialaughteryogaclub.wordpress.com/laughter-schedule/

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Regular mid month newsletter about the 15^th of January.

Links:

Victoria Laughter Yoga Club site:

http://victorialaughteryogaclub.wordpress.com/

Founder Dr. Madan Kataria’s site:

http://www.laughteryoga.org/

Laughter is one of the missing nutrients. Vitamin “L” is needed daily.

F r e e daily laughter here:

Click here now: http://joyenergyandhealth.com/

Includes

Bonus: f r e e email course:

“108 Tips for more Joy, Energy and Health”

http://joyenergyandhealth.com/

Matti Anttila, Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher
Victoria Laughter Yoga Clubs
Laughter Yoga is the unique concept that we can laugh for no reason at all.
* Laughter exercises send endorphins (feel good hormones) to the brain.
* Yoga breathing: more oxygen to brain and body equals:
* Feeling healthier and more energetic.
* Sessions are led by a certified Laughter Yoga Leader.
* Non-profit, non-religious, non-political
110-174 Wilson Street Victoria, BC, Canada V9A 7N7
250-477-8608 To be removed from future mailings, reply to this email with REMOVE the subject field.

Esquimalt andJames Bayclubs taking time off.

All Laughter Leaders and Teachers join me, I am sure, in wishing the best ofHolidayseasons, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and of course, much joy and laughter.

Check the sched for updates, or watch your inbox.

Victoria Laughter Yoga Schedule: http://victorialaughteryogaclub.wordpress.com/laughter-schedule/

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While you are waiting for more laughter yoga in 2012, here is something to keep you going:

Baby laughing at ripping paper;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP4abiHdQpc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=iv&src_vid=RP4abiHdQpc&v=L8aFV7IzJVE&annotation_id=annotation_956239

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ARTICLES

From Lotte Mikkelsen in theUK:

“Such interesting feedback from a student. This shows how laughter works on all levels when we adopt it into our lives and practice regularly… She has only be practicing for two weeks, dialing into the Telephone Laughter Club every morning to enjoy the start to the day with laughter. When I spoke to her yesterday she told that she had started having ‘weird dreams’ – not nightmares or scary things but just weird.

Dreams with people that she didn’t really like and who she had pushed out of her life for various reasons but they were not in these dreams.

When you start changing with the practice of laughter it affects you at all levels and the subconscious mind start untangling things that we may have tucked away even if it may be nagging in the back of our mind.

Once it has been dealt with at a subtle or ‘dream-stage’ then it clears energy blockages and raises our energy level. At least that is how I see it – any thoughts to add to my perception?

I really believe that we don’t necessarily have to live through all these things we’ve packed away, and that laughter can help unlock and unblock trapped energy without the trauma reoccurring – what a fantastic healing tool! Love to you all, Laughter Angels”

NETWORKING

Links:

Victoria Laughter Yoga Club site:

http://victorialaughteryogaclub.wordpress.com/

Founder Dr. Madan Kataria’s site:

http://www.laughteryoga.org/

Laughter is one of the missing nutrients. Vitamin “L” is needed daily.

F r e e daily laughter here:

Click here now: http://joyenergyandhealth.com/

Includes

Bonus: f r e e email course:

“108 Tips for more Joy, Energy and Health”

http://joyenergyandhealth.com/

Matti Anttila, Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher
Victoria Laughter Yoga Clubs
Laughter Yoga is the unique concept that we can laugh for no reason at all.
* Laughter exercises send endorphins (feel good hormones) to the brain.
* Yoga breathing: more oxygen to brain and body equals:
* Feeling healthier and more energetic.
* Sessions are led by a certified Laughter Yoga Leader.
* Non-profit, non-religious, non-political
110-174 Wilson Street Victoria, BC, Canada V9A 7N7
250-477-8608 To be removed from future mailings, reply to this email with REMOVE the subject field.

Last weekend saw another Laughter Yoga Leader training with 7 wonderful laughers participating as well as Susan and Alan, Certified Laughter Yoga Leaders from theComoxValleyauditing the course on Saturday.

A fabulous time was had by all. We all learned a lot, spirits were lifted and we were inspired to spread laughter and joy.

As the Teacher, I feel honoured and privileged to facilitate the training. Each training has always exceeded the previous one and this was the best so far. (not that Laughter Yoga is competitiveJ)

One of the wonderful aspects we explored was “Laughter Jazz.”

A musician can train as a classical artist reading the music from the sheet. A musician can also choose the jazz route and learn the skill of improvisation.

I feel it is the same with Laughter Yoga Leaders. We can learn the structure of how to run a class, AND we can also learn to listen to intuition, picking up clues of which way the energy wants to go and creating new exercises right on the spot.

I am happy and thrilled to the bone to share with you that each of our new Leaders jumped right into the spirit of Laughter Jazz and were making up new Laughter Yoga exercises.

It really is in the spirit of Child Like Play, one of the four parts of Laughter Yoga.

We touched on many aspects of personal development as well, sharing about how Laughter Yoga in general and the weekend in particular has touched our lives for the better.

Many thanks to Nazli, who opened up her family’s home for us for the weekend. And thanks to each and every Laugher who came to enter into the spirit of “inner laughter” that Dr. Kataria talks about.

I have to tell you, I can’t wait for the next one. This one unfolded so magically and we all felt we had made new best friends.

Love and Laughter, Matti Anttila, Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher and PLD, Professional Laughter Dude.

Victoria Laughter Yoga Schedule: http://victorialaughteryogaclub.wordpress.com/laughter-schedule/

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ARTICLES

Study reveals laughter really is the best medicine

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14889165

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From Sebastien Gendry ofAmericanSchoolof Laughter Yoga:

“…Laughter Yoga is not really about laughter. That’s a subset and a useful distraction for the mind. It’s really about choosing to express joy and learning to be fully present in the eternal here and now, with others. It’s about health, joy, and community; body, mind, and spirit dancing together.

I learned this summer that the electro magnetic field of the heart is 60 times bigger than that of the mind, and 5,000 times more powerful. In modern terms we call that the importance of emotional intelligence.

We’ve all read about miracle stories, that of people sent home to die because there was nothing the world of medicine could do anymore, but who somehow didn’t die and are now thriving. I have been privileged to meet several such people this summer, in different parts of the world. What did they do? They laughed. Read me well. This is not a claim. It’s simply a sharing of experience. You can draw your own conclusions. Keep checking www.laughteryogaamerica.com throughout the fall. I will document.

All smiles

Sebastien Gendry
Los Angeles, California
October 28, 2011”

Sebastien has a monthly newsletter that is well worth it for Laughter Yoga folks. See here www.laughteryogaamerica.com

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Radio program on laughter breaking out spontaneously in Tanzania.

This is a unique program. Only caught the last few minutes of the Laughter “contagion” in Tanzania in 1962, but their conclusion seemed fairly accurate.

The country had just become independent and the new leader outlawed the old way of worshipping. thousands of years of habit to be wiped out. Stresses in the society showed up as laughter.

http://www.radiolab.org/2008/feb/25/

The scientific paper on it does not seem to have any explanation: http://rltz.blogspot.com/2007/05/from-central-african-medical-journal.html

NETWORKING

Links:

Victoria Laughter Yoga Club site:

http://victorialaughteryogaclub.wordpress.com/

Founder Dr. Madan Kataria’s site:

http://www.laughteryoga.org/

Laughter is one of the missing nutrients. Vitamin “L” is needed daily.

F r e e daily laughter here:

Click here now: http://joyenergyandhealth.com/

Includes

Bonus: f r e e email course:

“108 Tips for more Joy, Energy and Health”

http://joyenergyandhealth.com/

Matti Anttila, Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher
Victoria Laughter Yoga Clubs
Laughter Yoga is the unique concept that we can laugh for no reason at all.
* Laughter exercises send endorphins (feel good hormones) to the brain.
* Yoga breathing: more oxygen to brain and body equals:
* Feeling healthier and more energetic.
* Sessions are led by a certified Laughter Yoga Leader.
* Non-profit, non-religious, non-political
110-174 Wilson Street Victoria, BC, Canada V9A 7N7
250-477-8608 To be removed from future mailings, reply to this email with REMOVE the subject field.

