Pete Cann  00:04

Hello, I’m Pete can laughter leader, positive thinker and entrepreneur and you’re listening to laughter and positivity with peak where each week I’ll bring you tips and tricks to lead a happier more positive life. Ready? Let’s go Hey guys, welcome to this week’s laughter and positivity with Pete and today I am joined by a lovely guest Leila Trobe Trogneux. Amazing she’s laughter leader based in Canada in Vancouver Island. I think. So. Yeah. Amazing. So this is a bit off the cuff. Basically, I I reached out to a friend of mine Duncan and said, Look, I need to, I need a few more people to interview on my podcast. Do you know anyone and he introduced me to yourself later and here we are.

Laila  01:05

Wonderful. I love Duncan. Thank you, Duncan.

Pete Cann  01:14

So Leila. My first question, really, I like to ask you sort of a little bit about yourself, basically, and how you know how laughter came into your life.

Laila  01:23

Sure, I knocked on my door a few times before I really, really embraced it. About 11 years ago, a friend of mine Akiko Shima. She’s also a laughter yoga leader. She gives like yoga classes. She’s brilliant. And she had a one-hour weekly session at a center and asked me to join and I thought, why not? I love laughing and I had no idea what laughter yoga was and went to the sessions. And by the time we’d finished the meditation, the laughter meditation, I was like, ah, this is fabulous. I just felt so so good. So I went every week for a few months. And then life happened something good i She couldn’t carry on at that location, things happen. So, I forgot about laughter, yoga. And then came the lockdown. Looking for things to make me feel better. I did started meditation, finally, yes. But to start meditation on a regular basis. And then there was wildlife today in May. And I think that through my research, it just popped up. And I attended. And it was a little bit weird, because you all these people were laughing. And I kind of jumped into this. And so, I just went along and laughed with everybody else. I was at my kitchen table, and my husband and my son are looking at me like

Laila  03:01

I’m doing these exercises. When and then somebody said, Oh, there’s another one join us here. And so, I just kept hopping and hopping on the next, my next call. And by the end of it, I just I was so relaxed and felt good about it. But that was it, I had no connection with anybody. And so, you know, I thought it was a one off and off we went. And so, I only really got to that. So that was the second night. And then the third one was in the October November, I was told, like contract might not be renewed at work for the first time in many, many, many years. And so, I thought, oh, look at something else. And I was thinking, you know, what is it that we’d love to do just about every day of my life? And laughter was it. So, I did some research and came across the laughter yoga organization website. And they were offering some courses. And so, I took a few courses, join the 40 Day Challenge and got to know more people and just the community is incredible. And going through that just got more and more involved and really loving it.

Pete Cann  04:40

And I think you didn’t get laid off in the end either. Did you?

Laila  04:50

I see all that positivity.

Pete Cann  04:55

Actually, we want to keep this positivity around we need to keep in the business. So how long was it the gap then between two when you went to the in-person session? That was a couple of years ago?

Laila  05:08

That was in 2009. Yeah, my dad had just passed away and I was needing something, get it. Boost, boost me up. And that’s when I kick her said he can come, come laugh with me, you know. So that was 2009. And then the lockdown was 2019. Or that’s 10 years. 10 years.

Pete Cann  05:32

Wow. Yeah. So there was something that obviously dropped into the back of your brain that you remembered how you felt through the laughter and, and how did world laughter day get onto your radar then?

Laila  05:45

So the first laugh today, I can’t actually recall it must have been through, you know, you know, how Google likes to give you things and suggest things. Or it could have been on Facebook, it could have been something that that I liked, or maybe it was even a kicker, I will actually have the need to ask her if she you know, she posted something I don’t actually recall because it was sort of one day and then nothing for quite a while. But it was brought to me and I jumped right in there that day and just enjoyed it. Really enjoyed it.

Pete Cann  06:25

But also, it was that last year’s World laughter day then.

