Pete Cann  00:05

Hello, I’m Pete Cann laughter leader, positive thinker and entrepreneur and you’re listening to Laughter and Positivity with Pete where each week I’ll bring you tips and tricks to lead a happier, more positive life. Ready? Let’s go Hey guys, it’s pecan here from laughter and positivity with Pete and today I am very excited to be joined with Natalie Gilray, who is a laughter specialist and life coach from Inverness, Scotland. Natalie is a former social worker with a career in health and social care. spanning more than 25 years. Natalie is passionate about supporting people to experience positive health and well being through therapeutic laughter. Hello, hello. Wow, how you doing?

Natalie  00:57

I’m doing very well. Thank you. How are you?

Pete Cann  00:59

I’m really good. I’m really good. So. So now the last time we were together we did we did my laughter life, didn’t we? And that was lots of fun.

Natalie  01:07

Oh, it was absolutely amazing. It was Yeah, brilliant, fun.

Pete Cann  01:12

And it was like, because you were doing the night shift at the time as well, when you see I think you’ve just woken up and it was like three o’clock in the afternoon or 330. So, so did it set you set you ready for your conflicts?

Natalie  01:22

Absolutely. It was like breakfast time from you. It’s brilliant. I was absolutely, I was so energized and absolutely buzzing. Like straight that day and the next night, so it was really good.

Pete Cann  01:33

Amazing. Amazing. So Natalie, thank you very much for joining me today. And you know, like, like I said before off air, it’s just it just a little chat really just about you and how you know how you discovered laughter and how it’s enhanced your life, etc. But what I want to dive in quickly. So where it says your former social worker, sort of spanning 25 years, I mean, so of what did you discover laughter was you were the social worker, or was that after that?

Natalie  01:59

Yeah, so I’ve got a clear it health and social care of 25 years, I was a social worker for 10 of those years. And, and I was actually, I was only a year into being a social worker, when I stumbled on laughter yoga by accident. And I was in a small team. And I was asked to arrange a team meeting. And I was very much wanting the emphasis to be about team building and just promoting happiness. Because it was quite stressful the job that we were doing. So, I thought I’d get on the internet. And just Google I don’t know, I don’t even know what I was looking for. And I found this laughter yoga leader and couldn’t afford her. So, I was there, our team had no money. And but this lady happened to tell me that she was coming up to Inverness Later that month, and she was doing a laughter yoga session. And it was being sponsored by a local mental health charity. So told me that I should come along. So, I did, I took most of my team with me. And it was the most incredible experience ever. And I just remember going into the room and all strangers apart from obviously my team and myself, but I can’t even describe what an experience it was. I think we all just felt really a bit self-conscious to start with laughing pertained laughing. And but by the end of it, it felt like we were all friends. And remember the very good very good Hey, sir, stuck with me for oh my god weeks afterwards. And I remember I face her I was grinning, I just felt like a different person. And, and it did, the whole experience stayed with me for such a long time. And they kept in touch with the laughter yoga teacher. And she kept suggesting that I should change to be a leader. But I was so busy and my social working and, and my job was so stressful. And I just I kept putting it off. And then I must have been about Sure, maybe a bit before years later, I was a mental health social worker at the time. And my job was really, really stressful. And I just I, I felt so low, and I was so anxious and I was having like heart palpitations and panic attacks and the car before I even got into the workplace. It gotten that bad. And I thought something has got to give, I’ve got to do something. And so, I booked myself on the next laughter yoga, leader training. And it just sort of snowballed into this amazing journey, this wonderful journey. And, yeah, yeah, that’s good.

Pete Cann  04:55

That’s good. That’s good. So, I’m going to rewind a little bit then again. So, you mentioned The you were looking for some sort of wellbeing for your team initially then you actually you’re not sure what you googled and obviously to stumbled across this this. Was it a one-day thing? Or was it just like an hour session? What was the first thing that you did with the with the leader?

Natalie  05:18

So I was she did a workshop, it was an evening. And there was maybe like, I think it was like a three-hour session. And as there was laughter yoga, there was like, a lot of, you know, Benny Hill music, sort of worker wise music, little scars and colors, and just it just a whole laughter Joy experience. And, and it was just incredible. Because, you know, and I know, as adults, we just don’t laugh enough. And for that evening, just to be able to let go and just be free to laugh and just immerse yourself in that laughter was just such an incredible, uplifting and powerful experience.

