Tomorrow morning, Tuesday, September 6, I will be sitting in for Jeni Grouws on the Morning Show at KDEC Radio of Decorah, Iowa. It runs from 6 a.m. until 9 a.m. Central Standard Time and can be tuned into your FM dial at 100.5. For those of you out of that listening area, no problem! You can stream it at this link.
Get your day started off right as Tim Michaelson and I will talking about laughter yoga, laughing, and generally creating a lot of mayhem that will be fun for the whole family. Oh, and there will be some good music too!
I HAVE BIG NEWS! I have published a laughter yoga resource book called: The Little Book of Big Laughs.
At 3.5 inches by 5.5 inches, this 172-page, softcover, spiral bound book is small enough to go everywhere with you. That way, you'll always have laughter yoga ideas handy. But don't let it's little size deceive you—it's jam packed with exciting things including a foreword by Dr. Kataria, an introduction to laughter yoga, the three rules of laughter yoga, the laughter clap, the amazing chant, the laughter pledge, 114 laughter yoga exercises (many of which are original), 25 yoga breathing exercises, 54 hilarious photographs, and 121 inspirational quotes from notable people about life, laughter, play and more. It's incredible that it all fits in such a tiny format.
The Little Book of Big Laughs was published by Penfield Books for The Gentry Joint, the production company my husband and I run. It retails for only $9.95. Order it now at The Laughter Shoppe. It will soon be available as a Kindle book at Amazon.com.
The back cover is pictured below. Double click for a larger view.
Here's what people are saying about The Little Book of Big Laughs:
I am delighted that Laughing Laura has written this useful resource book of creative laughter and yoga breathing exercises. She is a talented teacher, who truly understands the spirit of laughter yoga. Her wit and wisdom will inspire you as you endeavor to intentionally bring more laughter into your life and the lives of others. It is my hope that The Little Book of Big Laughs will equip you to laugh more and with greater exuberance.
—Dr. Madan Kataria, Laughter Yoga Movement Founder
I've just read Laughing Laura's latest book, The Little Book of Big Laughs, and all I can say is WOW. It's presentation and design is innovative and the content is exceptional...a bit like Laura herself actually—ha ha ha! I would highly recommend it as a resource book for Laughter Club Members or more particularly as a thank you gift to a client or someone special as they'd love to receive one...I know I would.
—Merv Neal, CEO Laughter Yoga Australia
Convenient Giggles!
By Jenna
The little book of Big Laughs is an increidlby convenient resource for laughter yoga leaders and participants! When I first got my book, I was doing some of the exercises in the car on the way home (he was driving!) and I love that they're in such a nice little compact place that is easy to carry around. It's small enough to fit in a purse! I also love that there are pages at the back of the book to write down our own exercises and ideas, allowing us to be even more creative with our laughter! Thank you for creating this book, it's incredibly helpful!
Terrifically Fun and Creative Exercises!
By Laughter Yoga Atlanta
This little book packs a lot of laughter in a such a compact space! These exercises are creative and enjoyable. I love to keep it in my car. You never know when you might want a little bit of inspiration to help brighten someone's day! Thank you so much, Laughing Laura for sharing this wonderful resource with us all!
A Terrific Resource!!!
By Hans Peter Jorgensen
What a wonderful resource, not only for laughter professionals but for anyone who works with groups and wants to charge up a performance. Easy to carry with you, and filled with great ideas for bringing joy into the lives of those around you. Ms. Gentry has scored big with this one.
Perfect Laughter Companion
By jodysatva
As a laughter professional actively spreading the great news about laughter, I am always on the lookout for tools for my clients. The Little Book of Big Laughs has been a great hit. We debuted it at our weekly Laughter Club. The results were fantastic! The book has clear instructions, even if you have never attended a Laughter Yoga class. You can toss it into your bag for giggles anytime. I'm envisioning using this Little Book of Big Laughs on the treadmill this winter!
Brilliant!
By The Barefoot Artist
I love this book!I is the most useful book I've ever read on the subject of laughter. Every Laughter Yoga Leader should own a copy. This book is short, to the point and the perfect pocket size. Laura Gentry is a true visionary in the field of Laughter Yoga and her work continues to amaze me. Her creative spirit shines through every project and every time I think I finally have a favorite product, she creates something even better. This book has my highest recommendation for any Laughter Yoga Leader. It is simply a must-have item!!
Have you got something to say about The Little Book of Big Laughs? Then please post it as a customer review at Amazon.com. Thanks!
Below is a video, which demonstrates a few of the creative
laughter yoga exercises contained in this book. Enjoy!
Got stress? Most people do. Especially in the business world. There are so many pressures and responsibilities. It can lead to stress, depression, burn-out and even serious illness.
What can alleviate this workplace stress? Laughter, of course. Scientific research has demonstrated that laughter can help to resolve workplace stress and many related issues.
Indeed, laughter is great. And in everyday life, there are opportunities to laugh, but on average, these laughs only last for 2.2 seconds. This is not enough to unleash laughter’s full potential. It is only when we laugh vigorously for a longer time that we can experience powerful physiological and biochemical changes.
This is why laughter yoga is such an effective tool in the business world. It is a breakthrough delivery system, which enables a person to laugh continuously for an extended period of time—even without having a developed sense of humor. This is extremely beneficial, particularly because it is punctuated with deep, yogic breathing. Together, the laughing and breathing serve to dimish stress, build teamwork, boost physical health, and can even improve creativity and efficiency.
For these reasons, companies around the world are starting to utilize laughter yoga. Results indicate that employees in laughter yoga programs become more committed, learn more easily, improve their interpersonal skills, and that the workplace becomes a happier place. It is often reflected in increased sales, efficiency and productivity and an improved bottom line.
A one-year laughter yoga trial in a Danish IT company yielded the following results: The company’s sales increased more than 25% in a highly competitive market while stress levels decreased by 75%. The program consisted of laughter yoga sessions daily for a week followed by weekly sessions for one year. All management and employees participated and stress levels were scientifically monitored.
On August 30, I led a corporate laughter program for an international meeting at GE Healthcare in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Below is a short video of the executives showing off their newly-formed laughing-for-no-reason skills. My visit provoked some good conversation about the need for more workplace laughter.
