Celebrate my birthday with me!

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It’s really nice to be able to continue celebrating birthdays, isn’t it?

If you’ve been reading me for a while, you know that I usually do a “garden tour” for my birthday. What have I learned, what have I achieved, what have I created during the year? What I’m proud of (and what I need to improve too) and what makes me happy.

I intend to do it again today! Rain or shine, it’s an important exercise and one I enjoy.

A brief look back

One year, I had a little difficulty with the “number of years on the clock” and chose to list everything I’d learned since birth. The list was surprisingly long! HAHAHA!

I’m telling you, it changes our attitude to the passage of time!

Focusing on what’s been added to my life rather than what’s missing, what’s gone, the little and big griefs that come with age, what I’d dreamed of but didn’t achieve…

It was THE recipe I experimented with that year!

Why am I telling you about it?

This infallible tip later found its way into one of the modules of what I created with two wonderful women, Geneviève and Marie-Josée on the former Bien Et Heureux platform. I’m talking about the CHAQUE JOUR LA JOIE which is now alive and well on the PlaneteJoie.com website .

I realized a long time ago that for me, pleasing others is a powerful fuel for happiness in my own life!

Well, for my birthday, I’m giving myself the gift of pleasing you!

Our gift (to you and me!)

I have decided to offer you a 33% discount coupon on registration for this course, which is definitely my favorite! HAHAPPY33

I LOVE this Planetejoie course! It makes me proud of myself and of what I’ve created. Knowing that you’ll enjoy it and feel happier, that makes me happy too!

By taking this journey, we realize many things and change… for the better! You feel lighter and happier! People who have done it have told me so! THAT is what fills my heart with gratitude! Knowing that the inspiration I’ve received is helping other people is wonderful!

So you have access to this gift until July 29 – 20 days after my birthday – to take advantage of this coupon. What is it? HAHAPPY33

And don’t ask my age! HAHAHA! I won’t tell you! HAHAHA!

I’m off for my garden tour!

And thank you for your wishes!

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Laughter, joy and health

Linda – we don’t count the years!

The Good Mood Summit!

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Start the year by doing something for YOU!

Need to change things? Lighten up your life? To nourish your being with something benevolent, smiling, beneficial?

The Good Mood Summit is practical, fun and concrete. Find out which tools can help you bring lightness into your life.

A daily dose of morale booster and inspiration.

Each day, two experts will enlighten you and share – live with you – a different tool.

You’ll enjoy discovering every day that there’s such a great source of little moments that change your mood for the better!

From January 21 to 29, 2022, two conferences/workshops each day.

17 international speakers to inspire you.

Eight days to take the time to put “good mood” resources into practice.

Do you have any idea of what will be presented?

  • Qu’il y a dans ma trousse bonne humeur (Linda Leclerc)
  • La voix de la bonne humeur / un enchantement de soi (William Herremy)
  • To be or not to be, that is the question (Jean-Christophe Seznec)
  • Mood-enhancing foods and healthy recipes (Julie Barbeau Capruciu)
  • The power of the heart / NeuroJoy (Antoinette Layoun)
  • Cardiac coherence: generating well-being from the heart (Guy Lacroix)
  • Mandala of Joy (Guylaine Leblanc)
  • Positive keys to self-revelation (Justine Chabane)
  • Playing for laughs and growth (Sébastien Gendry)
  • The Optimist Challenge (Rosanna Bruzzone)
  • Wonder: putting stars in the eyes of young and old alike! (Élise Mareuil)
  • Programming a good mood with NLP and humanist hypnosis (Sonia Dumont)
  • Reactive vs. proactive: mood physiology and BrainGym (Lisa Marcovici)
  • Bringing play back into life (Julien Peschot)
  • Joy meditation (Corinne Cosseron)
  • Laugh it up (Linda Leclerc)
  • Extasy Dance Bonne Humeur (Nat Barrera)

And it all starts with a FREE pre-event conference on January 18, En route vers la bonne humeur (William and Catherine Herremy and Linda Leclerc).

