Hilarious regime: The Johor Baru Happy and Joyous Club encourages people to make laughing part of their daily routine as the exercise brings many physical and mental health benefits.
JOHOR BARU: They say laughter is the best medicine, but not many people actually practise it regularly, says a group that promotes laughter.
Johor Baru Happy and Joyous Club president Koh Mui Cheng said people could easily uplift their mood and have a better outlook on life by simply laughing heartily, even when alone.
“Laughing for fun should not be viewed negatively. More people should make it a daily routine, as studies have shown that laughing is a form of exercise that brings many health benefits, both physically and mentally.
“There are also examples of those suffering from bipolar disorder or schizophrenia experiencing an improved mood after a few months of regularly participating in laughter yoga,” she said in an interview.
Koh, who is a trained and certified laughter yoga teacher, said those who join the club will learn various laughing techniques and how to inject joy into their lives.
“With so much negativity surrounding our everyday lives, laughter is much needed now, more than ever.
“Laughter is also a universal language that goes beyond religious, cultural or age boundaries,” she said, adding that it was a movement initiated in 1998 by Dr Madan Kataria and his wife Madhuri from India.
Koh added that her club had been advocating laughter for the past 16 years, and acceptance of laughing as a form of exercise had also increased over the years.
The club started out with only 10 to 20 people because, initially, the public was sceptical about the movement of encouraging people to laugh out loud for seemingly no reason, she said.
“We saw a big growth in numbers last year, with people from various walks of life and professional backgrounds joining us. We currently have more than 250 members.
“We hope to spread more joy and awareness at our World Laughter Day celebration at the Fo Guang Shan Hsingma Si temple in Taman Sutera Utama here on Sunday (today),” she added.
Koh is encouraging the public to participate in a host of activities from 7.30am to 9.30am, such as a fitness session, laughter exercises, clown dance, and a contest to crown the Laughter King and Queen for adults and the Laughter Prince and Princess for children.
She added that the club’s activities extend beyond physical events, as there are daily laughter sessions held on social media and online meeting platforms.
“During these hour-long sessions, people, including those from overseas, participate in laughter exercises from anywhere, even on the go, to laugh and inject happiness into their days,” she said.
The club is planning to expand its activities this year by gathering like-minded laughter enthusiasts from all over the country to officially register as a society.
World Laughter Day is celebrated globally on the first Sunday of May annually.