Pete Cann  06:04

Yeah, definitely. So you said there was obviously a few of you in the room, you obviously knew your colleagues for stellar were there. So how many people do you think there were like, 210? Maybe? Or

Natalie  06:14

I think there was actually 20. Wow, okay.

Pete Cann  06:17

Okay, so he walked in, and he had what, three or four of your friends with you or colleagues with you?

Natalie  06:22

And probably five? Okay.

Pete Cann  06:29

So you all you always do with a full belly, and you are. But you know, so how long did it take them for you? So like you say that? You know, obviously it’s some people call it childlike. Some silliness, you know. Well, yeah, ultimately just playing. I mean, how long did it take for those, I suppose, inhibitions to sort of disappear, or, you know, where you actually felt at ease to be able to just be a child again, and play because I know a lot of people, you know, when they first discover laughter, yoga, it’s definitely asked, it’s a bit of a blocker, isn’t it when you first sort of introduce it? So, you know, can you remember how long you sort of went from by obviously a little bit uncomfortable to actually sort of feeling it?

Natalie  07:17

To be honest, in that first ever experience. I pretty much immediately I was a really good place in my life, I was happy, I was confident I had really good friends that are classed as work colleagues, I class to Australians. And I just find it really easy just to be in that and be joyful and just live in amongst it. I think what was actually more difficult was when I trained to be a laughter yoga leader. Because that was maybe four years down the line and, and I’d lost a lot of my confidence. I was very stressed. I was very anxious. And for the two days training, it probably took me probably the first day before I felt, you know, the laughter just felt forced, it’s kind of was forced. Most of that first day, I just didn’t feel I could be truly myself. Yeah. But the second day, I felt I slept really well. And I’d cry a lot actually, in the hotel that first night, I think I just needed that. And then come back the second day, I just felt so much lighter, and brighter. And just and I knew, and it was so strange, because I had to get the train back. Home, Tim relax after the second day. And I remember sitting on the train, crying but smiling, and just knowing in that moment, that my life had changed forever. And there was no coming back from it that this was, this was where I needed to be. And this is this is, yeah, this is my life’s purpose. It was Yeah. It was a moment.

Pete Cann  09:05

Yeah, it definitely sounds it. I mean, you know, ultimately, like say you’re in such a stress and anxiety overwhelmed, you know, all of these emotions sort of when, you know, especially, you know, your job if you used to literally sit and have sort of mild panic attacks before you even stepped into the, you know, into the venue then. Yeah, that’s, that’s yeah, so but what’s really interesting is the fact that you know, that laughter was in the back of your mind, you know, you remembered it, and it was still there bubbling away somewhere.

Natalie  09:37

Definitely. And it was so funny because I’ve obviously talked about it with the people that came with me that first time and they enjoyed it, and it was fun. But it it wasn’t their life’s purpose. It wasn’t your passion. And over the years before I finally give up social work, if people got me talking about laughter, my eyes would light up, you know, just get so excited. And just, and people can see that my friends could see that my family can see that it literally changed my life. So although it took a while for me to finally leave social work, there was still something there, as you said, it was bubbling something, it was just, it was just waiting to come out. It’s just

Pete Cann  10:21

Yeah, and, and sometimes we need these, you know, these moments as well in our lives where it’s a crossroads, really, isn’t it? Where you’re like, actually, you know, I, you know, I don’t want to be this person anymore. I want to be that person that I know, I can be and I felt before and, you know, I love the fact that again, you know, you went actually the laughter was something that I really wanted. And then you went and obviously, you know, did the two-day training and like, say the first day, you know, to cry? Well, you know, that again, that’s the I hear that quite a lot, actually, where, you know, and personally, I’ve had that as well, where, you know, the emotion to it’s, it’s very cathartic, isn’t it as a as a practice? And really, you know, so did. I mean to the people in the Leader Training sort of notice the via, you know, that the energy and knew the difference between the first and the second day, would you say

Natalie  11:13

they did, and especially the teacher, cuz I’ve stayed in touch with her, you know, since I first met her nine years ago, so she could totally see that in me. And but yeah, but I remember even the second day, we were all laying on the floor, and we were shooting like pillows for our heads, and we’re doing the breathing exercises. And I remember just, you know, speaking to the people I was chatting with, and we’re just sharing breaths, and sharing space. You just felt so connected to these other human beings. I mean, there was one gentleman he come over from Australia. Wow. To do I know, we were literally, you were partnered up for a few exercises, and I just remember feeling so close and so connected. Just because, you know, similar backgrounds, I suppose. And just the fact that we were coming together. And just experience in this wonderful, beautiful, powerful thing. That’s laughter It just sounds so silly when you say it, but it’s just, it’s literally its life changing.

