Last week I(Laughing John) had the pleasure of delivering a Laughter Yoga Workshop to over 50 male and female participants. The session was in Farnborough for a construction company called Fluor.
Fluor connects businesses and communities to advance economies and employment. They create choice and opportunity on a local and global scale.
Building a better world is their purpose. They care deeply about safety and seek to drive quality and efficiency in all that they do. They behave ethically, inclusively and responsibly for a brighter future.
Fluor support their clients in solving critical challenges. They operate throughout the project lifecycle, from conceptual design, engineering, procurement and construction to the operations and maintenance of facilities.
Clients, partners and communities trust Fluor because they are here for the long term – delivering successful projects of both scale and significance for more than a century. From the spark of an idea to a project’s completion, our nearly 27,000 colleagues in more than 60 locations around the globe provide professional and technical solutions with world-class expertise.
The laughter therapy workshop was held in their Farnborough location , just off the M25 on the outskirts of London; 140 Pinehurst Road, Farnborough GU14 7BF. This is about a 2.5 hour drive from my Nottingham base. I (Laughing John) regularly visit London and surrounding areas for laughter appointments. Please get in touch to see if we cover your specific office or location . It may be that you choose a venue such as a meeting room in a hotel or community centre. As long as their is a privated d spacious room available with either air conditioning or windows that open. All parts of the British isles are possible. Much is down to budget available.
The Senior Manager for Office services requested the laughter workshop. Every few weeks they schedule a well being activity which is voluntary for all staff to attend. Last time they did a Thai chi session. This time a Laughter Yoga Workshop was requested for something fun and different.
The session was 45 minutes long. About 50 male and female participants of various ages where sat theatre style while I led the workshop from the front space. Some eighties cheesy pop music was used to get everyone up moving. This helped ease initial nerves and the room was soon in laughing hysteria. This involved using a Black Lace song which mixed in to the theme music from the TV cop show Magnum! You had to be there to understand the humour that unfolded.
The session went down very well with just about everyone experiencing lots of fun connection,humour and laughter. I was told after by the Senior Manager for Office Services that I was ‘ the talk of Farnborough….and it’s all good talk. It was great and we’re hoping to do another session in 6 months.’ I better start preparing the sequel.
- Floods the Brain with Happy Hormones: Expressive chuckles trigger the immediate release of endorphins (natural painkillers), serotonin (mood regulators), and dopamine (the chemical responsible for motivation).
- Reduces stress: It significantly decreases the secretion of stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine, safely transitioning your body out of the “fight-or-flight” sympathetic state and activating the parasympathetic nervous system to induce deep relaxation and calm.
- Boosts Immune Reactivity: Research confirms that regular practice elevates natural killer cells and salivary IgA levels optimizing the body.
- Maximizes Oxygen Intake: Prolonged exhalations during playful laughter help empty the lungs of stale air. This is mixed with deep, mindful inhales that fill the body and brain with highly oxygenated air, improving mental clarity and stamina.
- Internal Cardio Workout: A sustained session increases your heart rate, dilates blood vessels, and boosts overall circulation, creating a low-impact cardiovascular workout. It also engages and tones the diaphragm, abdominal walls, and intercostal chest area.
- Contagion : While exercises begin as playful or simulated actions, the enhanced laughter quickly morphs into genuine, uncontrollable giggles due to extended eye contact and group atmosphere..
- Encouraged Social Connectedness: Sharing uninhibited silliness builds social bonds and dissolves emotional barriers and generates a safe space for emotional vulnerability.
- Mental break: The rhythmic chanting (such as repeating laughter rhythms while clapping flat palms together) actively disrupts analytical, anxious thoughts, encouraging the mind entirely into the present moment.
Please get in touch for more information.