INDEPENDENT NEWS

Marieke Marigold and Yogic Laughter club coming.

Published: Thu 22 May 2008 03:29 PM
Press Release
Marieke Marigold and Yogic Laughter club coming.
The Waitakeries are laughing for no reason, or they will be soon!
The Joyologist Pat Armitstead is running a  2 day program to teach the community the essence of Yogic Laughter. Armitstead likens it to claytons laughter , saying “This is the fun you have when your not really feeling like it”. The yogic excercises are designed to support people to stay in a positive space and experience more often the rush of endorphins that creates the feel good effect after much laughter.
The workshop will run over 2 days on the 28th and 29th June, and cover a range of things including helping people identify their personal risk for encountering depression and other
manifestations of a high stress environment.  People will learn about types of humour and explore some improv acting. They will find their clown self and tap into their inner child, laughing for
no reason.
Armitstead was the first to introduce yogic laughter to New Zealand in 2001.  She conducted a 90 day pilot program at the then Anne Maree Rest Home in Blockhouse Bay , teaching the
residents and staff a 20 minute workout.  The residents went on to achieve a world record on World laughter day by laughing continuously for one hour.  They became New Zealand’s first accredited laughter facility and went on to participate in another pilot of 12 months duration.
The attached photo of Stan and Glad Rafferty is from the very first workshop, and they feature in the Joyologist’s first book, Humour Works.
In that second pilot the worlds first Joyology Department was created using the model of a high trust environemnt where people were rewarded for performing to optimum doing what it was that they loved.  That was for both staff and residents.  Results, while anecdotal will be in Armitsteads book soon to be released.  Residents became part of the most extensive and varied activities program in New Zealand.  They tapped into areas of creativity they did not know they had and started writing, painting and doing things they had never done!
Armitstead says given the current economic downturn and the redundancies occurring it is timely to put in place some measures to support people to remain positive  in the face of adversity.   She says we cannot continue to try to mange on our own, it is imperative we tap into and commune with each other at a deeper level.  A high trust environment creates the space for fun and laughter and adds to community wellbeing.  The World Health Authority says that depression is currently world health burden number two.  By 2020 they say it will be number 1.  Laughter clubs will contribute towards turning that around !  And they are free !
Marieke Marigold will be the co-ordinator of the new group and enquiries may be directed to her as below

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