All the information is on the Summit website

Nuggets of inspiration every minute!!! Here’s what’s in store!

Does burnout sound familiar?

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Does burnout sound familiar? Having found myself on the verge of burnout a few years ago, I know what I’m talking about!

Many factors lead to burnout, but long-term, permanent stress is certainly the main culprit.

During the pandemic, cases of burnout increased, partly due to people working longer hours while working from home, and being even more stressed than normal. At my conferences these days, I even suggest that participants give themselves a bonus point for the level of stress they feel.

So what can you do to avoid burnout?

One of the simplest and easiest things to do is to take more breaks.

Not only will this improve your mental health and reduce the risk of burnout, it will also improve your productivity. Ultimately, you’ll get more done, because regular breaks will improve your concentration. This means you’ll be able to work fewer hours, helping to further prevent burnout.

A study by Owl Labs in 2020 showed that people working from home worked an average of 26 hours more per month, or almost an extra day per week. 26 MORE hours!!!

Even though working from home has many advantages, it does something strange to our way of thinking. We feel guilty taking breaks when we think we should be working. So we often don’t, and just get on with it.

Unfortunately, not taking breaks doesn’t save you time in the long run. On the contrary, your productivity decreases as your brain becomes exhausted, causing you to slow down, lose concentration and make more and more mistakes.

The good news is that your breaks don’t have to be long to be beneficial. A few minutes’ break can make a huge difference to your state of mind and your ability to concentrate for longer.

Overall, you’ll need a good mix of longer and shorter breaks for optimum benefit. This includes a proper lunch break, a good night’s rest with a relaxing evening, weekends and vacations to completely unplug and recharge.

How to make the most of your breaks

  • Write down your breaks in your diary. Set alarms so that you don’t “go straight through”. That way, you’ll be more likely to stick to them. Write down what you’re going to do during your break, for example, go for a walk or read a book, or join a laughter group on URGENCE RIRE for energizing and relaxing 10-15 minute breaks. Your brain will be oxygenated, you’ll feel more relaxed and continue your work with smiling energy.
  • Choose an activity that takes you away from your work. Don’t use it to check e-mail or social media. No. Do something else. Like LAUGH!

Most people can’t concentrate for more than 90 minutes at a time, which is how often you’ll need a mini-break. You’ll notice that you need a break when your mind starts to wander, you begin to procrastinate or you make more mistakes.

Wouldn’t you keep driving your car if the engine started to overheat?

HA! You’d take a break to let it cool off. Don’t treat your body any worse than you would your car!

Jaw clenching? Time to relax a little!

To receive the latest news and inspirations, sign up for the Laughter Yoga School newsletter.

You’ll have ammunition to inspire you to smile and take care of yourself!

Laughter, joy and health

Linda

p.s. To consult the 2022 results

We laugh to ward off fear… and viruses!

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Note: you’ll find all the links behind the orange words!

The whole world is shaking right now, and it’s time to LAUGH TO STAY CENTERED! We laugh to chase away the fear and the virus!

Since March 12, I’ve been doing on my personal Facebook page every day to encourage us to do things that keep our energy higher. That help us look up instead of down. Do things and make CHOICES! And of course, we laugh together!

Once completed each day, I place these videos on the the Laughter Yoga School YouTube channel (because, of course, not everyone is on FB!) where you can watch them and get inspired.

To prevent the spread of the virus, all places where laughter yoga sessions were held were closed. However, opportunities to laugh together online flourished here and there!

Many fellow Laughter Yoga facilitators, teachers and masters around the world have offered to host shorter Laughter Yoga sessions or, more simply, intentional laughter sessions on the internet. (ZOOM will have seen its shares bounce back over the past week, as many groups meet virtually to exchange ideas and have a laugh. Our direct contacts may be limited, but our virtual communications are proliferating – much to our delight! Thanks for our sanity 😉

Reinforcements

Here are some links where you can see/hear yourself laughing – because laughing releases tension, lets go of fear and anxiety, and keeps you as calm and collected as possible. We take the means! And we CHOOSE JOY! – because the other alternatives aren’t valid right now! HAHAHA!

