THE FIRST SPRING RETREAT WAS A REAL TREAT

Yes! We have done it. We’ve pulled off a spring retreat of laughter yoga in the beautiful hills of Ferryville, Wisconsin. It was amazing. Forty one people were involved in the event—some for the whole weekend, others for a day. They came from all over the Midwest and Doug, the Laugh Man, came from Mississippi!

We’ve decided that we ABSOLUTELY DO want it to become an annual event—basically a  laughter yoga conference of the Midwest. Next year, we’re hoping to gather for an even bigger, more delightful party and we hope you’ll join us. We even have a committee forming to plan it. Possible dates are: May 16-18 or March 14-16. Please e-mail me at laughinglauragentry@yahoo.com to report your preference. Thanks! 

Meanwhile, let me tell you about this year’s retreat. It so wiped me out that I haven’t had a chance to post this blog until now. 

We gathered on Friday, April 19th and laughed pretty much nonstop until the afternoon of Sunday, April 21st. Here are some highlights:

• We had two full-blown laughter yoga sessions. One was led by LY Teachers Jill and Dan Johnson of Sioux Falls, SD on Friday night, and the other was led by Madison Laughter Club Teachers Mike Kueny, Nancy Greenwald, Michelle Erschen, and Beth Murphy on Sunday morning.

• We learned about how to laugh our way into mindfulness with easy and fun practices as taught by LY Teacher Deb Olson, R.N. 

• We picked up tips for leading laughter clubs and getting hired with a presentation by LY Teachers Kathy Wilkinson and Carolyn Christopher. 

• We laughed the Labyrinth and got gibberish blessings.

• We enjoyed laughing in the wood fired sauna.

• We laughed at Doug's laugh.

• We hiked in the hills (and some of us...we’re not naming names...got lost).

• We laughed with our ancestors using a method called family constellations and asked them to support us in our endeavor to live joyfully.

• We watched a portion of the film Laughology and heard from the star, Doug Collins, about how his laugh has changed his life and the world for the better (and believe me, it touched us all deeply).

• We sang, danced, laughed and played games at our Saturday evening costume party (which is where most of the following pictures were taken).

• We made new friends and played together happily in our playgroups.

• We had campfires (where the bunny hop was also performed...along with all the silly songs we could remember).

• Some laughers invaded my church, Our Savior's Lutheran, on Sunday morning, thus bringing their joyful energy into the worship service.

• Four new Laughter Yoga Leaders graduated and were sent off to change the world with laughter.

• And at the end, all were awarded "The Most Valuable Laugher in the Universe" certificates because the universe is big enough for ALL of us to be the most 

valuable. And incidentally, we declared Ferryville the laughing center of the Universe. Who knew?

I’m note quite sure how we packed all of that into one weekend. But we did! And we all felt the benefit of joining together with so many positive, happy, laughing, singing, dancing people! So much love—oh, it made our hearts sing! I am so grateful for everyone's participation and I can't wait 'til next year.

the laughing name tags all ready to go

the laughing bird pens who greeted each laugher

Doug and me at the recording studio (we had to finish our CD before the retreat).

Doug at the Votive Candle Chapel at the Shine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in LaCrosse, Wisconsin (we took him there on our way down to the camp in Ferryville)

Doug inside the Votive Candle Chapel where he lit a candle and prayed for our retreat

during the laughing with our ancestors session I led

performing the laughing seven generations ritual

Carolyn saying hello to the pink elephant by blowing in my trunk

The group of young people who joined us from Milwaukee

here I am with Laughter Yoga Leader, Barb Flouro

the ever amazing LY Teacher, Carolyn Christopher

Can you find Waldo? How about the pink elephant?

Doug with the Johnsons

the ladies from Ladysmith, Wisconsin: Pat, Shirley and Barb, along with Doug and me

Doug getting ready to party!

LY Leader Lisa Weis and her foreign exchange student, Silvia laugh with the elephant

the loveable LY Teacher Kathy Wilkinson

here I am with LY Leader Carrie Hein Paredes (Carrie and I have been friends since childhood and the laughter yoga helped us find one another and reconnect in a magical way) 

Doug and Kathy

the Waldos are whispering sweet nothings into my big ears 

with LY Teacher Deb Olson, the fairy princess

The laughers who invaded my church on Sunday morning

A hilarious laughter meditation

More fun with costumes! (sorry about the cow suit, Kathy, I know I promised not to bring it this year!)

Kathy and Carolyn's presentation

Doug with Pastor Jenna, Laughter Yoga Leader, and her husband, Mike

Cheering in the center of the labrinth

Our whole group

an example of the Most Valuable Laugher awards...Doug wasn't the only one who got one! We all did!

