Laughter for Health and Happiness

Important Information - Please Read

From April 2024, although these classes are held weekly each Wednesday, we will only be welcoming new members to join, if there are any spaces, on the first Wednesday of each month.

As spaces are limited, this class is suitable for people who would be able to attend the class regularly. After you have attended your first class, if you intend to come back (which we're sure you will) and if we are able to offer you a place, you can let us know on the day to expect you at future weekly classes.

What To Expect

Join our Laughter For Health & Happiness classes with Laughter Consultant and Health & Wellbeing coach Jo Bluett. We're delighted to have Jo lead these sessions and share her knowledge, skills and passion in a fun, healthy and accessible way with our community. Jo says "Therapeutic laughter gives us a total wellbeing workout and helps us to feel amazing on all levels - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually."

Laugh yourself happier and healthier!

The benefits of laughter include:

• lifts our mood
• reduces pain and inflammation
• boosts our immune system
• improves our breathing
• lowers blood pressure
• improves our heart (or cardiovascular) health
• boosts oxygen supply
• reduces stress and tension
• improves our social connection
• builds resilience and positivity
• builds confidence and self-esteem
• boosts our creativity

You can get a taster of what our Laughter for Health & Happiness classes might look like by watching this short two-minute video on the BBC website, which features Jo talking about Edinburgh Laughter Club: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05lkp75

Payments - Please Read

Payments for these classes can be made here on Eventbrite, however please be advised that Eventbrite add on their own non-refundable fee to the ticket price which they collect. Alternatively, you can email us on events@duncanplace.org and we can send you a payment link without an additional fee added. After your first class, payments can be made in-person each week at Duncan Place via card or cash.

Chosing Your Payment Amount - Please Read

£6 = Our Standard Class Fee is for people who have a steady income (from any source) and are able to occasionally attend paid events or classes.

Alternative options

£3 = The Reduced Class Fee is an alternative option for people who have an unsteady or low income, are not often able to attend paid events or classes, and would really struggle to pay the standard class cost of £6.

£8 = Class Fee + is an alternative option for people who have more disposable income and are able to regularly attend paid events or classes. This option also helps us sustain the reduced priced option.

With these three options, it is also completely OK to pick different payment options at each class. You get to choose exactly what you pay according to what you can genuinely afford. We only ask you that you do a little bit of self-reflection before choosing your price point. You may find yourself somewhere between price points and that is fine. You get to choose which price point fits most comfortably at any given time.

Participant Information **please read**

• Please arrive five or ten minutes before the class starts - latecomers may not be admitted.
• Please wear comfortable clothing allowing movement - light layers are best as we can warm up and cool down quickly between different stages of the class.
• Part of the session includes laughter meditation where you have the option of lying down (or you can be seated in a chair). If you have a favourite yoga mat or blanket you'd like to bring along, please do, however we also have a limited supply of them here that you can use on the day.
• These Laughter For Health & Happiness classes are totally inclusive and welcome everyone of all fitness levels and mobility; wheelchair users are welcome (as are Carers and Support Workers for those who need physical assistance) and people who find it difficult to stand or cope with moving around can do the whole class seated.
• These classes will include elements of Laughter Yoga which is an aerobic exercise that may not be suitable for people suffering from uncontrolled blood pressure, heart disease, epilepsy, any kind of hernia, severe back pain, abdominal surgery within the last 3 months and major psychiatric conditions. If these conditions do not apply but during the class you experience pain, discomfort or breathlessness then take a break - have a seat and take some time out to rest - and perhaps then continue with restraint or more gently. If you have any doubt about continuing then simply stop. If you are unsure as to whether you should participate - please consult your GP before attending.

About Jo

Jo Bluett started Edinburgh Laughter Club in 2010 and then set up Laughter For Health in 2012 after discovering that laughter profoundly helped her to manage her own chronic health issues. Laughter for Jo became a daily tool to manage mood, reduce pain, build resilience and boost health and happiness which she then wanted to share with others.

Jo ran Edinburgh Laughter Club for 10 years totally voluntarily to become one of the most successful laughter clubs in the UK (the first club to run weekly sessions and the first to secure funding from the NHS). Together with her regular members, they raised over £25K for local charities - doing good and feeling good!

Access

There is ramped access into the building. The event will be held on the ground floor of Duncan Place Community Hub and is wheelchair accessible.

There are two individual toilets on the ground floor with one being wheelchair accessible.

There is foyer space and outdoor space for those that might need to break away to a quieter area during the session.

If there is anything we can do to help you attend, please get in touch with Drew by emailing events@duncanplace.org or telephoning 0131 364 4350.

Getting Here

We can be found on Google Maps here > https://goo.gl/maps/qNZeEKWL1uhdQRBd7

Duncan Place is a few minutes’ walk from Leith Walk, Duke Street, Great Junction Street and Easter Road. This area is very well served with buses, including 1, 7, 14, 16, 21, 25, 34, 35 & 49.

www.lothianbuses.com has a journey planner.

Bike racks are available in our outdoor space. Please bring a secure lock. We do not have any to loan out & bikes and scooters are not allowed in the building. Bikes and scooters are left at your own risk and Duncan Place will not accept any responsibility for any damage or theft. CCTV does cover the bike racks.

Duncan Place has 1 disabled parking space and 1 further space alongside the exterior fencing, both available on a first come basis.

Parking bays have been painted on the road outside the building and on-street (card only) pay and display meters have been installed by City of Edinburgh Council, at a rate of £3.10 per hour, Monday to Friday 8:30am until 5:30pm.

There are also yellow zig zags on the street. Again, please check signage but at the time of writing it is free to park on the zigs zags after 4pm Mon to Fri and all day on the weekends.

There is free parking at the nearby Tesco. At the time of writing parking is available for up to 3 hours.