10 minutes

First, the link to the 10-minute mini-sessions on ZOOM.

How it works: You choose your time and click on the presenter’s photo. You’ll be directed to the meeting space on ZOOM. We laugh together for about 9 minutes and breathe calmly at the end. No talking. Just laughter.

It can be a little unsettling the first time, but give yourself the gift of doing it cheerfully and see how much better you feel afterwards. Do it as often as you like! And there are laughers from all over the world who’ll be with you.

Do you want to be with me?

I’m there Monday, Wednesday Wednesday and Thursday. If you’re in Europe, the times shown on the chart are yours. If you’re in North America, you’ll need to look at the world clock to make the calculation. France switches to daylight saving time on March 28, at which point there will be a 6-hour time difference between Quebec and France (6 hours LESS here)!

30 minutes

And also the link to the laughter yoga session I offer on Wednesday evenings at 7pm – 30 minutes of laughter yoga, breathing and relaxation exercises. Before going to bed with a smile on your face.

So there’s no excuse not to take the smiling steps to boost your immune system and chase away the blues and stress!

Humans are not made to be alone.

And in these times of upheaval, it’s reassuring to know that we can “see” each other, despite our enforced isolation!

Come and join us! It’ll do me as much good as it’ll do you! (Guess why I’m doing it…)

Take care of yourself. Wash your hands for 20 seconds while laughing. Think of others! Love yourself!

Laughter, joy and health

Linda

 

For the last episode of the year… A gift!

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HAHA! For the last episode of the year of my podcast The Element of JOY, I’m giving you a gift! A sweet, smiling gift.

Do you know Maïtie Trélaüm? If you discover her today, you’ll want to know more about this beautiful person! I confess I listened to her episode several times after editing it. In it, she shares things that particularly resonated with me and inspired me, to find out about this visit this site More at paydayloandiva.

Do you know what a podcast is?

Also known as podcasts, these are audio capsules that you can subscribe to and listen to when you need to. Free and available on several platforms – iTunes with Apple Podcast, Spreaker, SoundCloud, YouTube, iHeartRadio… Free and inspiring! You listen to them in the car, at home, while walking, while working.

I’ll let you in on a secret… I LOVE spending time recording episodes, editing them, writing introductory texts and putting them online. It’s a very creative activity for me, and I see it almost as a hobby! Because yes! I do work! Really hard! hahaha! Even if you see me laughing – live or on video – what I present requires preparation, research, follow-up and… administration! That’s a lot of work! So, unlike many of the tasks I have to perform in my job, recording and replaying conversations with these people does my heart a world of good. aeb plataforma.

So, you’ll understand that bringing inspiring and beneficial little bubbles into the world makes me smile, and I’m happy to be able to share it all with you. I hope you enjoy it too.

I invite you to subscribe so you don’t miss any of them. If you feel like it, give me “stars” and comment on the episodes. You can do this in the “comments” section on iTunes. You’ll help the podcast move up the charts and let more people discover these bubbles of JOY!

You can even subscribe to the English version of my podcast: The JOY Element! Yes! I do it in English as well! Look it up and subscribe. OH! and if you feel like it, please give me stars and comments. This way, the podcast goes up in the rating charts!

In the meantime, happy last days of 2018…. Don’t forget to make your wishes with laughter!

Laughter, joy and health

Linda

Because you’ve been asking me that for a long time!

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That’s it! I say yes (finally!), because you’ve been asking me for a long time!

It’s the holiday season… so it’s the perfect time for gift-giving!

People have been writing to me for a long time to find out when I’ll be offering workshops for the general public in Montreal, and well, it’s on the calendar for 2019!

I’m offering four (4) Laughter Yoga programs in Montreal this winter!

Not one, not two, but four Sunday afternoons spent laughing together! Filling up with good humor for the week ahead. And because I feel like it, as a bonus I’ll be offering a little introduction to the JOYFIT method at each session (excellent for boosting our immune system, since we’re activating the movement of lymph in our bodies!) Depending on the group, I’ll also be adding “HAHA Sisterhood” capsules and bubbles! That’s what I’m talking about, folks!