It is possible.

How?

My name is Matti Anttila. I’m a Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher.

Other than that, I am just like you.

An ordinary guy making his way in the world with challenges just like all of us.

Am I happy 24/7?

Pretty well. I know you may find it hard to believe.

But what happened for me was Laughter Yoga. Laughter Yoga allowed me to find a “switch” inside that I can turn on whenever and, this is important, wherever I choose.

That “switch” causes a cascade to happen. It is a physical sensation that bring a smile to my face, and warms up my belly. A side effect is my vision has become clear.

I had bought a magnifying glass to read in bed with. When I found this “switch,” the print that was all fuzzy on the page became clear. You don’t think I felt even better when that happened? Of course I did.

Laughter Yoga is the start, the base of this process that made these changes inside of me.

It took me two and a half years of Laughter Yoga for that “switch” to be turned on.

But it won’t take you that long. I have since discovered a way to turn on that switch within a matter of minutes.

It does take some preparation to get to the point where flicking the switch actually makes the “electrical” connection and turns on the happiness.

That is what you will find out during the two day Certified Laughter Yoga Leader Training November 19^th and 20^th.

It’s an investment of time, energy and some money, but what is it worth to be happy 24/7?

What is it worth to have access to a “technique” or “tool” that can turn that “switch” inside of you?

What’s your answer?

Mine is: It’s priceless. You can’t put a price on that.

I spent two and a half years and flew toFinlandto get trained by the founder of Laughter Yoga, Dr. Madan Kataria.

I felt I was on to something very special. And this spring, I proved it to myself when I found that switch.

Now, let me help you find it inside of you.

Your investment in yourself: $397.00 for a full two days to become certified as a Laughter Yoga Leader. And to find the switch to feel happy 24/7.

Email me or call me by one week prior to register and you qualify for a $50 reduction. That is by November 12^th. E: victorialaughteryogaclub@gmail.com or freedombalance@shaw.ca or 250.477.8608.

Love, Leaps and Laughter

Matti Anttila

P.S. Is it really possible to be happy 24/7? All the time??? I found what does it for me…almost all the time. It is not rocket science and actually quite simple. I will show you how I do it and how you can too, at the Certified Laughter Yoga Leader Training Nov. 19^th & 20^th. $397.00 is such a bargain. You pay more than that for a flat screen TV and it only makes you happy for a short time after you buy it. That’s the problem with the “consumer society.” The “stuff” we buy to make ourselves happier only does so for a short time.

So this is an investment that pays and pays and pays…for the rest of your life. The dividend it pays? A “technique” or “tool” that you can use whenever and wherever you want to create that feeling of smiling warmth that we call “happiness.”

Email me or call me by one week prior to register and you qualify for a $50 reduction. That is by November 12^th. E: victorialaughteryogaclub@gmail.com or freedombalance@shaw.ca or 250.477.8608.

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More info:

Announcing: The New You!

You look in the mirror and see the clear transformation.

You are smiling the broadest smile ever.

Your eyes are sparkling.

There are fewer wrinkles…at least it feels that way.

You take a deep breath. As you exhale, you sense a warmth in the pit of your stomach.

You close your eyes and that warm and fuzzy feeling floods your whole body.

You open your eyes and you are almost giddy with the vibrant energy coursing through your veins.

For a moment, you think you have died and gone to heaven.

But this is real.

You can’t wait to get to work and dig into those challenges.

Challenges that you used to call “problems.”

“Problems” so big you wondered: “How will I make it through the day?”

“Problems” that had you thinking about quitting.

Now, all that is in the past. 

Now, co-workers who used to tick you off are smiling at you.

Oh, they still say the same stupid things.

They still do the same thoughtless things that irritated you in the past.

Only now, you have found a way to mentally shrug them off…to let it go.

Chuckle, smile and move on.

In fact, some of them have actually started to help you out.

Is it because you smile more?

What happened to make this change?

Hi my name is Matti Anttila and this is my life now.

This Life Can Be Yours Too!

How did I get here and, more importantly, how can you?

I am from a working class family. No special advantages. I am not anymore “special” than you.

The fact is we are all special and unique.

Each one of us is God’s creation and divinely inspired.

My route to “Authentic Joy” began with Laughter Yoga.

After one session, I knew I had to become a “Leader” to dive into it and see where it took me.

Authentic Joy is something that is underneath the stormy seas of emotion on the surface.

We can feel Authentic Joy…even when we are unhappy!!

There are, of course, many ways to plug into this.

Some do it through meditation.

Some run for miles to get the “runner’s high.”

Laughter is a direct route, a shortcut.

Certified Laughter Yoga Leader training was the “key” that opened the lock.

Laughter, giggling and smiling are second nature now.

Instead of reacting to events by tightening my stomach muscles, I am now more likely to giggle, smile and sometimes laugh at those same events.

There is a song title: “When you’re smiling, the whole world smiles with you.”

Well…IT’S TRUE!!!! It happens every day to me.

Imagine having such a strong smile that many people on the street smile back at you.

You can have that too.

That is, if you choose.

Not everyone is ready to let go of entrenched habits. Habits that may cause something less than joy.

Does it really work?

How about this?

Prisoners have to have one of the worst situations. Locked away, told what to do and when to do it every day.

Look what Laughter Yoga is doing for some prisoners…in a Mexican jail:

“Laughter Yoga Project in Prisons in Mexico aims to Unleash Happiness

Luis Gomez has a heart for doing Laughter Yoga in the penitentiary system in Mexico City. He has a very large goal of reaching out to every prisoner and to help empower them to tap into their inner happiness. The aim is in alignment with Laughter Yoga International to create World Peace starting with peace within ourselves.

Ideally, by practicing laughter yoga, prisoners will be reminded to make better choices for themselves…

In the Instituto Mexicano de Yoga de la Risa (Mexican Laughter Yoga Institute) we are convinced of the healing powers of this technique that gives the opportunity of empowering other human beings to remember that happiness exists within every single one of us, no matter the conditions in which we are, and from then on, we can establish harmonious relationships with the rest of the people…

In general the inmates are very grateful for all what they’ve got from the meetings. They said that they feel a refresher every time they do it. They feel free. They think that the exercise exercises help them to realize that they can cultivate their internal peace. Also, they are thankful for the opportunity to keep on with the sessions since they truly believe in this project…”   (From LaughterYoga.org)

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If Laughter Yoga can work for prisoners in a Mexican jail to access their inner happiness, it just may work for you.

Caveat: No one can force you to laugh.

You do have to bring your willingness to the table.

But, I guarantee you this:

 If you bring willingness and are willing to work and play through the initial discomfort/unease/embarrassment/what-have-you, you too can have a breakthrough and become:

“The New You.”

You can be a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader ready to:

* Help others laugh more and relieve their stress, but also to

* Be a more joyful person with a more positive outlook on life.

Laughter Helps in Cancer Prevention

Laughter Yoga works with the breath to open up to fuller and healthier breathing.

Dr. Otto Warburg, the President of theInstituteofCell Physiologyand two times a Nobel Prize winner, says this:

“Deep breathing techniques increase oxygen to the cells and are the most important factors in living a disease-free and energetic life. When the cells get enough oxygen, cancer will not and cannot occur.”

In fact, Laughter Yoga was inspired by a response to disease by an enlightened patient.

Founder Dr. Madan Kataria read about Norman Cousins who laughed himself back to health.

Cousins was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a painful form of arthritis.

Many die from this disease. The pain can be so great that sleep can become impossible.

Cousins decided to go out laughing!

So, he brought in Marx Brothers movies into his hospital room and started laughing.

Norman Cousins laughed himself back to health

From Wikipedia:

“Told that he had little chance of surviving, Cousins developed a recovery program incorporating megadoses of Vitamin C, along with a positive attitude, love, faith, hope, and laughter induced by Marx Brothers films.

“I made the joyous discovery that ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep,” he reported. “When the pain-killing effect of the laughter wore off, we would switch on the motion picture projector again and not infrequently, it would lead to another pain-free interval.”