Pete Cann  12:17

You know, like you say about, I’ll say about lighting, you know, your, your whole energy lights up when you talk about laughter. And, and what’s quite interesting was I, I was at a Christmas party on Friday, my play table tennis, so it’s our table tennis party, and we were just chatting, I’ve chatted to this guy there about just life what we were doing with moving house, blah, blah, blah. And then he’s like, so what do you do? And then I said, Oh, I run a chef agency. This is my main business. But I also do laughter yoga, and they say, okay, and he showed to me like some really interest. And then that was it. I was just off Natalie. I was like, yeah, the energy I was just like, really passionate about obviously went into my bit of sales side of things. Like, honestly, you feel amazing after you’re doing a blog. And he looked at me, and I was just like, I’m really sorry, Chris. I’ve just gone on this massive, passionate rant about laughter. He’s like, No, I love it. It looks like he said, I gay, I understand. You know, and there are people that sort of do understand that actually, you know, that when, when we go to a comedy show, and we laugh, we feel good. We always walk away from a comedy show, feeling like, and partially that is part of the fact that we have laughed, basically that and it makes us feel good. So actually, if you if you strip out the actual entertainment side of it, and you actually just go right, we’re just gonna laugh for no reason now. And, you know, that’s, that’s a whole another level, isn’t it? And it’s, and yeah, so I love it. I love the fact that you said your life purpose as well, because I’m exactly on the same page, you know, that that’s when I discovered it. And, you know, it blew my mind to the fact that I could feel like this. And I didn’t need any drugs. I didn’t need alcohol. I didn’t need any of these, you know, sort of tools to think, you know, to make me feel this energy. And, yeah, so. And then ultimately, yeah, I feel the same. I found I found my calling. Basically, it’s just this this is it. And then the more people we can share it with the better, isn’t it? So,

Natalie  14:15

so lucky, because there’s so many people that just like my son’s 20, and he just is forever in a panic, that he doesn’t know what he wants to do with his life. Yeah, and some people never know what they want to do with their life. And I just feel that we’re so lucky that we found laughter yoga, and we found something that just is so powerful and just connecting and it just brings people together. And it’s just I mean, laughter is one of the first the earliest things we can do as a human as a child. We laugh and it’s just the health benefits. I mean, yeah, it’s, it’s just amazing. It’s just so fantastic. But we have actually found our calling we find purpose and I just feel sad that some people just don’t. Yeah, know what their life purpose is. Yeah.

Pete Cann  15:07

I mean you to see you say your son’s 20. You know, I mean, like, you’re, you’re into a little secret I was 41 when I realized that laughter is what I wanted to do, you know. But I suppose for, again, personally, sort of when, when I was at school, I wanted to do drama as a GCSE as a as a, a, from a GCSE. And I didn’t, I sort of was made to do a science instead, which wasn’t me at all. When I again, I was chatting to someone last night who’s into DRAM and she’s done a show and stuff. And she just looked at me because she’s, she’s been part of my giggle crew, when I’ve done the festivals. And she said to me, she’s like, Pete, I’m just so proud of what you’re doing right now. Because you just are doing what you love doing. And you can really see it and you can really feel it and your energy and, and you know, just being really passionate about it, because not just the fact Natalie that we found something that we love doing but it’s like you say it’s something that’s really good for you as people you know, and that being able to support a support people in that way. So, so how How’s laughter enhanced your life? Would you say?

Natalie  16:12

Amazing, amazingly, I mean, ever since I was little, I always want to help people. And that’s why I always went into the sort of catering, you know, healthcare, social work sort of field. And, but with laughter. Not only is it healed me, but it’s healed, and it’s changed a life, so many people around me. I mean, laughter right at the time that very first met you it was introduced it, I was in such a good place in life, it was just an add on and an added bonus. But when I trained, I was really low point. And, I mean, I literally chained to be a laughter yoga leader. And within a month, I started my own club. And the experiences that I’ve had from that, you know, my confidence, increased resilience, my stress levels lowered, I have still in a stressful job, but I felt more able to manage my stress, I slept a lot better. And but I’ve just made so many new friendships and met so many new people and got into new workplaces and groups I wouldn’t have otherwise. Because of the laughter. Yeah. Which is just incredible.