THE LAUGH MAN COMETH!

Now many of you that I'm hosting the first annual Laughter Spring Retreat in Ferryville, Wisconsin from April 19 until the 21st. But what you DO NOT yet know is that the world famous, LAUGH MAN, Doug Collins from Memphis, Tennessee, will be our main presenter. His unique laugh gained popularity on YouTube when he was a part of The Comedy Barn show a few years ago. To date, there have been over 23 million views. He was also featured on Laughology, the full length documentary about laughter. Doug is part of my upcoming CD, Laughter Blasters. 

So if you'd like to spend a weekend getting away from all the stress of your everyday life—singing, dancing, playing and laughing with world famous laughers, this is your chance!  I could not be more thrilled to offer this opportunity. It's what everyone needs! Cost for the entire retreat, including delicious meals and housing in the log cabin village (pictured below) is a mere $150. Plus, you'll receive an official Laughing Laura Bird Pen. Register with a friend and you'll both get a FREE CD or DVD from The Laughter Shoppe.

Our AMAZING presenters will include: Carolyn Christopher and Kathy Wilkinson, Deb Olson, Susan Kiefer, Jill and Dan Johnson, Jody Ross, Doug Collins and me, Laughing Laura! You'll learn a lot from these laughing experts!

The retreat is quite full already but there is still room for you if you register soon. The full amount of $150 is due for registration. It is non-refundable but transferable (so if for some reason you can't make it, you can always send a laugher in your place). A few scholarships are available so if you need one, please contact Laura. We want you to be there! Oh, and tell your friends about it. Registration is also on the front page of www.LaughingLaura.com.

See you soon! Ha ha ha! :)

LAUGHTER YOGA SPRING RETREAT

How would you like to spend a weekend in the wilderness laughing, singing, dancing and playing games with a group of fabulous people from all around the Midwest? Well, now is your chance to get registered! The retreat will be held at Sugar Creek Bible Camp in the hills of Southwest Wisconsin. It begins Friday, April 19 at 6 p.m. and concludes on Sunday, April 21 at noon. The objective of the event is to spend an entire weekend in joyful play. What could  be better?

Don't you deserve a laughter vacation from your hectic routine? No experience in laughter yoga is necessary. This is just an opportunity to have fun in an intentional way. Cost for the entire retreat, including delicious meals and housing in the log cabin village (pictured below) is a mere $150. Plus, you'll receive an official Laughing Laura Bird Pen (see video at the bottom of this page) Register with a friend and you'll both get a FREE CD or DVD from The Laughter Shoppe.

Would you like to share your talents by leading an hour-long laughter-based activity for the group? E-mail Laughing Laura to pitch your idea. Presenters will receive a $25 discount!

I'll tell you why I am going to the work to host this event. It is because of the incredible people pictured below.

They are the teachers and students who gathered at the camp last spring for a training event. We all had such fun that we promised we'd come back next year just to laugh and renew our friendship. So now, we are inviting YOU to be a part of the experience, too. Everyone willing to have a good time is a most welcome addition to our laughing family.

Space is limited, so please register today. The full amount of $150 is due for registration. It is non-refundable but transferable (so if for some reason you can't make it, you can always send a laugher in your place). A few scholarships are available so if you need one, please contact Laura. We want you to be there! Oh, and tell your friends about it. Registration is also on the front page of www.LaughingLaura.com.

In other news, I am still working to complete my latest CD, which features the famous Laugh Man. Thanks for your patience. It is side-splittingly hilarious and I promise it will be worth the wait. Stay tuned for details about that.

And I have started another blog with stories about the stuff I'm cleaning out of my basement. I know that may not sound exciting, but it really is. Ha ha ha! I urge you to give it a look: The Stuff of My Story.

Keep laughing and make 2013 your best year ever!

APRIL FOOL'S DAY LAUGHTER YOGA LEADER RETREAT

March 30—April 1, 2012 • Ferryville, Wisconsin • Now Enrolling!

Earn lifetime certification as a Laughter Yoga Leader by enrolling in this upcoming April Fool's Day retreat to be held at a wilderness camp in the rolling hills of southwest Wisconsin. 

Most certified Laughter Yoga Leader courses are offered as a two-day seminar. While this format works, I have found that teaching it over a slightly longer period of time in a retreat setting works even better. Students have been wildly enthusiastic about learning laughter yoga in this way. So, by popular demand, I am offering a spring retreat at Sugar Creek Bible Camp in Ferryville, Wisconsin. The facility is accredited by the American Camp Association. Here, you can get away from your everyday stresses and relax in a beautiful environment.