So, Laughter Yoga reduces pain. And…

Laughter is the # 1 stress buster.

Stress is said to be the number One killer.

Laughter is the number one stress buster!

You too, can have the healing effects of laughter….on a daily basis. Here’s how:

The Laughter Yoga Leader Boot Camp!

November 19^th  and 20^th , 2011 (Sat & Sun)

Are You Getting Enough Laughter in Your Life?

Chances are…not quite enough…we can always use some more laughter, am I right?

Now, you can train to be a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader and learn how to integrate laughter more fully into your life.

In this weekend seminar, you will learn:

☺ How to release and unleash your own personal laughter

☺ Using laughter for personal and interpersonal transformation

☺ The philosophy and history of Laughter Yoga

☺ The physical, emotional, and social benefits of laughter

☺ The fundamentals of leading Laughter Yoga classes

☺ Adapting Laughter Yoga for use in a variety of settings (business, non-profit, health care, etc.)

☺ How to start and market a non profit Laughter Club

Anyone can laugh without relying on jokes, humour or comedy.

The body does not know the difference between “fake” laughter and “real” laughter!

Learn how to present Laughter Yoga to schools, businesses, social gatherings, hospitals, and much more.

Create a Laughter Yoga Club of your own and share your joy and mirth.

You will learn how to help others experience…

☺ A fun new exercise system (no yoga mat required)

☺ Hearty, Unconditional, Extended Laughter

☺ Boost their immune system

☺ Relieve stress

☺ Increase oxygen in the body and brain

☺ Lift their spirits

☺ Connect with people

☺ Feel “Authentic Joy” despite the challenges of life

 Sign up for this Certified Laughter Yoga Leader (CLYL) training, presented by Matti Anttila CLYT (Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher)

Two full days of training in all aspects of becoming a successful Laughter Yoga Leader.

Support materials include:

• Power Point Presentation for businesses and non-profits
• Research articles showing many of the benefits of laughter
• Advertising and marketing materials
• Instructions on how to organize public seminars
• Resource DVD with 7 videos to use in presentations
• Resource CD includes 26 international newspaper and magazine articles on Laughter Yoga, 2 research articles each on laughter and diabetes and laughter and heart disease, laughter efficacy study, countless photos to use in marketing materials, and a Liability Release Form to use with both individuals in your club and another for groups.
• Testimonials from laughers around the world
• Ongoing support through the regular “Laughter, the Newsletter.”
• A Laughter “Special Report” to use as a handout or email distribution.
• Links to Certified Laughter Teachers’ websites from around the world providing countless resources and ideas for continuing study and improvement of your skill as a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader.
• Networking email among active Vancouver Island Laughter Yoga Leaders and Teachers.
• List of local Laughter Yoga Leaders/Teachers who are willing to act as mentors.

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Dates: Saturday and Sunday, November 19^th and 20^th: 9am to 5pm.

Location: Esquimalt, BC

Your investment: $397.

Early Bird Registration: $50 discount if registered by November 12th.

To register, or for more information, Call Matti 250.477.8608, freedombalance@shaw.ca

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Note: Space is strictly limited.

A small group ensures individual attention to developing your skill as a Laughter Yoga Leader.

 First come, first served.

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About your instructor:

Matti Anttila CLYT (Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher) is also a PLD (Professional Laughter Dude) & 4 Minute Fitness Instructor.

Background:

“Life is a grand adventure or it’s nothing.” -Helen Keller

Long before I read that quote, I decided not to go a traditional route.

Working hard to age 65, retiring exhausted and then dying shortly thereafter was not an appealing career path.

Thus, I pursued a number of opportunities as they came up: Promoting rock and roll performances, driving taxi, Disc Jockey, radio reporter and talk show host.

I have owned a bakery and restaurant, been a financial planner, baby photographer and most recently a consultant.

My most passionate interest is in health, fitness, longevity and human potential.

It seems many of us humans only realize a small portion of our full potential.

Hence, Laughter Yoga, which can help to free us of many of the blocks to creativity and our potential.

Studies: Judo, Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do, meditation, massage, dancing, Ashtanga Yoga, herbology, VitaFlex, Aikido, Rebirthing, Reiki, singing, Tai Chi, Qigong, natural healing, 4 Minute Fitness, Laughter Yoga, Hot Yoga, The Presence Process.

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To register, or for more information, Call Matti 250-477-8608, freedombalance@shaw.ca

Love, Leaps and Laughter,

Matti

P.S:

What Laughter Yoga Leaders said about Matti’s Certified Laughter Yoga Leaders training:

“Awesome, fun, energetic. All the happy things that go with laughter.” – Gina Davis.Victoria,BC.

“Great energy. Useful repetition. Small group helpful. A truly unique and enriching experience.” -Jeremy Bally,Victoria,BC.

“Made me feel +++ alive. Team building. Creates ++ inner power. Rejuvenating +++.” -Taryn Andersen,Victoria,BC.

“I have been inspired by Matti to start a laugh Yoga club and continue spreading laughter & love through the world. Love, Tickles.”

-Jennifer Burke, aka “Tickles, the Clown.”Victoria,BC,Canada.

“This was a great & magnificent weekend. I’m sad the weekend went by so quickly.

Matti has inspired me to start my own laughter club so I may spread laughter and the joy of being.

Matti has strong leadership skills and knows how to lead sessions in a productive & organized fashion. He is knowledgeable in the material and is a great instructor.

Thank you so much, Matti! …

Thank you again for an enjoyable and fun weekend. I learned so much from you and really enjoyed your passion and method of delivering the teachings to our group… I also want to thank you for helping me feel comfortable and teaching me a new way of learning by using ‘motion.’

That was very powerful to me this weekend. By moving around, I felt super connected to my body and was able to present from the heart. What a great experience!

Thanks again for an unforgettable weekend! Laughingly yours,

Natalia”  -Natalia Burns,Victoria,BC,Canada

“AMAZING! Thank you thank you thank you Matti for your warmth, openness and for sharing your wealth of knowledge! It’s been a pleasure!”

-Kathleen Potter,Victoria,BC,Canada.

What Laughter Yoga Participants said about Matti as a Laughter Leader:

“It was a wonderful experience! I loved it!” – Barb Davis,Calgary,Alberta.

“Laughter Yoga is an immeasurable avenue of emotional release.” – Elizabeth,Duncan,BC.

“A lot of times we are so concerned about how we look or how others perceive us but in laughter yoga you laugh off your inhibitions and relax. At first I was apprehensive but soon I was laughing away.” -Kaitlyn Lande. Easter SealsCampShawnigan.

“I found the best way for me to laugh hard was listen to other people genuinely laughing, and so a group of people laughing was the best place for me to laugh! Thank you.”  – Duncan Brown. Easter SealsCampShawnigan.

“I heard of Laugh Yoga before. I always say it was silly. But when I actually did it I found out it is really good for you. I didn’t really expect that if had that kind of reaction to me. It was awesome.” – Rey Hermoso. Easter SealsCampShawnigan.

“Laughter Yoga has affirmed by belief that laughter can heal; it is a comfort to the soul and can change your world if you choose to look at with different eyes and engage your innate sense of humour. It has inspired me to try laughing at my most trying moments.” -Lindsay Korns. Easter SealsCampShawnigan.

“Laughter Yoga has inspired me to try and laugh more after daily situations that may normally make me feel frustrated. After the session I felt rejuvenated, light, content, balanced and at peace with myself. I hope to remember this experience and use what I learned to increase my general level of happiness.   – Katie Thompson. Easter SealsCampShawnigan.

“This experience made me feel so connected to my body and emotions as well as all the people around me. I felt energized, joyful, and positive at the end of the session. I would love to do this again! –Michelle Leach. Easter SealsCampShawnigan.

“After one session of Laughter Yoga I felt grounded, inspired and emotionally at ease. Everyone should take the time to laugh and there are few better ways to do so than with Laughter Yoga.” -Dave Hall. Easter SealsCampShawnigan.