Pete Cann  17:29

Yeah, so it may, you know, it’s, you mentioned after you’ve started the laughter, laughter club quite soon into sort of learning to be a leader. And something that’s definitely encouraged, isn’t it when you do your training is, you know, you should start the club. And, you know, as we all know, it takes a while to build that as a momentum. But you do start attracting people, you attract people to your to your vibe, basically. And, you know, so obviously, you’ve run the quite a few sessions in your time has been the laughter leader. So I was just wondering, you know, that you must have a couple of memories of certain people that have come up to you and said something that’s made you just go, wow, actually, this this is making a difference?

Natalie  18:13

Oh, definitely. I did. Oh, gosh, I took my laughter    yoga, to a retreat a couple of years ago. And it was a retreat for adults with disabilities, you know, learning disabilities, physical disabilities, mental health and dementia. And they were at this retreat down near Aviemore. But what was magical was they were there with their family members, who were there caterers and there were other paid caterers that were there. And it enabled, both service user and family cater, to go to either workshops together or separately, and come back and share the experience at the end of the day. But as a social worker, it’s very rare that an adult would get a retreat, get some sort of respite with their family member because respite is usually seen as a break away from their family member to recharge the batteries. And so I was at this event, and I ran a bit for laughter yoga workshops that day. And then remember, this lady just cried, and she just came up to me and she was like, I don’t know. She’s like, I forgot how to laugh. So Katie, okay, genuinely, I forgot how to laugh. My life is so stressful. I’m, you know, the cater to my family member. I never get a break. And for this hour, I could literally just laugh and be fi and it was beautiful. And for another lady, she fell asleep at their meditation at the end. And she’s like, I don’t remember the last day I just felt so rested and relaxed and the feedback and that retreat was, it was absolutely beautiful. To have people just coming together, either as I see, seeing to their, you know, the family member, I went to this class it was up to five or going together, but having, you know, that shared experience, and you know yourself especially like some of dementia, you might not remember the words, but everyone knows how to laugh. Hmm. Oh, it’s just so powerful. So powerful. Yeah.

Pete Cann  20:30

No, no, no, it’s, it’s, it’s one of those things as well as that. When someone says something to you like that, and it sort of, yeah, it really does cement what you’re doing, as well. Yeah. Natalie, there’s plenty of people out there that look in on this and just go, what are you doing? Oh, you want to do all your life?

Natalie  20:58

You know, don’t get me wrong. I’ve had a few people will kind of my class. Like they had this. Oh, so funny. There’s this married couple. And the husband was dropping off the wife because she wanted to try it my class. And he came in with her. And he was asking me lots of questions. And, and then he asked, Could he stay for a little bit? And I’m like, Yeah, of course you can. So he ended up staying for the whole class. Course his wife left after 10 minutes. Didn’t think it was for her. And she was getting really grumpy because she was sat in the car waiting for them.

Pete Cann  21:32

Wow, wow. How was he afterwards?

Natalie  21:35

Oh, he was just he was, oh, he actually came back the following week, which is incredible. But she didn’t get it. She wasn’t in a place to get it. Whereas he was very skeptical. He’s like, What do you mean? Pretend laughter and there’s no comedy. He absolutely loved it. And I think it was just being amongst others and being silly and having that permission to be silly. He just tapped into and you’ve enjoyed her. Yeah. And you’ll know yourself because it’s laughter yoga. You’ll have people come into class that are serious, yogi’s, and they’ll come with your yoga mat. And then you’re like, Oh, dear. Here. laughter

Pete Cann  22:19

I’ve got quite a funny story with when I first started my club by a different venue than I do now. But there was a, there was a yoga class upstairs. And I was doing laughter yoga downstairs. And I had a couple of people that worked with me, who said they were going to come to my first session to support me. And you know, I think the first sessions in most people’s lives, usually be more supportive, because people want to support you the beginning, again, an idea and then they don’t come back, but that’s fine. At least they came and supported you. But the next day, I came into work, I was just like, what are like really? Sorry, didn’t come last night? Yeah. Where were you? Like, now we went? We were the ogre. Right? So yeah, it was really weird. Because like, we were looking around, like thinking Where where’s pee and lay out the yoga mats, because there we go, you know, into the yoga as well. So, they did this whole yoga bit. And they were like, yeah, she said, my friends were like, wondering where the laughter bit was, because already we were just doing all these stretches and stuff. And I was like, okay, but note to self, Natalie, get some better signage, and put them on the door just to put the arrow that’s the way the laughter is upstairs. So, yeah, but that was just quite funny that they spent this whole session it’s kind of funny.

