World record something to laugh at
World Laughter Day 2015 set a new Guinness World Record with three minutes of joyous laughter at Federation Square in Melbourne.
By KIRSTI WEISZ
World Laughter Day 2015 set a new Guinness World Record when about 200 people laughed for three minutes at Federation Square in Melbourne.
Crowded happily together on May 3, World Laughter Day participants hoped their joy would promote world peace.
Laughter clubs from across Victoria, including St Kilda and Albert Park, each chose two laughs to share with the crowd, including the balloon laugh, the jack-in-the-box laugh and the hearty laugh, where you point your hands in the air and then let out a long laugh.
Laughter Club Victoria president Mahes Karuppiah-Quillen was excited about the turnout and said “everyone took part”.
"Laughter is a powerful tool to accentuate positivity, create happiness, and infuse optimism to bring about hope and propensity for life and living, a much needed resource for surmounting problems of the 21st Century and in creating world peace," Ms Karuppiah-Quillen said on the Laughter Club webpage.
University student Georgina Young said it was her first time attending a laughter yoga event.
“I found that laughing, forcing yourself to laugh, inevitably makes you laugh,” she said.
Her favourite was the bill laugh, which involves opening a bill and then pointing and laughing at it.
While laughing was the main activity, comedian Greg Fury also performed two short comedy shows. He said he hadn’t heard of laughter club before and jumped on board when Ms Karuppiah-Quillen asked him to present at the event.
“I didn’t know people came together to laugh. It’s great,” he said.
Joyologist Laughter Works Australia founder Bronwen Williams, who wore Mickey Mouse ears, a red nose and a Superman top to the event, has been part of laughter clubs for 15 years.
“It’s just based on having fun for no reason and connecting everyone with the international language … it’s just great,” she said.
Laughter Club Victoria is a non-profit organisation based on the laughter yoga movement created by Indian physician Dr Madan Kataria. To find out more click here