“Hahaha! Laughter Yoga is wild energy full of many emotions! I’ve never really experienced yoga to this degree of connectedness with my community. I felt very balanced and happy, my spirits were flying, my soul was at peace, and my belly hurt with happy pains. Thank you for sharing laughs, smiles.” –Navi Bhatti. Easter SealsCampShawnigan. P.S. I’m also interested in the leader training.

To register, or for more information, Call Matti 250-477-8608, freedombalance@shaw.ca

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A mirror can only reflect what is in front of it.

What if?

The world is a mirror and reflects back to you what you put into it?

Every week at Laughter Yoga, we change what we put out into the world.

And every week, the world changes for us.

Big problems become smaller.

Angst turns into smiles.

One of the great “Open Secrets:” This life is about giving…not receiving!

The more we give from the heart, the sweeter this life becomes.

Pains get smaller or vanish.

What if?

You could have that experience EVERY DAY?

What if?

You could help others change their world?

You can…as a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader (CLYL). As a CLYL, you lead others in a laughter session and you get DOUBLE BENEFITS!

Laughter Yoga:

Is efficient exercise (One minute of hearty laughter is equal to 10 minutes of rowing or jogging -Dr. W. Fry, Journal of General Psychology, 1938)

Is the most fun you can have standing up (subjective opinion)

Feels good (as reported by many laughers around the world)

Improves circulation (movement of the diaphragm causes more oxygen to be sent to the cells)

Boosts the immune system (as most exercise does reallyJ)

Stimulates digestion and internal organs (although if you’re busting a gut and rolling around on the floor, that’s the last thing you’ll be thinking about)

Helps with pain management (you may still have the pain, but you may be too busy laughing to think about it)

Slows the aging process (if you’re laughing, it means you’re still alive)

Smooths out wrinkles (maybe…I’ve still got mine…but I don’t care!)

Improves breathing (not sure about this one, sometimes it’s hard to catch my breath when I’m laughing so hard)

Makes you beautiful (hey, everyone is beautiful when they smile or laughJ)

Makes you rich! (not really, but sometimes we can’t imagine how any rich person could possibly feel better than we do after a laughter session!)

Isn’t that enough already? What, you want it to cure cancer too? Well, as a matter of fact, read this quote from Dr. Otto Warburg, president of the Institute for Cell Physiology, and twice a Nobel Prize winner:

Deep breathing techniques increase oxygen to the cells and are the most important factors in living a disease-free and energetic life. When cells get enough oxygen, cancer will not and cannot occur.” (My italics)

First, you get all the benefits of Laughter Yoga:

Second, you get the benefit of helping others “plug in” to their “Inner Joy.”

And, this is huge…and addictive, I must inform you.

To be in the presence of others who are opening up to:

* Their “Child-like Nature,”

* Their “Inner Laughter,”

* Their “Divine Essence,”

* Their “Automatic Healer” and more…

It is an awesome experience.

Each and every week, I look forward to leading a Laughter Yoga class.

Each and every week, I am blessed to activate my “Inner Healer” as my fellow laughers teach me more about myself…in a gentle and loving and non-competitive way.

Now, You Too Can Have This. As a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader.

To register, or for more information, Call Matti 250-477-8608, freedombalance@shaw.ca

Dates: November 19^th  and 20^th , 2011 (Sat & Sun)

Location: Esquimalt, BC

Your investment: $397.

Early Bird Registration: $50 discount if registered by November 12^th.

To register, or for more information, Call Matti 250.477.8608, freedombalance@shaw.ca

Note: Partial scholarships are available: by Laughter Negotiation.  Curious? Call Matti at: 250.477.8608

The general feeling in our classes has been that most folks find it can and does change their attitudes. There is more smiling and less fretting.

Examples given include no longer getting upset when someone cuts us off in traffic.

One of our wonderful Saturday morning attendees says she now sings one of our “laughter songs” every morning. Gets her off on the right foot for the day.

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“The habit of being happy enables one to be freed, or largely freed, from the dominance of outward conditions.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

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Some great articles this month, including an Australian 60 Minutes report on Laughter Yoga.

Enjoy.

-Matti

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Victoria Laughter Yoga Schedule: http://victorialaughteryogaclub.wordpress.com/laughter-schedule/

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 ARTICLES

Better Living Through Hilarity: Looking at the Healing Power of Laughter Yoga

http://splitsider.com/2011/10/better-living-through-hilarity-looking-at-the-healing-power-of-laughter-yoga

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The Pursuit of Happiness: 60 Minutes Australia

http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/stories/8354017/the-pursuit-of-happiness

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Are you “Laughter Fit?”

http://www.fitnessnetwork.com.au/resources-library/are-you-laughter-fit

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Vietnamese turn to laughter yoga to stay fit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmXvdP8L-r4

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Links:

Victoria Laughter Yoga Club site:

http://victorialaughteryogaclub.wordpress.com/

Founder Dr. Madan Kataria’s site:

http://www.laughteryoga.org/

Laughter is one of the missing nutrients. Vitamin “L” is needed daily.

F r e e daily laughter here:

Click here now: http://joyenergyandhealth.com/

Includes

Bonus: f r e e email course:

“108 Tips for more Joy, Energy and Health”

http://joyenergyandhealth.com/

Matti Anttila, Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher
Victoria Laughter Yoga Clubs
Laughter Yoga is the unique concept that we can laugh for no reason at all.
* Laughter exercises send endorphins (feel good hormones) to the brain.
* Yoga breathing: more oxygen to brain and body equals:
* Feeling healthier and more energetic.
* Sessions are led by a certified Laughter Yoga Leader.
* Non-profit, non-religious, non-political
110-174 Wilson Street Victoria, BC, Canada V9A 7N7
250-477-8608 To be removed from future mailings, reply to this email with REMOVE the subject field.

(Scroll down to the Bonuses section to see how)

Greetings fellow laughers and friends of Laughter Yoga. Fall has arrived. It came Tuesday. The sun and warmth disappeared and I felt gloomy. Whoa…what happened? Until I realized it is all a natural process. Comes around every year. Just have to make the shift to adjust to Nature as Nature will not adjust to me, J

For many of us, the time after Labour Day is also a new beginning though. We find new projects, revive old ones and there are lots of offerings to get involved in: exercise programs, dancing, singing, chanting, yoga, tai chi…

Isn’t it wonderful to have so much choice?

Laughter Yoga is revitalizing as well.

Tuesday nights are cancelled though. Not enough registration.

Saturday starts up again 2 days from today. (the 17^th of September)

If you like to drop in on Saturdays from time to time, this Saturday would be a good one to start with.

Reason? Esquimalt Rec is evaluating depending on how many come by this Saturday.

6 people is enough to continue with.

So, if you like the Saturday classes to be there for you to drop in on occasionally, then you need to be there for the first one to show Esquimalt Rec that there is enough interest to justify continuing at their facility.

Something new this season: For those who show up on Saturday, I will share a technique for how to be happy 24/7.

This is an easy, elegant technique anyone can use at any waking hour, anywhere to access the happiness/joy that is inside at all times. Yours as a bonus at the Saturday class.

Look forward to seeing you there:

New time: 9:30am Saturday starting the 17^th.

^^

Thursdays at James Bay Community School Centre 7:30pm looks like a GO.

Already have enough committed to going forward. No drop-ins, so if you are interested, be sure to sign up early. Maximum of 20. Starts on the 20^th of September (Thursday). We had great fun last session.

Both Thursday and Saturday sessions will have these bonuses:

• How to be Happy 24/7. An easy to use technique that allows you to access a feeling of peace and calm, anytime, anywhere.
• How to Ease Your Money Worries. A technique based on the ancient Qigong practices of the Orient to ground ourselves and allow money to flow easily and relieve money pressures
• Accessing the Wisdom of Your Inner Child. A technique from the ancient Hawaiian healing system known as Ho’Oponopono.
• Achieve Total Fitness in Minutes a Week. 4 Minute Fitness/PACE. A daily 4 minutes and a twice weekly 12 minutes using ancient Tai-Chi/Qigong principles, combined with the most recent modern research into exercise. Designed to increase health, fitness and sculpt the body you have always wanted…in minutes a week!
• Allowing Your Body’s Natural Healing Energy to Flow. Inner Smile for Toning the Organs. This technique allows for energy or “chi” flow to balance the organ functions. This supports and nourishes the natural healing your body always wants you to have.
• Intro to Advanced Techniques:

* How to Live in the “Now” using “The Presence Process.”

