Mike is a certified Laughter Yoga leader and works as a recreation therapist that includes working with seniors while running a senior’s outreach program in Hamilton, Ontario. He is also an advocate of mental health with a new-found passion for Laughter Yoga.

Laughter Yoga has not only changed his professional life but has had a huge impact on his personal life. He lived with anxiety and depression for many years, with it going undiagnosed. For the last two years, he has experienced no symptoms of my mental illness, and he believes that Laughter Yoga is the reason, therefore inspiring me to pass along this beautiful gift.

He got the opportunity to take the Laughter Yoga leader training through my employer in October 2016 and immediately started conducting laughter sessions with my seniors. Currently, he runs five Laughter Clubs through my employer including a monthly session with a bi-weekly session with a Women’s Group. In addition, he runs a weekly Laughter Club in two city housing complexes. Since September 29, 2017, he has also been running the Laughing Off Life Laughter Club on Friday evenings.

He now offers Laughter Yoga sessions for companies and corporations, seniors with mental health issues, Alzheimer’s and responsive behaviors, students, retirement homes and long term care facilities, intergenerational programming with seniors and toddlers, and one on one session with clients.

Check out this episode for insights that you can apply in your life.

[02:09] - The reason Mike became a mental health advocate

[05:29] - Laughter meditation free laughter letting it flow from within. 

[06:51] - How he was diagnosed with general anxiety disorder boat four years ago, but really didn't want to take medication, things were just getting worse.

[11:39] - Sometimes he gets cravings for alcohol especially with this time of year with the sun coming out, it's one of my big triggers

[12:39] - Realize that even those little things, we really can change the world with a smile or even a laugh with a stranger.

[15:30] - People laughing or crying so much that it actually turns into laughter at weddings and funerals as well.

[21:39] - Meaning of an intergenerational session as a recreation therapist, there are ways to do programming.

[24:39] - a business where she supports people who, who are in stage three or four cancer.

[29:39] - Not dwelling on negativity even though he work in a stressful environment with two young children, five and three years old. I have a mortgage and bills coming out everywhere. 

[31:30] - When we laughed so much, we were releasing serotonin and dopamine endorphins

[37:30] - Exercise to notice the breath at the nose, feel the breath at the nostrils when you breathe in and then feel the sensations as you breathe

Quote:

“First few months that I was practicing laughter yoga, intentional laughter. I was feeling good, but I wasn't noticing like I noticed now of how much I've really changed as a person because of laughing.”

“It's also made me more compassionate. I've always had a lot of, yeah. Compassion for people. I work with people. I work now with the homeless and people.” 

Links:

https://laughingofflife.com

[email protected]

www.petecann.com 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/thelaughterman/

https://www.instagram.com/petecannthelaughterman/

https://www.facebook.com/thelaughterman

https://www.youtube.com/c/petecannthelaughterman