Laila  06:29

Yeah 2019 Yeah, that was the yeah so 2019 That was in May, and I actually joined the some of the French because my background is French and I joined some of the French sections which is like fun for me because in British Columbia there’s not that much French spoken Sorry, got to laugh in French

Pete Cann  07:02

to the French laugh compared to the Canadian difference in your life

Pete Cann  07:18

so you obviously mentioned that you know, you went to the in person session and you started going quite regularly at the beginning and then sort of that that dried out 10 years later you’re sat in front of a computer screen you’re greeted by there’s quite a few people on there probably over 100 I would have thought all doing these laughing

Laila  07:36

boxes.

Pete Cann  07:40

How did you feel because ultimately, you’ve done the in-person session and then also in your online I mean, did you did you get the same energy lifted? You’d get the same feeling from it.

Laila  07:51

Initially it was it felt a little bit I really felt strange because it was hard to hear the instructions. I wasn’t quite sure who was leading the session. But you know, yeah. You’re like following. But you know, everybody was doing the same thing. And so it was like okay, I’m gonna do this. What I did with Akiko worked to this and it worked too so that was amazing is just you know, I mean, having all these people I have to try and remember what some of the exercises were, but it was it was fine. It was fine and and seeing my husband and son like look at me even more I’m doing this

Pete Cann  08:51

how obviously they saw you then on the other side of the computer screen how have they noticed your energy change from sort of when you started you know, laughing again if they commented on how your allergies change to how Oh

Laila  09:05

yeah, they have they have because I actually asked them I said you know so since I’ve been doing math together again what you know what, am I different? And they they’ve definitely they’ve noticed how much more positive I am and I am a positive person to start off with but I think I was losing my laughter a little bit same thing like me better. I like me better when I love

Pete Cann  09:43

my family are the same. They’re sort of like, here we go again. But on the flip side, they’re like it’s happy down not shouty dad, you know it. So again, if you’re the same as me, it’s like if I if I have a day or a few days, it’s usually a couple of days where I don’t laugh sort of over the weekend. It’s all I have a bit of a it’s weird not not laughy day but non practicing. Yeah, I feel it before I come back on the Monday and I do my laughing again by practicing. Um, yeah, just there’s there’s definitely a different in your energy if you if you have. So you did the online course, and you learn to become a laughter leader. Congratulations. Thank you. Have you have you done anything with that yet? Have you? Have you moved forward with it? Yes,

Laila  10:30

yes. So, select me think I did three courses in a row, the basic, the leader and the in the spirit of laughter. And so that I start, I ended up in November, and then that one, on my birthday, I started a 365-day challenge that was 40 days. But you know, just carried on 365 days, joined, there’s a life to group the basic, the mega whatever group for all the people doing the basic training, and got to meet some people because we’re posting videos and commenting on each other’s one minute laughter for world peace videos. And then I started joining a lot of the laughter sessions that were happening. So 20 minutes here, 30 minutes there, and connecting with people that I would see on a regular basis, and I start recognizing the law belongs to her and it just fuels me as well. So, it’s amazing. It’s so and so with, with a couple of the people that I met in summer of 2021 this year, and I went to France to visit my family and took the teacher training. But before that I had started my own club was on a Friday, I was doing a laughter club on Friday mornings. So, for whoever was you know, wanting to be some laughter yoga so that then I took the teacher training and when we came back from the teacher training, my two friends and I le Frenchie laughter buddies. We started our own club laughter club on Fridays

Pete Cann  12:25

so amazing lady is that online as well then is it or is it

Laila  12:29

it’s online? It’s online it’s online. Yes. Yes. You know it’s been so many you know, open close open close

Pete Cann  12:42

it’s really weird because he’s actually the because it does work online of course it does. You know, the energy definitely is there but the in person is just something a little bit special isn’t it that it gets a lot quicker doesn’t it? Which is

Laila  12:57

the physical vibration that you know just being with people and sharing that energy when you’re in person is phenomenal? So yeah, I do I do I do miss that. I got that in the teacher training because of course we did a lot of laughter So that’s actually the last time I was in a physical environment where we were we did laughter yoga, but I will do some comparison as soon as they open up the doors let us three

Pete Cann  13:31

so how would you say laughter enhance your life then?