* How to Stimulate Your Immune System to Fight Radiation FromFukushima,Chernobyl, etc.

* How to Live a “Self-Actualized Life”

* Plus: The Best Medicine in the World. (Even laughter is second best beside this…you won’t want to miss it)

 All this in a short 6 week course: Laughter Yoga Plus+

These are only available at the Saturday and Thursday sessions. Be sure to book in early.

Note: There are price changes at Esquimalt Rec, and also options. By going for the full session, your investment is less. There is also a punch card for those who cannot make it to every session AND there is assistance for the unwaged and low waged. Be sure to ask at the desk or call Esquimalt Rec at 250.412.8525 for details.

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Thursdays are a GO at Fernwood Community Centre. Gracie brng  her bubbling self to the classes. 7pm  1240 Gladstone Ave(nearChambers St.)   1st class: A toonie, $8 drop in, $6 per week for 10 week course.

^^^

Miho continues her Saturday classes and Gene continues Monday morning classes. Check out the schedule here:

Victoria Laughter Yoga Schedule: http://victorialaughteryogaclub.wordpress.com/laughter-schedule/

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“Laugh as much as possible, always laugh. It’s the sweetest thing one can do for oneself & one’s fellow human beings.” – Maya Angelou

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Join Victoria Laughter Yoga Club on Facebook:

Victorialaughter Yogaclub

Lotsa neat stuff to share.

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Laughter Yoga on the Phone 365 days a year: http://www.laughteryoga.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=675:365-days-laughter-yoga-on-phone&catid=252:new-trends-in-ly&Itemid=283

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ARTICLES

From Jon Barron. Great article on power of friendship

Today’s Daily Health Tip
The Power of Friendship
by Baseline of Health Staff

The headlines are inundated with all the things that can decrease longevity, but they may have missed the one thing that can help increase it – friendship! One not-so-obvious life-extender, apparently, is having a supportive network of colleagues at work.

Researchers from Tel Aviv University in Israel recently reported that after following 820 adults over a 20-year period, it became clear that those who enjoyed good friendships at work had a significantly lower risk of dying from any cause. The subjects came from a wide spectrum of industries, and the research controlled for factors that could influence mortality such as blood pressure, alcohol consumption, smoking habits, diet, pre-existing conditions, amount of exercise per week, and so on. But even after ruling out all those other contingencies, the subjects with the most supportive peer relationships “at work” had lower rates of mortality, and the effect held over the entire 20-year period of the study.

This was hardly the first study indicating that friendships lead to longer life, although it’s the first that focuses on the importance of workplace relationships. In fact, these results provide an interesting corollary to previous research showing that having good friends matters more to longevity than even having close family relationships. (Maybe it’s because you get to choose your friends, whereas you’re stuck with – ah, you know what I was going to say.) A study in 2005 out of Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia found that those with a strong network of peers outlived those with the least friends by a whopping 22 percent. In contrast, family relationships seemed to have no bearing at all on mortality. So again, we see that friendship matters a lot, more than family or bosses. Even more startling research comes from a 2010 meta-analysis of 148 previous studies involving 300,000 people, published in PLoS Medicine. That research, focused on a seven-year period, found that those people with the best social networks had an astounding fifty percent lower risk of dying than those with limited social ties. That difference equates to the difference in mortality risk between smokers and non-smokers. No wonder LinkedIn is doing so well in its initial public offering. It’s not just offering business connections; it might actually help you to live longer.

What this research tells us is that, to paraphrase Lennon and McCartney, not only will you get by and get high with a little help from your friends; you’ll also stay alive with a little help from your friends. Friendships seem to have the healing power to counteract other negative factors in life, including a bad boss or family problems. Even more, having good friends everywhere you spend time, including on the job, is key.

And by the way, if you don’t work at all, or you work alone all day, take heed. The study has implications for you, too. You need to spend time with peers, cultivate the relationships that make you feel good, and dump those that don’t. And you need to integrate enjoying friendship into your health practices, paying as much attention to calling friends as to popping your supplements.

Whether you go to work or work at home, it’s clear that friendships exert an overall positive influence on health, and actually boost the immune system. That means that social lunch hour is more than just getting nourishment for your body. So, if you’ve been out of touch with your favorite people, now may be an excellent time to give them a call!

For more about this topic and the studies mentioned, click here.

Liked this health tip? Pass it along to someone else who might enjoy it as well! Forward this email to a Friend!

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Laughter Yoga And NLP Connection (by Dr. Kataria)

NLP stands for Neuro-Linguistic Programming, a name that encompasses the three most influential components involved in producing human experience: neurology, language and programming. The neurological system regulates how our bodies function, language determines how we interact and communicate with other people and our programming determines the kinds of models of the world we create. The NLP describes the fundamental dynamics between mind (neuro) and language (linguistic) and how their interplay affects our body and behavior (programming).

When NLP is combined with progressive conditioning, it can create a powerful means of creating change. Through progressive conditioning you can install a belief, attitude or new behavior at a much slower pace and then gradually increase the amount of exposure to that new belief, attitude or behavior. This allows the brain to adjust to the new belief, attitude or behavior gradually, rather then it being a sudden shock to the system.

Progressive Conditioning In Laughter Yoga Clubs

If you study the concept of Laughter Yoga, you will find that when people join Laughter Clubs for the first time, many of them are shy and inhibited. It is difficult to do laughter exercises alone and get involved with the experience. This is where Laughter Yoga helps as it is primarily practiced in a group on a regular basis; it allows participants to slowly and progressively adjust to the new behavior of laughing without a reason over a period of time. The group dynamic allows them to find their own comfort zones without feeling embarrassed so that they can continue the practice until their brain and body gets programmed. Once they learn the new behavior it becomes easy even without the help of the group and they can practice it alone.

NLP Anchoring in Laughter Groups

How a particular stimulus can affect and change your state of mind- is an anchor. Anchoring is creating a new response to a stimulus. Anchors aren’t just useful for keeping you in one state of mind. They can also work like propellers and move you in specific directions. It simply depends how you set them up and what you expect to happen.

Anchoring incorporates Pavlovian conditioning. When a phone rings and you feel compelled to answer it, that’s because you’ve rushed to answer that sound hundreds of times before. But if you move house or change jobs, do you go to the old place by mistake? Or do you learn to change that habit faster because it’s important to you. Everything that goes through our minds is a response to something else, and mostly an unoriginal response that has been anchored in some way. Anchoring isn’t complicated but it is a major aspect of everything we do. That means that when you can tilt the natural anchoring that goes in all those different situations, your mind and everyone else’s will work far better.

In Laughter Yoga session we have several anchors connected with laughter. For instance, after every laughter exercise we clap and say ho ho ha ha ha. Similarly, we repeat ‘very good very good yay’ several times during the session, take a deep breath many times and hold it and then laugh. By repeating these, they become anchors for laughter practice as each time they are accompanied with laughter. Over a period of time, these anchors invariably lead to laughter coming out easily as it gets programmed in the brain.

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Laughter is the Best Emotional Medicine (article)

http://www.livestrong.com/article/12141-laughter-best-emotional-medicine/

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NETWORKING

Subject: Canadian Laughter Summit

Hello Fellow Laughter Yoga Leaders and Teachers!

I trust that your summer has gone swimmingly, and that you’re now settling into routines again.

I’m excited to share news of the first Canadian Laughter Summit that I’ve been working on with my colleagues from Manitoba (Rolande Kirouac) and Saskatchewan (Jayne Clendening). The Laughter Summit is happening in Winnipeg next January and what better time and place to get Canadians rolling with laughter – the middle of winter, in the middle of Canada.

