This is the one of the harder lessons I'm still learning from Dr. Kataria. He said it many times during the teacher training in Chicago: "Don't cling to outcomes."

We tried to share some basics about starting a laughter club at the leader training in September. I reminded the future leaders of this concept. But how does "not clinging to outcomes" play out when leading laughter yoga?

These are some of my thoughts after leading laughter yoga for four years. These are general ideas and certainly won't be able to encompass the vast experience of all leaders. But for what they're worth... here goes:

Staring a laughter yoga club requires some of the same effort as starting a small business, but we can't measure its success or failure based on typical business models. 

First, we're not charging for the meeting, or we're only taking a small donation or fee. So, there are little or no monetary profits from club meetings.

Second, we can't anticipate how many people will show up at first, so we can't depend on those numbers, either. I'm fortunate to have a core of 4-5 people who show up each week. This took 2-3 years of weekly meetings, even after local press and media coverage. The club has welcomed hundreds of visitors who said they loved the sessions, but never came back. If we rely on the number of participants and members as a measure of success, we're immediately setting ourselves up for disappointment.

Third, we can't compare ourselves to others doing the same thing. Ironic, but really important. We typically compare our perceived weaknesses to others' strengths. Inaccurate results at best! This kind of thinking opens doors to insecurity and competition. Even if everyone you know in the laughter movement seems competitive, stop this dualistic energy with you. When competition enters, the spirit of laughter leaves. Laughter Yoga then becomes like any other pursuit where we need to work the levels and climb to the top. Those who try to compete in this movement will likely be the first to burn out -- or to distort the peaceful, universal message. 

Fourth, everyone has their own fingerprint; everyone has their own laugh; everyone has their own way of implementing laughter yoga. By design, even if we were all leading 1-hour laughter clubs, each club would have a different "flavor." Your joy is yours. It has it's own unique expression, even within the same laughter games. It will bring it's own healing to those around you. They will respond with their unique laughter - their unique joy. It will heal you back. This creates special energy that's different for each meeting and each club. Laughter only dwells in the present.

Fifth, when you want to give up, do more instead. Head out into your community with your healing laughter and volunteer. Pick a niche that fits your interests and laugh it up with those people. Start emailing leaders of community groups and ask to present laughter yoga at their meetings. Hold an introductory workshop at a venue that would welcome laughter yoga. Whatever you do, don't stop laughing with others.

The Ageless Laughter Club is still meeting each Sunday from 3-4 p.m. at The Senior Center in Charlottesville, off of 29 Business.

Please join us! The welcoming group is full of people who have been laughing together for several years - plus, we usually have new faces each week. Sometimes we have 4 people, sometimes 12+. We laugh it up, regardless.

If this has been "on your radar" to do, now may be the time to try it in this beautiful fall weather.

Hope to see you!

 

The "Tiny Measure" Laughter Game