Laughter makes happiness easy to find

For International Day of Happiness today, one local resident makes sure happiness isn’t limited to a one-day event.

HeatherJoy Campbell is a facilitator of a practice called Laughter Yoga with the Bay City Laughers Club at Woody Point.

The club is part of the City of Moreton Bay’s Healthy and Active program and aims to connect the community through mindful movement and deep belly laughter.

“…Bay City Laughers is like a tribe; but it’s all inclusive; people can come in for the very first time and once we’ve said our name and we’ve laughed, they are a bay city laugher. Being part of bringing this wellbeing to a community, I just find it the most rewarding thing I could ever do,” HeatherJoy says.

“Laughter yoga, in itself, makes you feel good because we all love to laugh, but when we’re laughing from the belly for 20 minutes, that’s more than any comedy show, you know?

“And the physical and physiological changes that are happening in your body; the feel goods are just sublime.”

HeatherJoy is planning a secret theme for her laughter yoga class today.

A natural mood enhancer

When asked what the community could do more of to be happier, HeatherJoy laughs as she says, “other than laughter yoga?”

“Look, maybe don’t take yourself so seriously, maybe take a moment to breathe, to actually breathe,” HeatherJoy explains.

“Gratitude is a big one…think of three things that weren’t rubbish; three things that went well for you or were good for you.”

Laughter yoga has many benefits, including stress reduction and mood enhancement.

“… (Laughter Yoga) is a stress buster and a mood enhancer, but it’s also a social connector, and loneliness and social isolation are big players in mental health,” HeatherJoy says.

“Something I’m passionate about is creating that sense of belonging as we do when we are doing our laughter yoga in the Bay City Laughers Club.

“It’s all ages, it’s all abilities. You just change the exercises up to suit. You’ve got it in you, I just enable people to find their laugh again.”

The Bay City Laughers Club runs every Wednesday from 10-10.45am at Bicentennial Park, Woody Point.

Entry is $4 per person.

Find out more here.