Laila  13:34

Oh, it just makes it makes a day so much easier to go through it’s brought me resilience and certainly with my family when we’ve had some Spats because we do

Pete Cann  13:53

love each other

Laila  13:54

love each other I can break the tension by starting to giggle and laugh and I keep long enough

Pete Cann  14:35

sort of got whoa you all a

Pete Cann  14:36

bit I’m sort of this podcast is all about really that you know the listener listening and listening to different stories of different laughter Yogi’s and you know, obviously out how it has enhanced your life, your family life. And then just any obviously you’ve run some sessions online. I mean, if you heard Any stories from anybody that you’ve read a session where they’ve said, Actually, blah, you know, this, this has really helped me because of blur, because that’s the sort of story I would love to hear as well, if you if you can get any standout stories at all,

Laila  15:11

for sure I have a couple. So one was a friend who, whose uncle who just passed away, the more you know, she just heard about it right before the laughter session. And she wasn’t sure whether she was going to join or not. But she, she said that I’ll join. And she, afterwards, I didn’t know that her uncle had passed away, and that she was already grieving. But afterwards, she liked me know. And she said, Thank you, because it just, it just helped, you know, she, she just felt some relief through the laughter so that was incredible. And then a pain, like physical, physical pain. I had another friend who also had some, some pain in her hand, and just, I think oxygenating doing some gentle movement, laughing, she just felt much better after the session. So I would say this, these are pretty awesome. Frankly, free 30 eyes. So

Pete Cann  16:33

it’s one of these things, isn’t it? It’s sort of, you know, we can we can bang the drum all day long and let people know that why, you know, and they can see the difference in ourselves as well in our physique and our, you know, the way we are, but actually, when you get somebody actually says, Wow, x y Zed, and you just like, oh, yeah, because, you know, maybe you didn’t know this one. I mean, one to me asleep, people that saying that they, they can’t sleep, they and actually, when they do a laughter session, they have a lovely night’s sleep all the way through with no drinking, you know, not not too much dreams, or, you know, not the insomnia stuff. And it’s just like, it’s all these hidden little gems. So you maybe you don’t suffer from yourself, but actually hear that from somebody makes you feel actually this is this is really good. And it is the best medicine is Yeah. So what would you say to anybody that may be slightly listening? Because people do listen into these, these podcasts, and they’re still sat on the fence, like, oh, I don’t know if I could do force laughter? I don’t think it’s for me, it’s a bit silly or whatever. What would you say to them?

Laila  17:35

I would say, take your brain out. Put it aside for the session. It’s well taken care of. And just give it a try. Just give it a try. And class nothing. And who knows, you might actually have a few laughs actually. And it’s easy. Like if, if, if you really don’t feel like laughing just do.

Laila  18:10

And just even moving the Dragon frame you know, getting it to go up and down. Eventually, if there are other people on the screen, and definitely if you have other people around you, and laughter is contagious. That is, there’s no doubt about it, and somebody is gonna start laughing for real. It’s just like bubbles up. Everybody’s thoughts laughing. And by the time you get to meditation, it’s like hard to Yeah, just give it a go give it a go. There are no bad side effects, only good side effects. And definitely, yeah,

Pete Cann  18:50

I think the bad side effects is if you don’t give it a go, I think that’s probably the bad side effect is so you should give everything a go. And your story is the fact that you discovered it 10 years ago, or 12 years ago, and you went away from it and then But then something called you back into it and then all of a sudden you’ve done all of the training. And you can hear just from our conversation is just the laughter is flowing massively and you know, let you into a little secret Leila when I am. When I do my podcast, the first snippet is always somebody laughing and yourself laughing at the beginning of the episode and I have to sometimes search quite deeply into the laughter yoga exercise but not.

Pete Cann  19:41

Not really, that really gifted. It’s amazing. So much energy coming from your screen. So

Laila  19:50

I was gonna say one of the side effects of laughter yoga is it actually has increased my creativity I find and so I vote for dissent. I did a advent calendar, but all around you know, positive intentions, attitudes, etc. So every day I’ve been I’ve been doing a laughter exercise and around these so definitely there’s there’s just so many positive side effects of laughter

Pete Cann  20:22

definitely, I think you’re right with the creativity and it’s just it’s that play moment as well isn’t it? It’s just like and just actually, you know that there’s a reason child have play time because they go back into school and they learn and because they’re open minded again, it’s like whereas we just we just don’t get that Dewey with like a lunchtime we’ll sit on our phone or we’ll eat a sandwich and then we’ll read the newspaper that’s a good one to do.

