‘I Love to Laugh’ at Laguna Beach’s Laughter Club
There’s a scene in the classic 1964 film, Mary Poppins, when Ms. Poppins and her crew catch a mean case of the giggles.
“I love to laugh,
Loud and long and clear!
The more I laugh,
the more I fill with glee,
and the more the glee,
the more I'm a merrier me!”
It’s a lesson (and song) that’s stuck with me throughout childhood and well into adulthood.
So you can imagine my utter happiness when I heard that Laguna has its very own Laugh Club that meets EVERY DAY at Bird Rock Beach.
Sometimes there’s a big group of laughers, and some days it can just be two or three, but after a 14-month pandemic-induced recess (they still met via Zoom!), the Laguna Laughter Club has reinstated their daily in-person sessions that they’ve held since 2005. They meet Sunday through Friday at 8:30am and 10am on Saturdays, and just celebrated their 16-year anniversary!
Director of The Laughter Yoga Institute Jeffrey Briar, estimates the group has hosted around 47,000 happy participants over the years. He contributes his positive outlook on life, healthy immune system, and creative mind to his daily laughter.
“Medical science has verified that laughter is an excellent medicine, both therapeutic and preventive,” states a Laughter Club / Yoga Institute brochure. “The question was: how to reliably provide the laughter experience on demand? Comedy acts may not prove amusing on repeat viewings; some forms of humor and jokes do not translate effectively between differing languages or cultures.”
The answer? Meeting on the beach every morning and creating something to laugh at.
And I can attest to its magic. I have literally never had a better morning.
Strolling along the Pacific at just before 8am gives you a meditative outlook any A.M., but pairing it with a group of laughers?
It’s just about as happy as life gets.
As you head down the steps to Bird Rock Beach, turn right and walk a few hundred feet until you see the blue Laguna Laughter Club signs. Immediately, any nerves or ‘what-am-I-getting-myself-into?’ thoughts fade right away.
Everyone is welcoming. Everyone is smiling. And everyone is ready to laugh.
And be goofy.
And embrace their inner Poppins.
The session starts with yoga stretches and a quick rundown of the rules. The main one being: You can’t talk words; you can only talk jibberish (unless of course you’re the leader who gets to tell you what to laugh at)!
“Wave into the ocean like you’re super excited to see someone!”
“Act like you’re a sea crab!”
“Compose a song into the air!”
“SILENT LAUGH!”
We take turns coming up with the most random (and hilarious) commands, no one being a better laugher — or better “jibberer” — than anyone else. There’s no judgment, no ego, no frowns.
For 30 minutes you’re revisiting the very best parts of childhood. The parts where you didn’t care what anyone thought. No pending issues in the back of your mind. No work stress, money stress, or pandemic stress.
Instead, you are fully aware, solely focused on having thee most fun with the people surrounding you.
It’s just you, them, and imagination.
As we wrapped up our time together we all laid down on the sand, focusing on our breath, reflecting inwards what it is that we are most grateful for. We then share one last great howl and roll over, not caring if we bump against a new friend; barriers coming down for the first time in months (years?).
You’re surrounded by tangible feelings of freedom, respect, and love for these people who just shared in one of the most influential experiences you’ve had in adulthood.
When we get up we are allowed to talk again. We give big hugs, elbow nudges, and waves, before wishing each other a good day and heading off to live our own individual lives.
As I walked back to my car, my dopamine levels hitting the tallest of Laguna’s Cali-cool palm trees, I felt an extra kick in my step… like maybe, just maybe, I could pull a Poppins and fly if I tried.
I always knew I liked her, but I’ve never been more convinced — laughter truly is the best medicine… with or without the spoonful of sugar.
Lindsay DeLong is the Editor-in-Chief of Laguna Beach Living. A brand strategist and web designer who specializes in a quick 2-week start-to-finish process, she is well-versed at building brands from the ground up, establishing online identity, and immersing herself in laugh yoga (it just might become a daily thing, actually). Reach out to her at lindsay@lagunabeachliving.com or on her personal site, iLikeLindsay.com.
For more Laguna Laughter Club photos by local photographer Kim Utley, visit KimUtley.com.