Following our recent Laughter Yoga conference, 60 Minutes is running a story on happiness and featuring Laughter Yoga this Sunday 2nd October 2011. As we understand it, this 60 minutes program, running from 7:30pm to 8:30pm on channel 9, will cover the topic of happiness and the central role of laughter for wellbeing and thriving.

With increasing acceptance of the role of promoting individual health and wellbeing in the workplace more businesses are including Laughter Yoga or brief Laughter sessions at their conferences & team building days. As Australia’s premier corporate laughter leader, Laughter Works has been running components of Laughter Yoga since 2004 leaving a smile on the faces of thousands of employees, boosting the bottom line and relieving stress. Because of our corporate business background we can guarantee the effectiveness – and appropriateness – of our sessions. The many highly positive testimonials on our site are an assurance that your leadership team and your staff will thank you for calling us. We also run a range of other programs including resilience and Hi!-Performance.

For more information on Laughter Yoga, please contact us at info@laughterworks.com.au or call Cris Popp on 0438 54 56 07.

Would you like a laugh and help world peace too?

Come along to World Laughter Day on Sunday the 1st of May.  Created in 1998 by Dr. Madan Kataria, founder of the worldwide Laughter Yoga movement, World Laughter Day is a positive manifestation for world peace and is intended to build up a global consciousness of brotherhood and friendship through laughter. Its popularity has grown exponentially with that of the Laughter Yoga movement now counting over 6000 Laughter Clubs in more than 65 countries.

World Laughter Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of May every year. This year the world will once again come together to laugh and spread the word of happiness and joy. This is a global initiative, that we at Laughter Works are very happy to support.  The idea is to unite entire mankind through unconditional love and laughter. It is a non-religious, non-racial and non-profit event committed to generating good health, joy and peace around the globe through laughter.
So join in, have some fun, do yourself a world of good and add to world peace. It’s already changed the lives of thousands of people (including us) and helped many to increase their wellness.  Bring your family and friends.

Details:

Melbourne
Sunday 1st May from 11:00am
St Paul’s Court Federation Square
http://www.onlymelbourne.com.au/melbourne_details.php?id=4702

Brisbane
Sunday 1st May from 12:00pm
Manly Park (Cnr Esplanade & Fairlead Cres, Manly)
Michelle Latimer | 0412 299 817

Perth
The WA Laughter Club Community is meeting in Kings Park at the Western Power Parkland (follow the signs down from Zamia Cafe) for a picnic and celebration of laughter.
Sunday 1st May from 12:00 midday – 2:00pm
www.laughwa.org.au

Are you holding – or aware of – an event for World Laughter Day that we haven’t mentioned?  We’d love it if you would comment on this post and share it with all our readers.

Friday 25th March is Laugh For Kids on Wish Day – Make-A-Wish^® Australia’s national fundraising day to help grant the Wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

The granting of a Wish is so powerful – it brings laughter, happiness and joy to seriously-ill children and their families during a time when they need it most.

On Friday we will be flying to Sydney to take part in Laugh for Kids, by helping to lead the Sydney Laugh Headquarters, where Make-A-Wish is calling for 500 people, each representing a Wish in 2011, to assemble at 12.30pm (AEST) and laugh simultaneously for 1 minute.

We would like to encourage all of our readers to  get involved and support the cause.  To make a one-off donation or find out how to register to laugh and fundraise with support from family and friends, visit www.laughforkids.org.au.

**NEW DATE ANNOUNCED**
Laughter Yoga Leader Workshop

Sunday 20th February 2011 – Kew, Melbourne

We are very excited to announce that our popular Laughter Yoga Leader Workshop will be held again on Sunday 20th February in Kew, Melbourne.

It will teach you practical skills in creating and running laughter sessions for others, how to get more joy in your everyday life and how to spread laughter to others – plus much, much more!  All your queries answered.

We are Australia’s number one provider of laughter yoga in corporate settings, with a client base that includes Honda, AIG, Deloittes & Nokia Siemens. Why not learn from the best?

Laughter Yoga is spreading like wildfire all over the world – don’t miss out.  Attend this day and walk out ready to run your own laughter sessions for friends, family (your kids will love it!), community groups, work mates, and complete strangers.

Please see the brochure and registration form for more information. We even have an early bird offer available until 4th February.

As it has been a while since our last workshop in Melbourne we are expecting a lot of interest in this event and places are strictly limited, so please register early to secure your spot!

For registration enquiries please contact Melissa Williscroft at melissa@laughterworks.com.au or Cris Popp on 0438 545 607.

You may have seen footage from the recent ‘Learn India with Hamish and Andy’ special where the boys went along and experienced a laughter yoga session.  Despite the session nearly being washed out with torrential rain, Hamish and Andy had a great time and really got into the spirit – as you can see from these photos!

If you didn’t see it, it’s definitely worth a look and you can view some footage and photos here.

The good news is that you don’t have to travel all the way to India to experience the benefits – and the fun – of laughter yoga.  Laughter Works can tailor a session to suit your workplace, event or social function and deliver it to you anywhere in Australia. Get in touch to find out more .

I’m thrilled, and a little flattered, to announce that after two and a half years of hard work I’ve been invited to take Laughter Yoga to the “Happiness and Its Causes 2010″ conference! This conference has featured some of the biggest, baddest (or should that be happiest?), and most influence figures in happiness Dalai Lama; Martin Seligman (the ‘father’ of positive psychology); Marva Collins (US educationalist); and Tal Ben Shahar.  This year I am very much looking forward to seeing Barbara Fredrickson – a pioneer in the field of positive emotions.

Happiness & Its Causes is the world’s largest forum on human happiness and is being held at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, 5-6 May 2010.  Each year, over 2,000 people from all walks of life meet at the conference to examine the big issues of life.   The conference provides a unique combination of hard-edged science, real life inspiration, gut-wrenching personal stories and practical wisdom.  Many have hailed it as a life-changing experience.  I know I certainly have – it is also an incredible buzz to be in a room so many people all interested in human development.

There are some fantastic key note speakers scheduled to present over the two-day event, including some of the world’s best psychologists, scientists and philosophers (and of course – me)!   I am very grateful for the opportunity to bring laughter yoga to so many people – I hope you can be one of them.   If you do come please popp (sorry couldn’t resist that pun) over and say hello.

Yours Laughingly, Cris

We were so honoured to receive this from Madan Kataria himself (the founder of the world laughter yoga movement) that we just had to share it with you!

“Dear Cris Popp,

It gives me great pleasure to inform you that on behalf of Laughter Yoga International you have been chosen for the award “Laughter Ambassador” for your contribution to the Laughter Yoga movement. 

It was because of your efforts, many people’s lives have been touched and you continue to inspire others to bring more laughter to their lives. This award will be conferred on you at the All Australia Laughter Yoga Conference to be held in Melbourne between August 23-24, 2008. I look forward to seeing you at the conference.

Madan Kataria, Founder,
World Laughter Yoga Movement.”

Thank you Madan, from The Laughter Works team.  May your work continue at a good pace too.