LANSING LAUGHTER CLUB MEMBERS APPEAR IN LEVITY PROJECT VIDEO

Five members of the Lansing Laughter Club appear in a brand new video called Bubbles of Joy. It was released by The Levity Project, a social movement which works to create a more buoyant society through laughter, play and celebration. I participated in a Levity Project event in New York City on World Laughter Day in 2010 (read about that here). In addition to such events, they regularly create micro-movements by ask people around the world to film themselves doing a particular joyful activity. The Levity Project, then, brings together these video clips and makes a short film to put on YouTube.

Katie West and Ina Lukas, co-founders of The Levity Project, have dedicated the Bubbles of Joy video to their mothers, who both made their transition out of the physical world within a few months of each other this past year. In their honor, we are invited celebrate each precious moment that we have here on Earth. The playfulness of blowing bubbles really invites that kind of mindfulness.

Our group decided to blow bubbles in the sanctuary of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, where the Lansing Laughter Club meets. We wanted to make a statement about the joy of our faith. 

I was so inspired by the fun footage I got of Lansing Laughers, that I put together an addition film of these follies, backed by some songs from the Holy Hysterics CD. Enjoy!

Remember that enrollment is still open for both the Laughter Yoga Leader Retreat and the Laughter Yoga Teacher Retreat, which begin on March 30 (information at www.LaughterYogaIowa.com). If you are already a certified Laughter Yoga Leader, either through the Iowa School of Laughter Yoga or another program, you are eligible to receive a huge discount. Consider coming just for fun! You’ll make new friends and renew your zeal of the life-changing power of laughter. What could be a better way to spend April Fool’s weekend? E-mail me for details: laughterlaura@yahoo.com.

KWWL CHANNEL 7 NEWS ARTICLE

Laughing Through Life in Lansing

What's causing an uproar of laughter in Lansing? Absolutely nothing. Once a week people meet at the Lansing Community Center to laugh about nothing.

"We initiate it as an exercise and so we get laughing and it's actually pretend laughter, but it becomes real almost immediately because we're doing it as a group and we connect. We develop a child-like playfulness and the laughter flows," said Pastor Laura Gentry.

Pastor Laura Gentry went to California to become a certified Laughter Yoga instructor. In January she started Iowa's first laughter club.

Laughter Yoga is based on two main concepts: you can laugh for no reason and the body can't tell the difference between real laughter and fake laughter.

Lansing Laughter Club members like Robert Grover and Chris Bolson are hooked.

"I come here and I just let go. Most people do," said Robert Grover.

"You kind of have a down day and you leave here so refreshed," said Chris Bolson.

If you can laugh, you can join laughter club. You don't even need a sense of humor.

"If you're laughing regularly the stress just floats away and life becomes totally tolerable. So I've found myself being more joyful, more relaxed, my immune system is better and I'm just having a lot more fun. People say I'm more fun to be around," said Pastor Gentry.

More fun... and Pastor Laura said you'll be healthier too.

"They just discovered Laughter Yoga can reduce your risk of heart disease by 50 percent. Because it's such a good cardio workout it raises your heart rate almost immediately. So at one minute you can get your heart rate at a level it would take ten minutes to get on a bike."

So, laughter really is the best medicine. The laughter doesn't have to stop when 30 minutes are up. Pastor Laura said she's made a life decision to laugh more often.. and you can too.

Copyright © 2007, KWWL Channel 7
This website article accompanied the TV news story below,
which aired on May 24, 2007