The three of us first met in 2005 when we trained together as Laughter Yoga Teachers with Dr. Kataria at his first North American Teacher Training. Dr. Kataria has further trained me as a Master Teacher (the only one in Canada), and I now provide Teacher training to Laughter Leaders. Our Laughter Summit will incorporate a public information evening, a 2-day laughter leader training, and a 5-day laughter teacher training. Registrants may attend any or all of the sessions.  (Pre-requisite for the Teacher Training is a Laughter Leader certificate – which you have already earned!)

To avoid huge files, the following links provide you with detailed information about the Canadian Laughter Summit. If for any reason you are unable to open, please let me know and I can send you files.

Leadership program: http://www.yogadurire.com/pdf/Leadership%20Program%20Facilitators%20and%20Overview.pdf

Teacher training: http://www.yogadurire.com/pdf/Teacher%20Training%20Program%20Facilitator%20and%20Overview%20LL.pdf

Summit poster: http://www.yogadurire.com/pdf/Summit%20Poster%20LL%2009.pdf

Registration form: http://www.yogadurire.com/pdf/Registration%20form%20%208-8-2011.pdf

If you are looking for a refresher or would like a more in-depth experience and certification as a teacher of laughter yoga leaders, you’ll want to check it out.

Feel free to share with friends/family/colleagues. With laughter, of course, the more the merrier.

Hope to see you in Winnipeg!

Laughing, and living life fully,

Your HAHA Sister
Linda LeClerc

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Links:

Victoria Laughter Yoga Club site:

http://victorialaughteryogaclub.wordpress.com/

Founder Dr. Madan Kataria’s site:

http://www.laughteryoga.org/

Laughter is one of the missing nutrients. Vitamin “L” is needed daily.

F r e e daily laughter here:

Click here now: http://joyenergyandhealth.com/

Includes

Bonus: f r e e email course:

“108 Tips for more Joy, Energy and Health”

http://joyenergyandhealth.com/

Matti Anttila, Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher
Victoria Laughter Yoga Clubs
Laughter Yoga is the unique concept that we can laugh for no reason at all.
* Laughter exercises send endorphins (feel good hormones) to the brain.
* Yoga breathing: more oxygen to brain and body equals:
* Feeling healthier and more energetic.
* Sessions are led by a certified Laughter Yoga Leader.
* Non-profit, non-religious, non-political
110-174 Wilson Street Victoria, BC, Canada V9A 7N7
250-477-8608 To be removed from future mailings, reply to this email with REMOVE the subject field.

* The Second Best Medicine in the World for all Afflictions, Conditions and Dis-eases: Laughter.

Laughter Yoga Benefits Include:   

* Improves circulation

* Boosts the immune system

* Stimulates digestion and internal organs

* Helps with pain management

* Slows the aging process

* Improves breathing

*Plus, this 6 week course will also include these leading edge techniques to support your joy, energy and health:

• How to be Happy 24/7. An easy to use technique that allows you to access a feeling of peace and calm, anytime, anywhere.
• How to Ease Your Money Worries. A technique based on the ancient Qigong practices of the Orient to ground ourselves and allow money to flow easily and relieve money pressures
• Accessing the Wisdom of Your Inner Child. A technique from the ancient Hawaiian healing system known as Ho’Oponopono.
• Achieve Total Fitness in Minutes a Week. 4 Minute Fitness/PACE. A daily 4 minutes and a twice weekly 12 minutes using ancient Tai-Chi/Qigong principles, combined with the most recent modern research into exercise. Designed to increase health, fitness and sculpt the body you have always wanted…in minutes a week!
• Allowing Your Body’s Natural Healing Energy to Flow. Inner Smile for Toning the Organs. This technique allows for energy or “chi” flow to balance the organ functions. This supports and nourishes the natural healing your body always wants you to have.
• Intro to Advanced Techniques:

* How to Live in the “Now” using “The Presence Process.”

* How to Stimulate Your Immune System to Fight Radiation From Fukushima, Chernobyl, etc.

*How to Live a “Self-Actualized Life”

* Plus: The Best Medicine in the World. (Even laughter is second best beside this…you won’t want to miss it)

 All this in a short 6 week course:

                                               Laughter Yoga Plus+

 You won’t want to miss a single week.

2 Options:

* Saturdays 9.30am at Esquimalt Recreation Centre, start Sept 17^th, or

* Thursdays 7.30pm at James Bay Community School Centre, Start Sep 22^nd.

Call Esquimalt Recreation Centre 250.412.8500 to register. or

Call James Bay Community Centre 250.389.1470 to register.

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My name is Matti Anttila and I will be facilitating.

Here is my Bio, so you have an idea of who I am and what you are getting into:

http://joyenergyandhealth.com/site-based-concept/

Further, here’s what others have said about my work/play:

Professional Development Day: Easter Seals Camp Shawnigan BC. Counsellors and Programmers. July 22, 2011, Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher Matti Anttila facilitating:

“You are such a wonderfully skilled facilitator! Our staff no doubt will be reaping the benefits of your laughter yoga session all summer long! Your services are so valuable, we were so fortunate to have you! I would highly recommend you to other organizations and individuals!” – Lottie DeAngelis, Program Coordinator for Easter SealsCampShawnigan.

“Simultaneous joy and calm_letting for, tingling inside and out, goodness chirping out of me naturally.” Andra Nadeau Jakobson

“Thank you for Laughter Yoga here at CampShawnigan. It was a very eye opening experience. You’re calm, wisdom, honesty and trust were so appreciated. Laughter Yoga was a great team activity, including lots of people yet also challenging individualism. Laughter Yoga was a great experience. I recommend trying it.” – Stacy Hanna

“I really appreciated your engaging facilitation style. You expertly drew us all in to the wonderful and whimsical world of explosive laughter lying sleeping in all of us. Thank you, thank you!” –Melissa Ferguson.

“That was invigorating. My energy increased so much but I remained so peaceful into only what I can describe as ‘sleep” in the laydown section after the zero gravity exercise but when I woke up, I felt super relaxed. Thank you.” – Bernie

“I have absolutely no idea what laughter yoga could and would bring into me. It guided me deeper into the sunshine of my own heart! I feel clear, free (from my heart to literally every cell in my body) and open. There is peace emanating deep inside and, in the manner that James Brown sang best, ‘I feel good!’” – Molly Penrose

“Thank you. I have not felt this good and relaxed in weeks.” – Daniel Geselbracht

“This was my first time trying laughter yoga and it was such an amazing experience! I feel open, light and ready to embrace the world with open arms. Thanks for all the great instruction and an amazing time!” – Lisa White,Burlington,Ontario

“I felt dizzy after the laughter yoga session with Matti because I laughed way too hard way too fast. It was a fantastic cheek and jaw workout not to mention good for the soul. Thanks, Matti.” – Sunid Nahdi,Kelowna,BC

“An amazing experience! A great teacher and he gets you involved and laughing right away. A great first laughter yoga experience. J” – Stacie McEwan,Victoria,BC

“I really enjoyed Laughter Yoga and hope to do again someday soon. The leader was fun and energetic. Thank you.” – Daniel Macdonald,Quadra Island,BC

More info about Laughter Yoga

(followed by yet more students talking about their experiences):

Get Happier.

It’s easy with Laughter Yoga.

A great way to open up to creativity, joy and fun.

Come and try out the first night to see if you like it. Then register for the session after trying it out.

How to be Happier Every Day

Ever notice how young children are just naturally joyous and happy?

Have you marveled at how they giggle so much?

Have you ever wished you could just run around and laugh for no reason?

You know what?

You can have child-like joy, laughter, happiness and energy…at any age.

I know what you may be thinking: “Yeah, right!”

Well, I have to tell you:

There are thousands around the world who have recaptured joy, energy, enthusiasm for life, a bright smile and dancing eyes!!

Who are they?

They are Laughter Yoga folks.

You see, Laughter Yoga is the unique idea that:

We can laugh for no reason!

It’s a concept hatched in the mind of a medical doctor in India, Dr. Madan Kataria.

The good doctor was preparing a paper on “Laughter as the Best Medicine” and found many scientific studies showing all kinds of health benefits from laughter.