Laila  20:47

And read the news I’m breaking if there’s something really important I’m going to hear about it

Pete Cann  21:05

there’s a fog going around but then if you’ve heard about it, but yes, it’s called Christmas.

Pete Cann  21:52

freedom

Pete Cann  22:01

so I at this point in the episode always like to ask what are your two favorite laughing exercises? If you were to introduce them to my listeners? What two exercises make you happy?

Laila  22:13

Okay, so I love gradient laughter gradient laughter is one that I’ll use. I love storytelling. That’s great. But yeah, so that’s one of them I in any story, because that’s my brand. I’d love to do guys. When I do a session I’d love to try and use a story. So I’ve used red little red, little red riding her the human way. Yeah, and I love just doing story. So I’ll incorporate gradient laughter with some something. So let’s do your gradient laughter

Pete Cann  23:34

but that was more of a visual that one as well. But you know, it’s great. It’s going from the Yeah, yeah. Obviously the guy to allow that. I love that. And I love the fact that you incorporate it into stories. That’s amazing. That’s such a great idea. And what would you say your second exercise would be?

Laila  23:53

There are so many but I love the when you bubble up the laughter by stopping it and starting it up again. So for example, the zipper laughter where you type the key up and throw it away. So let’s do that.

Pete Cann  25:02

So I saw your I saw your calendar your advent calendar so obviously you are into sort of positive affirmations and positive habits I mean have you got any mentioned meditation so what sort of positive daily habits do you have that you try and stick with?

Laila  25:18

Definitely love to yoga I would say that meditation I don’t do it daily, but that would be a good one. I’ve also started breathwork in September, with Albert Nierenberg one of our laughter yoga ambassadors in Canada he started this breathwork group so breathing has made a huge difference as well. I tend to be a mouth breather and so learning how to control the breathing and breath holds and some it’s been great The other thing healthy eating definitely help putting crap in you’re going to get out exercising that’s a bit of a sore point right now because they’ve closed down

Pete Cann  27:09

this is such a visual episode so yeah if you listen to this podcast was waiting to get into the gym and it’s closed and just grab

Pete Cann  27:45

something that not many people know about you have no idea something that unlike an open book what page what was your first ever job there we go. What was your first ever job?

Laila  28:29

What was my first ever job? Um, in my it was a summer job and that was my mom worked for a company called MS and French perfume company and I worked in their artistic department doing exciting stuff like filing papers

Laila  29:01

I did get to go on some field trips where they would do the beautiful window displays and that was pretty cool I’m obviously not good at it anymore

Pete Cann  29:21

it’s all straight. So this is like one side and this is the other side so Leila, we’re wrapping up nearly now. So where would you where? Where can listeners find you if they if they’re listening in and they want to find more about you?

Laila  29:41

Oh I’m on Facebook and I’m on Instagram as well. I try to

Pete Cann  29:53

make David’s fight just send me Yes, I’ll do that. If you listen to this, just click on the link in the show notes and you’ll see the link and you can find he’s laughing somewhere definitely

Pete Cann  30:25

it was, like I said, beginning episode, this was completely sprung. You didn’t have a clue what the questions were going to be, you know, that’s fine. That’s fine. Right? You know the answer to this question. You must have told me one of them already, I think anyway, so final question. Final thought What three things bring you joy?

Laila  30:43

Ah. Can I say my son brings me to join me, son. My family brings me joy and laughter brings me and helping others find their laughter and enjoy.

Pete Cann  31:02

Amazing, amazing, Leila. Thank you so much for your time. It’s been wonderful getting to know you a little bit more and I can’t wait to laugh with you again. Right on.

Pete Cann  31:18

Thank you so much for listening to laughter and positivity with Pete. To access today’s show notes and exclusive content, please head over to Pete can.com For slash podcast. Be sure to tune in next week for your next dose of laughter and positivity. Until then, remember, if Pete Can you can