“Laughing Laura” Gentry had an idea about five years ago to start a little laughter yoga club at her church in Lansing. To say that the laughter yoga idea has really taken off for her would be somewhat of an understatement.
Laughter yoga, Gentry explains in her book “The Little Book of Big Laughs,” is a revolutionary movement that’s blazing a happy trail across the globe. Its simple premise is that anyone can laugh. “We don’t need jokes, comedy, or even a sense of humor,” she says. “All that’s necessary is the desire to laugh - to open up our hearts, letting the joy of laughter flow.” When practiced in a group, the laughter becomes absolutely contagious. It is combined with deep, yogic breathing for maximum health benefits.
Medical doctor Madan Kataria of Mumbai, India, started the laughter yoga movement in 1995 because he wanted to prescribe laughter to his patients. He explains: “Laughter yoga is a breakthrough delivery system, which allows people to laugh regardless of their circumstances.” Now, there are laughter clubs in over 70 countries around the world.
Gentry says she first realized the power of laughter in college when laughing with friends helped rid her of an ulcer. So when she heard about laughter yoga, she immediately wanted to get involved. In 2006, she flew to California to study at the American School of Laughter Yoga. Revved up with laughter, she returned and started Iowa’s first Laughter Club at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Lansing, where she serves as pastor.
The club was an immediate success and drew national media attention. Today, it is the longest running laughter club in the state. Her laughter club’s success sparked her interest in becoming a laughter yoga teacher, so she studied directly with the founder of laughter yoga, Dr. Madan Kataria.
As a certified laughter yoga teacher, she opened the Iowa School of Laughter Yoga. She has trained many laughter yoga leaders from around the country and has been on a laughter speaking circuit, offering levity to medical conventions, church gatherings, and wellness events, just to name a few.
Gentry has led laughter yoga events in Mexico, San Diego, Chile, England and Australia. Her next trip is to Africa for a laughter conference, which means she has led laughter on five continents. “Laughter has taken over my life,” she says gleefully. “I quickly realized what a powerful tool laughter can be and things have been going full steam ahead since.”
In 2008, Dr. Kataria awarded Gentry the title of “Laughter Ambassador” for her creative contributions to world laughter. She was also named the first woman Master Trainer of Laughter Yoga in North America.
Not content to just spread the joy of laughter to people in person, Gentry and her husband, William, have also become “laughter producers.” William is a photographer and pastor of First Congregational Church of McGregor. Their production company is called The Gentry Joint.
The Gentrys’ first project was a film for children called “Laughter Friends.” It has been their most successful production and is now in its third edition, selling through Amazon.com to people around the world, especially in Japan. Laura and William learned a lot from that production and have created six CDs since.
“Laugh Your Way There” is a CD that helps people practice laughter yoga while driving in their cars. “Today is a Laughing Day” is Laura’s solo album, on which she sings original laughter songs with a jazz trio. “Holy Hysterics” is a resource for churches to use as they combine laughter with traditional ministry. They even produced a laughter yoga CD in Spanish called “Yoga de la Risa.” This was narrated by their friend, Tosha Tobias, with whom they had a laughter tour of Chile in 2009. This year, they released “Be Laughter,” a resource that takes listeners through a daily practice of yogic breathing and laughing alone.”
Just last week, the Gentrys released their latest CD project called “Yule Laugh.” Laura says through her work as a pastor she knows that the holidays are a difficult time for many people, especially those who are grieving. “This CD can be a subtle way to bring more joy back into the holidays, and bring everyone more Christmas cheer.”
Laura says she first had the idea for a Christmas laughter CD after a concert performed by church musician Tom Bourcier at Our Savior’s Lutheran.
Bourcier is a musician and instructor at Luther College, teaching improvisation, jazz theory and arranging, supervising jazz combos and directing the Jazz Band and Luther College Jazz Quartet. He resides in rural Decorah with his four sons.
When she decided to move forward with the project, Laura and Tom decided he would perform with three Luther students in the Luther College Jazz Quartet. Collin Meyer, a senior from Apple Valley, MN on percussion, David Clair, a senior from Cedar Rapids on trumpet and Ted Olson, a sophomore from St. Paul, MN on bass, along with Tom, made up the group.
Songs on the CD, complete with laughter throughout, include 13 songs. Titles include “Joy the World”, “Deck the Halls (Fa-la-la-la-la ha ha ha!)”, “Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer”, “Angels We Have Heard on High”, “Jingle Bells”, “Go Tell It on the Mountain” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”.
Those providing the laughter for the recording included fellow laughter yoga professionals, Laura’s mother-in-law from Anchorage, AK and laughter club members. Four people in the group have recently been widowed. Even though they are grieving, laughter provides a vacation from their sadness and brings joy. Don Thran of Lansing thought the recording session was a great deal of fun. He commented, “There was no where else I would have rather been that day!”
“This is one of the most unique projects I’ve ever been a part of! I had a blast recording and revisiting these holiday favorites. I can’t wait to hear the finished product,” says Collin Meyers on percussion.
“The recording experience was fun; the spontaneity of the arrangements gave each song its own style and spunk. On the surface it’s very listenable, but Tom and the others gave the music a lot of depth too,” said trumpet player David Clair.
“I can’t believe how much the joy shines through on this recording,” says Laura. She is very enthusiastic to debut Yule Laugh.
The recording of the CD inspired the Luther College Jazz Quartet to put on a concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, December 4 at 3 p.m. in the Jensen-Nobel Hall of Music on the Luther College Campus. The public is invited to attend this event.
Laura’s laughter club at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Lansing is free and meets every Wednesday for a half hour beginning at 6 p.m. For more information about Yule Laugh and Gentrys’ other laughter resources, go to www.laughinglaura.com.
(CHANGE SINCE PUBLICATION: The Lansing Laughter Club is now meeting at 3:30 p.m. for the winter season)