So, he thought, well why don’t we do it?

Why don’t we just get together and laugh?

So he and 4 others did so in a park inMumbai,India.

From that small beginning in 1995, there are now over 6,000 Laughter Yoga clubs in 60 countries.

Shortcut to Happiness

Dr. K., as we affectionately call him, has found that doing Laughter Yoga helps people to get in touch with their Inner Joy.

He defines happiness as being caused by something outside of us; a great partner, family, friends, a good career, a dream home, car, travel and so on.

While Joy is something that is inside us and we can have despite all the challenges and “stuff” that may be happening outside us.

We can feel an Inner Joy, even when everything is not perfect in our outer world!

Laughter Yoga is a shortcut to that Inner Joy.

Yes, many of us thought: “How can I laugh ‘on schedule?’” How can I laugh when there is nothing to laugh at?

Some of us were even quite shy and awkward at first.

But it didn’t take long before we were laughing, having great fun, making new friends, letting our hair down, grinning from ear to ear and feeling good.

Want to Know a Secret?

Your body does not know the difference between simulated laughter and “real” laughter!

Either way, the diaphragm moves up and down and produces the “feel good” hormones like endorphins.

That’s the same hormone that produces the “Runner’s high.”

What runners are really aiming for, besides fitness and health, is that good feeling that comes when you exert yourself enough and the endorphins start pumping out.

Well, you can have the same “Runner’s high” with much less effort and no pain.

(I love George Carlin’s take on the old “No pain, no gain” mantra: “No pain…NO PAIN!”)

Bypass Rowing Machines and Treadmills

In fact, Dr. W. Fry, writing in the Journal of General Psychology in 1938, said:

“One minute of hearty laughter is the equivalent of 10 minutes on a rowing machine.”

So, you can bypass running, jogging, rowing machines, treadmills and so on and get the same health benefits as runners or joggers.

But beyond that are all the other health benefits:

* Improves circulation

* Boosts the immune system

* Stimulates digestion and internal organs

* Helps with pain management

* Slows the aging process

* Smooths out wrinkles

* Improves breathing

All this and:

 No Yoga Postures!

Deep breathing is the only thing we take from yoga.

A Dis-ease Free Life is Possible

The deep breathing is actually an important part of Laughter Yoga.

Dr. Otto Warburg, president of the Institute for Cell Physiology, and twice a Nobel Prize winner said this:

“Deep breathing techniques increase oxygen to the cells and are the most important factors in living a disease-free and energetic life. When cells get enough oxygen, cancer will not and cannot occur.”

No guarantees, of course, but:

Oprah Loves It!

Laughter Yoga worked for Oprah Winfrey

“Laughter yoga combines laughter with yogic breathing exercises. It is a perfect way to laugh and get exercise at the same time. It approaches laughter as a body exercise, so it is easy to laugh even if you are depressed or in a bad mood. Last year I highlighted laughter yoga on my TV program. I have tried it, and it works.” –Oprah Winfrey, January, 2008,Australia

Here is what some Laughter Yoga Folks on Vancouver Island have said:

“A lot of times we are so concerned about how we look or how others perceive us but in laughter yoga you laugh off your inhibitions and relax. At first I was apprehensive but soon I was laughing away.” -Kaitlyn Lande. Easter SealsCampShawnigan.

“I found the best way for me to laugh hard was listen to other people genuinely laughing, and so a group of people laughing was the best place for me to laugh! Thank you.” Duncan Brown. Easter SealsCampShawnigan.

“I heard of Laugh Yoga before. I always say it was silly. But when I actually did it I found out it is really good for you. I didn’t really expect that if had that kind of reaction to me. It was awesome.” – Rey Hermoso. Easter SealsCampShawnigan.

“Laughter Yoga has affirmed by belief that laughter can heal; it is a comfort to the soul and can change your world if you choose to look at with different eyes and engage your innate sense of humour. It has inspired me to try laughing at my most trying moments.” Lindsay Korns. Easter SealsCampShawnigan.

“Laughter Yoga has inspired me to try and laugh more after daily situations that may normally make me feel frustrated. After the session I felt rejuvenated, light, content, balanced and at peace with myself. I hope to remember this experience and use what I learned to increase my general level of happiness.  – Katie Thompson. Easter SealsCampShawnigan.

“This experience made me feel so connected to my body and emotions as well as all the people around me. I felt energized, joyful, and positive at the end of the session. I would love to do this again! –Michelle Leach. Easter SealsCampShawnigan.

“After one session of Laughter Yoga I felt grounded, inspired and emotionally at ease. Everyone should take the time to laugh and there are few better ways to do so than with Laughter Yoga.” Dave Hall. Easter SealsCampShawnigan.

“Hahaha! Laughter Yoga is wild energy full of many emotions! I’ve never really experienced yoga to this degree of connectedness with my community. I felt very balanced and happy, my spirits were flying, my soul was at peace, and my belly hurt with happy pains. Thank you for sharing laughs, smiles.” –Navi Bhatti. Easter SealsCampShawnigan. P.S. I’m also interested in the leader training.

Elizabeth, Laughter Yoga Participant, November 2009:

“Laughter Yoga is an immeasurable avenue of emotional release.” – Elizabeth,Duncan,BC.

Matti Anttila, Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher, October 2009 update:

“I read that laughter was healing from the Norman Cousins book “Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient.” Cousins laughed himself back to health from an often fatal disease.

I had been doing Laughter Yoga weekly when a friend said going more than once a week had made a big shift in his and his wife’s life. His wife had suffered a stroke so he was looking after her needs 24/7 and both were down emotionally. The laughter sessions now meant both of them had more laughter and lightness in their lives.

At that point, I also committed to going a few times a week and yes, something did shift. More lightness and ease and ability to smile and laugh more often. It was as if my happiness “set point” had been raised.

Marci Shimoff, in her wonderful book, “Happy for No Reason” explains it this way. Research has shown that big ticket lottery winners become very happy, even ecstatic quickly. That lasts for a while, but after about one year, they come back to the level of happiness they had before the win.

The other side held true as well. People who suffered horrible misfortunes in their lives such as losing both arms and legs in an accident, fell into terrible depression and despair, which also lasted for a while. But, after about one year, they also came back to their previous level of happiness.

Shimoff says that tells her we each have a happiness “set point.” We may fluctuate above it and below it, but it is where we consistently and habitually come back to.

The founder of Laughter Yoga, Dr. Madan Kataria, explains the difference between happiness and joy this way. Happiness is something that comes from outside circumstances. This could be a lottery win, getting married, buying a new car, TV or house, having children and so on. All the “stuff” of life “out there,” outside of us. Joy, meantime, is something that resides inside us, independent of outside circumstances.

Laughter Yoga has the ability to tap into this inner source of joy and awaken it in our lives, so that we feel it more and more every day, despite all the challenges and “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” that life throws at us. We still have moments of more happiness and more unhappiness, but we come back again and again to this higher happiness “set point” or fountain of inner joy.

This quote lives with me and has inspired me to treat laughter as a necessary daily nutrient:

‘Submit to a daily practice.

Your loyalty to that is a knock on the door.

Keep knocking and the joy inside

Will eventually open a window

And look out to see who’s there.”

- Rumi’

–Matti Anttila CLYT (Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher and Professional Laughter Dude) October 2009

Nita Ng: March 13, 2009:

“Being a yoga teacher and volunteer at a local hospital, I’ve always been convinced of the benefits of laughter. When I first heard about Laughter Yoga and tried a class near me inKuala Lumpur, I wasn’t so convinced that the concept of LY works. Well, maybe for some but not all. It might have been my lack of understanding or the lack of group dynamics (there were only 3 of us and only the leader had done it before).

Then I found Lee Jean and the laughter club in Johor Bahru. They have reaffirmed my initial interest and I have learnt a lot more about not taking myself seriously. Exercises like the Bill laughter and our own (Denise and I) creation, the Ah Long (Loan Shark) Laughter, showed that even when life is not all peachy but we can still laugh and feel better. I believe that the joy from within gives us hope and more optimism, especially right now during challenging times.