I had the joy of completing my BrainGym 101 training with Manon Lefebvre of “L’équilibre en mouvement”. Today, she’s offering me the use of her beautiful premises to share these fun and beneficial moments with you this winter.

Why Sunday?

Because it’s the perfect time to build momentum for the week. Many people tell me they’re gloomy and depressed on Sundays – the weekend’s over and we’re getting ready to go back to work on Monday morning… But by laughing our hearts out on Sundays, we charge our cells with smiling, positive energy! The perfect combination for avoiding the blues!

You can take just one session, or all four (in fact, this is the option I suggest if you want to install healthy, happy laughter habits). The effect is guaranteed: SMILE AND RELAX!

You must register in advance, however, and can do so online in the École boutique or by calling 819-210-5057 or Manon at 514-794-1497.

I don’t know about you, but I’d jump at the chance to spend 6 hours together laughing, laughing, laughing and relaxing as the winter months set in!

See you in Outremont in January?

If I’m ready to make the drive to you, I hope you’ll feel like getting out of the house to join me! hahaha!

Laughter, joy and health

Linda

 

A real HAPPY DAY!

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A little over a year ago, I received a phone call and an e-mail from a certain Rossana Bruzzone. She left me a message in lilting French – Italian accent, I wondered? Spanish? hum… – inviting me to be part of a project she was working on. Montreal, the happiest city.
Having lived in Montreal for almost 14 years, I’ve grown to love this city of many faces and colorful neighborhoods. I still work here several times a month, and even though I no longer live here, it still feels like home.
After a laughing conversation with Rossana, I immediately agreed to provide her with gifts for her events and also to host a special “Laughter and Good Humor” evening at a Mile End café. That day, a love story was born between the two of us.

Rossana is a luminary. In every sense of the word! She spreads joy and hope. The name she has chosen for her business is “Neige en Couleurs”. Originally from Italy (I had it all right!), Rossana has been living in Montreal since 2013 and offers optimistic writing workshops and all sorts of “courses” that feel good and make you smile. Optimist writing is a branch of autobiographical writing that aims to highlight the beauty of everyday life: encounters, surprises, happy events.Rossana is leader of the project Montréal, la ville la plus heureuse au monde, produced as part of the Je fais Mtl movement. She co-created a documentary, #Mtllaplusheureuse, which involved the community involvement of 400 citizens.

After his event on Mont-Royal, “Le grand cri: Montréal est la ville la plus heureuse”, we agreed to meet again to explore what we could do together. And we came up with THE HAPPY DAY!
A great day to cultivate joy, happiness and laughter in your life!
Frankly, if I hadn’t organized it, I would have signed up for this day! hahaha! You’ll leave with a smile… that’s more than a promise!
We’ll be at 400 Atlantic Street, Suite 602 in Montreal.
Registration required: https://www.yogadurire.com/boutique/happy-rendez-vous/
Or call 514 806.4057

Laughter, joy and health

Linda

JOYFIT, laughter, cancer, lymph and joy!

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My friend Sue Carter Ansari has developed a wonderful concept for a program tailored to breast cancer survivors. Combining intentional laughter, movement, breathing, nutrition and relaxation, JOYFITtm is gaining in popularity. And with good reason! It’s not only effective in chasing away the stress and gloom that often set in permanently, it also encourages healthy lifestyle habits. In fact, JOYFITtm could be used by anyone, but it was originally developed for women with this type of condition.

Did you know that the simple act of laughing has a wonderful effect on the lymphatic system?

It’s really a question of increasing lymphatic flow, which then produces more lymphocytes to kill cancer cells. The lymphatic system is a meshed network of very fine vessels, separate from the blood vessels, but interwoven with the venous system. This network lies beneath the skin and above the muscles, and carries “cleaned” lymphatic fluid back to the vascular system on either side of the neck.

