2014’s Iskandar Malaysia Social Hero Awards (IMSHA) winner in the category of ‘Social Innovator’, Johor Bahru Happy and Joyous Club (JBHJC) members are not letting the social distancing stop them from bringing laughter to more people. The club introduces and helps people to learn how to practise laughter yoga, a modern practice involving sustained voluntary laughter typically performed in groups, with eye contact between participants and much playfulness. It is believed that voluntary laughter has similar physiological and psychological benefits as involuntary laughter.
The joyful bunch is no stranger to hosting virtual meetings for individuals and groups to learn effective methods, reaping benefits from their laughing sessions. Quoting Fung Lee Jean, a yoga instructor of JBHJC and an individual winner of IMSHA’s Human Empowerment (individual) category in 2016, she said, when people make a conscious effort to be happy, it will contribute to the peace and well-being of the community.
Recently JBHJC held an hour session of laughing practise with children in Sarawak’s Limbang activities centre with President, Lina Lim and Vice President Koh Mui Cheng present as participating instructors. Emcee Siew Mei explained that the sessions are tailored to the needs of the group that they are having a session with, for example, the students had more practical activities with singing and dancing. Yet the end goals for every session are the same – help people get in touch with their happy side again.
Siew Mei, also known as Auntie Boleh, shared that she has prepared a separate platform in Facebook for sharing sessions where she had Tunku Fatimah Osman-Ahmad over as well as friends who would like to share their wisdom in a positive fashion.
JBHJC hosts their laughing sessions daily – online. Check out their Facebook page for the latest session https://www.facebook.com/JohorBahruHappyAndJoyousClub/. If you are interested to be a guest in Auntie Boleh’s session, get in touch with her via https://www.facebook.com/auntieboleh.