By Annette Campbell
Melbourne-based marketing consultant and mother of two Rebecca Collins is one of the growing number of people around the world discovering the joys of a good laugh.
The day-to-day stresses of a full-time job and being a mum meant Rebecca was looking for some sort of release.
Then she read a magazine story about a laughter club. “I really related to it,” she says. “I’d heard about laughter groups and thought I’d love to be a part of that.”
To find out more, in February this year Rebecca went along to a talk held by a group called Powerlaugh — and she was hooked. So she enrolled in a five-week course.
“I’m very excited that I did it and very keen to recommend it to others,” Rebecca beams. “It’s helped me feel relaxed and more able to laugh. Apparently laughter is one of the body’s safety valves, as a counter-balance to tension. It sends endorphins out to help you relax and feel good.
“The course I did was a series of specific exercises, not just thinking of something funny — and the end result is feeling absolutely relaxed.
“And I had a really sore tummy! So it obviously exercises your muscles too. One of the first times, I tried to laugh for a minute and was exhausted. But at the end I laughed hard for about 10 minutes and was fine.”
Rebecca adds that she’d heard laughter was also a helpful tool for coping if there was chronic illness in the family.
“One of my daughters has had an illness since she was four,” she says. “So at times you do need to laugh rather than getting so serious. And my girls are both teens, so I needed to laugh, not stress.”
Rebecca’s also experiencing physical benefits.
“I don’t have any back pain any more,” she says. “I did have tension in my shoulders and back, but since February I haven’t had one problem.”
Rebecca says anyone who’s even thought about contacting a laughter club should do it.
“I do believe that as we get older, we get out of the habit of laughing,” she says. “Compared to about 10 years ago, when we all laughed much more, now we’re all so serious. I think we could all do with a good laugh.”
Looking for a laugh?
There are laughter clubs all around Australia (do a search on the Internet or in the Yellow Pages), however you’ll find Powerlaugh in Melbourne. Visit their website: www.powerlaugh.com or phone them on (03) 8415 1202.
Related Stories
Being too busy almost killed me
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