The retreat begins Friday, March 30 at 6:00 p.m. We’ll gather in the octagonal meeting cabin for opening session. Then we’ll laugh, tell stories and roast marshmallows around a campfire in the evening. After that, the camp’s wood burning sauna will be fired up and ready for us.

On Saturday, we'll spend the entire day laughing, learning, bonding, and eating delicious food. As part of the experience, we’ll laugh our way through the camp’s labyrinth and deepen our spiritual joy.  You’ll be given some free time in the afternoon so you can explore the camp’s trails, visit with your laughter friends or curl up in your cabin for a nap. That evening, we’ll have a full-blown costume party, complete with games, gibberish singing and dancing.

Sunday—April Fool's Day—the fun continues with more practice, brunch, and the crafting of our laughing life plans. The retreat concludes with a rollicking graduation ceremony in which you’ll laugh "Pomp and Circumstance," take the laughter pledge and be zealously awarded your laughing degree-he-he. Believe me, you’ve never had such fun at graduation ceremony. We’ll then take our class pictures and be finished and ready to hit the road by 2:00 p.m. that afternoon.

This is a rare and exciting opportunity to study laughter yoga at a  retreat. The tuition is $295 (the international standard for this course, set by Laughter Yoga International) and includes all instruction to certify you as a Laughter Yoga Leader, my original manual, The Little Book of Big Laughs, a Be Laughter CD, two posters and a full color diploma professionally printed with your name.

Accommodation at the camp is in the modern Log Cabin Village. These upscale retreat lodgings are shared with up to seven persons per cabin.  Each cabin has a covered porch, a small sitting area with a fireplace and bathroom and shower facilities. 

The camp chef will pamper us with healthy, home-cooked meals. Vegetarian options will be provided. And in between those meals, there will be ample snacks and beverages for you. The hospitality can't be beat!

Cost for the two nights and all food is just $80, bringing the grand total for the weekend experience to $375. This is much more affordable than staying at a hotel and dining out. 

Below are testimonials from two laughing graduates who took the Iowa School of Laughter Yoga certified Laughter Yoga Leader retreat at Sugar Creek.

Space is limited at this highly-sought retreat so enroll as soon as possible. To do so, click the convenient Paypal button below to make your $200 deposit or call 563-880-2699 to make payment by credit card.  To enroll by mail, please fill out the application form and send a check payable to Laughing Laura to: P.O. Box 11, Marquette, IA 52158. The balance is to be paid at the start of the retreat. Register with a friend and you’ll each receive $35 off your tuition plus a free CD or DVD.

Visit The Iowa School of Laughter Yoga to learn more.

DALLAS SEMINAR IN APRIL

At the Iowa School of Laughter Yoga, we are now enrolling for a Dallas, Texas seminar and the e-course. To begin your enrollment process, fill out the form on the Laughing Laura site. Then submit payment through Paypal or check. You will be contacted immediately with more information. If you have questions, feel to e-mail me at Laughing Laura or call me at 563-880-2699.

LAUGHTER YOGA LEADER SEMINAR

Dallas, Texas — April 22-23

Here is your chance to learn laughter yoga from Laughing Laura in the great state of Texas. The course will be held at the Park Cities Yoga Studio in downtown Dallas, 5934 Royal Lane, Suite 252 on Thursday, April 22 and Friday, April 23. Both days, the course will run from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

The tuition for this course is $225, which covers all training, Laura's original laughter manual, a Laugh Your Way There CD, a Live a Laughing Life poster, a beautiful diploma showing your lifetime certification as a laughter yoga leader as well as a delicious, healthy lunch both days. This rate only applies to those who register in advance. At the door it will be $250 if spaces are available.

Click here to see pictures from the last laughter yoga leader seminar Laughing Laura taught at Park Cities Yoga (July 2009).

Park Cities Yoga Studio will be hosting the seminar in their beautiful facility. Learn laughter, do laughter and be laughter—these are the goals of the seminar. Join us for this life-changing seminar that will teach you how to cultivate your own joy and spread it. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity!

To register and lock in the lower rate, fill out the enrollment form at the Laughing Laura site and submit the registration fee of $50 by means of the convenient Paypal button below or by a check sent to: Laura Gentry, PO Box 11, Marquette, IA 52158. This fee is non-refundable but is transferrable should you be unable to make the seminar.

I highly recommend Laura's Laughter Yoga course! As an alternative health care practitioner, I recognize the transformative and healing power of laughter and I was greatly impressed with the diversity of techniques that were utilized during this course. Laura Gentry is a dynamic instructor who leads and assists her students with great enthusiasm. This course is an absolute MUST for anyone seeking to experience the life-affirming joy of laughter!
—Rhonda Locklair