Unlike the cardiac system, where the heart acts as a pump, circulating blood to all parts of the body in a continuous circuit, the lymphatic system is a simple system – without a pump. Lymphatic fluid moves by inertia (very slowly, about 3 beats / minute) in a semicircular fashion. It’s a highly effective efficient cleansing process that forms the backbone of the immune system, as it collects waste from the whole body and cleanses this fluid before returning it to the bloodstream in the neck. Lymph nodes are groups of“cleaning stations” scattered along the lymphatic pathways, mainly in the armpits, neck, chest, abdomen and groin. Lymph nodes specialize in the production of white blood cells (lymphocytes) to clean fluid,antibodies to defend against future predators, and macrophages to eliminate all kinds of unwanted waste.

Although it has no pump to ensure fluid movement, the lymphatic system can be activated manually. The only way to increase flow is to breathe deeply (can you see why laughter can help here?) and move your muscles, which also increases lymph flow since lymph vessels rest on muscles. Lymph can’t move on its own – we have to help it move faster – so more lymphocytes can be produced because more lymph can pass through the lymph nodes where lymphocytes are produced. These lymphocytes attack and kill cancer cells! So we need to move, laugh and breathe.

What could be better than laughter to engage the diaphragm – which then engages the parasympathetic nervous system sending the signal to ALL the body’s systems to relax, producing “feel-good” hormones (endorphins) which in turn send the signal to stress hormones to calm down. And once this signal is received, blood pressure drops, heart rate slows and a general feeling of “happiness in the moment” replaces anxiety and stress – the perfect “domino effect”!

I’ve been working with cancer patients for many years now, and the JOYFIT program using laughter yoga has an extremely positive effect on their health as well as their state of mind. Give it a try! Laughter really is a GREAT medicine with no unwanted side effects! JoyfitProject

Laughter, joy and health

Linda

 

Linda’s 5 most frequently asked questions

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I’m often asked questions about my laughter yoga practice, about my life… and here are the ones I get asked the most!

1. Is that your real laugh? Of course I do! Even when I’m doing my laughter yoga exercises, my laughter quickly becomes natural and I don’t feel like I’m forcing myself to laugh. All I have to do is think that I’m doing an ex-er-ci-ce of laughter and my real laughter is triggered! At least for a few seconds. What’s more, when laughing with other people, it’s impossible not to laugh for real after a while.
2. How long do you laugh every day? It depends. There are days when I laugh a lot more, up to 30-45 minutes! Believe me when I say I sleep soundly on those nights! But there are days when I only do my light exercises, so about 4-5 minutes… I don’t beat myself up when that happens. Life’s too short for that! I know it doesn’t happen every day. Plus, I go to my laughter club on a regular basis (it used to be weekly), I have a few subscribers to my online Skype laughter sessions so I have opportunities to laugh with other people who want to do it too! In the absence of laughter, I try to smile more.

3. Do you feel a difference in your life since you’ve been doing laughter yoga? Yes, I do! My body is quicker to react with laughter to all kinds of situations, and that’s wonderful! I know I must be “releasing” something more positive than before… and I’m glad I am! After 11 years of regular practice, I’m sometimes told that I’ve changed – for the better. That’s a good sign hahaha!

4. What makes you laugh? Lots of things, in fact! Comedians, films, TV shows, people I know. I have my favourite exercises, of course, and I also have those I don’t like so much because they take me way too far out of my comfort zone. When I decide to do one of these, I laugh out loud because I know my mind must be going “Woooooooooooo…. that’s so crazy!” hahaha! I really enjoy the value laughter exercises (appreciation laughter, self laughter, argument laughter, welcome laughter) but I have my best of in the more playful laughter (cow milking laughter, windscreen wiper laughter, loudspeaker laughter…) and I LOVE the lion laugh that releases the tension in my jaw.

5. Do you use drugs or alcohol to laugh like that? No! No stimulants, no matter how benign! Laughing gives me a big HIGH and the more I have, the more I want! Thanks endorphins! hahahaha!


And a little gift with that? Click on this link to laugh with me for a minute!

Laughter, joy and health

Linda Leclerc, CLYMT