I now laugh more easily at anything and everything in my daily life and wish to share this joy with the world. After all, a roomful of laughing people, emitting strong positive energy can definitely beat much of the negative around us. In fact, right after my CLYL training, I incorporated LY into my yoga classes and workshops!”

-Nita Ng. Laughter Yoga Leader,Victoria,BCMarch 2009

“I’ve only been practicing Laughter Yoga for several weeks and I’m already noticing positive changes in my inner responses to stressful situations.

The other day I was backing out of a parking spot when somebody backed into my car.  My first response was frustration and annoyance bordering on anger.  As I got out of the car I felt a change taking place in myself.  I started to relax, took a deep breath and starting laughing quietly inside myself.

By the time the other driver and I got to the back of the cars to see what damage was done, I felt open and calm.  Very much the same way I feel after a Laughter class.

We stood there and watched a big dent in her car bumper slowly pop out leaving no signs of damage.  I looked at the woman and saw that she was near to tears.  I mentioned that she looked quite distraught and asked if a hug might help.  I opened my arms, she said that she was having a terrible day and accepted the hug.

We held each other in a gentle moment that felt very healing. She thanked me for being kind and caring and left feeling a lot better.

I drove away from that accident felling content in myself for acting in a supportive manner at a time when anger could have easily been my reaction of choice.

I still laugh inside and feel good inside when I think of it.” –Paul, Laughter Yoga participant at Esquimalt Recreation Centre. July 2009.

Testimonial September 2009:

“It was a wonderful experience! I loved it!” – Barb Davis,Calgary,Alberta.

Testimonial November 1, 2009Duncan:

“Laughter Yoga is an immeasurable avenue of emotional release.” – Elizabeth,Duncan,BC.

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More here on our website:

http://victorialaughteryogaclub.wordpress.com/what-laughers-are-saying/

Also, the current schedule is here:

http://victorialaughteryogaclub.wordpress.com/laughter-schedule/

You will love it. Just come and try it.

I know you are busy, it is the 21^st Century after all and life has speeded up.

And that is another reason to come.

Laughter Yoga can help slow down time

We can build a sense of serenity over time.

That can mean we handle our tasks and our stresses more calmly.

Laughter Yoga folks report that they are having better balance in their lives.

Their lives no longer seem quite as hectic.

So…if you are feeling this is just another item to try to squeeze into my already jammed calendar…that is the very reason to come out to Laughter Yoga!

Shift Happens

An internal change, a shift to higher “Happiness Set Point.”

It’s probably what Einstein discovered: Relativity.

Time is relative. When you have those endorphins working for you, when you are feeling warm and fuzzy, well, you just seem to get things done and there is less stress doing them.

You may have heard:

Stress is listed as the #1 killer!

And guess what?

Laughter IS THE #1 Stress Buster!

Again, we all have more outside stressors. So much is coming at us.

However:

We can have less stress on the inside.

And Laughter Yoga Regulars do find stress relief on the inside.

Get More Done in Less Time.

That is the potential we all have…if we can get stress under control, find ways to release it in our every day lives.

That’s what Laughter Yoga can do and does for thousands around the world.

 Prove it for Yourself.

All it takes is willingness.

If you are willing to “give it a shot,” to try it out, you too may find a happier, more fulfilled life…just by laughing!

Sound Too Simple?

 We all want the “Magic Bullet” to solve all our worries and take away our woes.

What if it really was staring us in the face?

Could it really be that simple?
Could it really be that just laughing, even “simulated” laughter, can make life easier, more fulfilling, more joyous?

Is it possible that laughter can erase pain, give us more energy, health, happiness, joy and even longevity?

Yes!

Dr. Kataria found a wealth of evidence to that effect in his studies.

In fact, you can check out his website for a small part of that evidence and see what laughers around the world have experienced.

http://www.laughteryoga.org/

And there is a further wealth of evidence to that effect on the wonderful website of AmericanSchoolofLaughter Yoga.

http://www.laughteryogaamerica.com/

Victoria Laughter Yoga Club site:

http://victorialaughteryogaclub.wordpress.com/

You can even try out Laughter Yoga in the privacy of your own home first, if you like.

My website has a free video you can download and laugh along with me first: http://joyenergyandhealth.com/

So, there you have the story.

Why Wait Any Longer For The One You Love?

(as Bob Dylan sang)

When the one you love is You!

Choose to enter your Inner Joy now.

The Key is waiting for you now. Come laugh with us.

Matti Anttila, PLD (Professional Laughter Dude)

Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher

P.S. Have Inner Joy Every Day:

More energy,

• More health,
• More smiles,
• More laughter,
• More smiles,
• Increase circulation,
• Boost your immune system,
• Get efficient exercise,
• Stimulate digestion,
• Ease Pain (some headaches just disappear,
• Slow the aging process,
• Get more done in less time,
• Relieve stress,
• Access your Inner Joy more of the time.

Check it out:

http://victorialaughteryogaclub.wordpress.com/laughter-schedule/

http://joyenergyandhealth.com/

 Call Esquimalt Recreation Centre 250.412.8500 to register. or

 Call James Bay Community Centre 250.389.1470 to register.

Here is a pic of the happy club.

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The summer has seen Laughter Yoga staying active aroundVictoria, but in September, the Esquimalt Rec Centre and James Bay Community School Centre restart: Check out the schedule here:

Victoria Laughter Yoga Schedule: http://victorialaughteryogaclub.wordpress.com/laughter-schedule/

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Laughter Quote: “Laugh as much as possible, always laugh. It’s the sweetest thing one can do for oneself & one’s fellow human beings.”

- Maya Angelou

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Laughter Yoga T-Shirts: Want one? I will put in an order next week.

http://laughteryoga.org/shopping/LY_Tshirt.html

As you see, there are 3 colours. If you want one, please let me know what colour and what size and how many.

Basic cost is US$ 22.00 (good news as our Cdn $ is strong right now, so we don’t lose much of anything on the exchange,,,just a few pennies depending on the day.)

PLUS shipping cost of US$ 30-35. That is where the rub comes in. So, ordering one TShirt works out to up to US$ 47!

Ordering 5, there is a discount, so that helps. The cost including shipping will vary a little depending how many are ordered.

I will order some regardless whether anyone else wants one or not and then offer them at the classes, or to anyone who wants one.

So, if you do want one, $25.00 Cdn will be your cost. I have one of the earlier models and have been very happy with the quality. They are 100% cotton and good thickness.

Now, that is barring any import taxes…one never knows…Canada Customs may ask for HST

Anyway, let me know, say by Thursday the 25th at the latest. Then they should arrive in time for the new LY sessions in the fall for us all to wear.

Email me at freedombalance@shaw.ca by the 25^th August with sizes, colour and how many. Thanks.

P.S. If Canada Customs asks for HST, then be prepared for that. It would add 12%. OK?

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ARTICLES

Secret Way to Succeed at Laughing Every Day

Great article from Sebastien Gendry:

http://ht.ly/1cXQnY

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Laughter Yoga for a better Sex Life: (Ho ho, ha ha ha…aah, oooJ)

http://www.laughteryoga.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6268:laughter-yoga-for-better-sex-life-ha-ha&catid=125:latest-&Itemid=275

NETWORKING

Come out and support a really good cause. Target Theatre is a Seniors Theatre group providing entertainment and education around subjects dealing with aging. It is a non profit group which relies heavily on fund raising and grants..

217 Kingston St.James Bay…..10a.m – 2p.m……no early birds, please.

Hope to see you there.

Thanks, Kathleen Roxborough (Certified Laughter Yoga Leader)

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Links:

Victoria Laughter Yoga Club site:

http://victorialaughteryogaclub.wordpress.com/

Founder Dr. Madan Kataria’s site:

http://www.laughteryoga.org/

Get your daily dose of Vitamin “L” (Laughter):

Free laughter video

Bonus: f r e e  email course:

“108 Tips for more Joy, Energy and Health”

Click here now: http://joyenergyandhealth.com/

Matti Anttila, Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher