and for a good forty minutes we did structured laughing exercises - no jokes, indeed no words at all, just laughingly interacting with other people - and sent out good vibes for leukemia research. (We also made financial donations.) It was a hoot! Ho, ho, hahaha, with clapping, was the transition from one laugh to another, say from the credit card laugh (where you imagine opening your credit card bill, then look at someone else's) to the happy feet laugh (where you waddle around like a penguin laughing at others) or the rain laugh (where you imagine puddles and splash each other with the water).
Apparently there are chapters all over Australia (even one in Macedon!). It's part of an international laughter movement which originated in India. (In the photo above you see founder Dr Madan Kataria with one of the Victoria laughers who was there this morning.) It's based in yoga. Here's some of the rather serious stuff they say about themselves:
The idea of laughter clubs is to gain the benefits of laughter by laughing for no reason. This is important - it's not necessary to tell jokes, or to be in a good mood or to be a humorous person or to feel like laughing. At a laughter club we practice laughing until it becomes more natural. We fake it until we make it.
In the course of practicing you will gain all the benefits of laughter and you will find laughter coming more easily to you throughout the rest of your life. When you begin it may not feel like genuine laughter but many participants report that it comes to feel more genuine and comes to you more easily the more you practice. It's just like a muscle - use it and you'll build it up - ignore it and it will wither.
Public laughter clubs are led by a trained leader and based on Hasya Yoga. The leader will take you through: A series of 'laughs'. Some have been invented by the movements founder Madan Kataria, others are contributed by members. Some gentle breathing and stretching exercises. Rhythmic clapping The whole session takes approximately 30 minutes. Often people go and have a coffee afterwards.
You don't have to give your name, pledge to come again, buy Tupperware, promise to be kind to strangers, swear off alcohol, give up smoking or talk to anyone. And you certainly don't need to be in a good mood (or a bad one). Come as you are and you will be welcomed.
I think it's a good idea - positive, countercultural, embodied, social, and maybe even world-changing - though it left me hoarse!