Natalie  23:38

Funny, because you’re so right, when I first started my class, I mean, my first class, you must be like, 25 people, they’re, like friends and family work colleagues out to support me. And they just kind of assumed that they don’t come back. My next session, I had it all set up and it was all, and I was all excited and totally ready to go back where they used to sort of work out which exercises I was gonna do no way just winging it. But back then I would have it all planned. And there was just myself a mouse. And it was like, very cool. And then a few months after that, and I got approached by a a TV channel. They were there was a Scottish comedian that was coming up to Scotland, or come up to Inverness, and they heard about my class and she wants to come along. So that attracted a few more.

Pete Cann  24:37

So you put the word out there said hey, there’s a chance to be on telly if that’s what I want a question actually. So you see, you said you it was you and your husband, so Did your husband practice the laughter yoga with you.

Natalie  24:50

It’s really interesting, actually, for the first clip, we weren’t married at the point that I started my laughter yoga journey. So he used to come and be really supportive and really love it, he’s quite a serious job. And he would really love it. But then he was off work for a year with stress and anxiety. And he wasn’t able to come to classes he didn’t feel physically able to. And I just think that’s really quite important because I’ve got a background in mental health. And for some people, when you’re feeling like that, it can be incredibly difficult to be in a group of people laughing. Because although we know that you’re not laughing up a person, it can feel like that. So it’s trying to be protective and supportive. So for that year, my husband sort of had a pass, not to come in, but he does come to classes now. And it’s just part of life. You know, if my son comes in, he’s quite grumpy. I’ll just start laughing. And he’s like, stop doing that mother. And then he’s laughing because it works.

Pete Cann  25:53

It does work. It does work. But that’s, that’s namely, spa the fact that you’re your husband does come to this session, because like, you know, my beautiful lovely wife who’s outside the door at the moment, she doesn’t, you know, and she, and she, she doesn’t, she’s done a couple of sessions at different points in my, my career so far where we’ve done um, and she does also suffer from anxiety. Definitely, you know, and I keep saying like, because but what’s close what’s good for Chloe, she will turn around and say, Look, I’m feeling now feel really anxious at the moment about this, this and this, and she’ll talk to me about how she’s feeling. And my go to straightaways like that I know, something that can help that show that I don’t want to laugh. Alright, fair enough. You don’t have to laugh. But what I’m gonna do, just give us a hug lens, we have a little cuddle, and then then I start jiggling a little bit and just getting a little laughing thing. And then next thing No, like, she starts chuckling away. And then, you know, within about two minutes, we’re both laughing and I was like, Well, how do you feel now? So I feel feel good. It’s like, cool. So it’s just for? Yeah, I think it’s possibly that whole being a route amongst other people that you know, and that whole, whole, letting yourself go, isn’t it?

Natalie  27:05

Yeah, I mean, I just see people, especially during a lockdown. So I’ve obviously my classes, had to go on to zoom. And I’ve had a couple that I’ve just not felt comfortable, because they were struggling, you know, periods of anxiety. And then what I’ve done is I just offered them a one to one session. So I was like, You know what, we’ll do a zoom at this certain time, and we don’t have to talk first. I’m just gonna laugh and just laugh with me. And that has been amazing. Because as you say, sometimes being that group environment is just not what you need. But we know that the laughter can be so healing. So it’s just trying to be a bit creative about it.

Pete Cann  27:43

I think I think you’re right, I think it’s here now. And if you’re they’ve got to be in the right space. You know, again, this. I I’ve lost count how many people I’ve laughed with through lockdown, since doing quite a lot of corporate stuff I do but trying to then attract them into my world to say, hey, there’s more of this just come along. It’s not a one. It’s not a one. One hit, you know, and it’s just yeah, but I think I think it’s slowly laughter yoga is getting out there. It’s it’s, it’s becoming more people. Yeah. When you mentioned it as people, some people have heard of it. Now, more than the beginning was loud. You laughed. Yeah, they’re like, What?

Natalie  28:21

Yeah, exactly.

Pete Cann  28:23

So what would you say to anyone who’s unsure about how laughter can help them,

Natalie  28:27

ah, just give it a go. Give it a shot, get a friend, and just go along, whether it’s a zoom class, or a class in person, if you can, literally, he just some people just don’t get it the first time. So come back another time as well. Just give just give yourself permission, just to be silly. And just to embrace that entirely for however long that session is, because I think Life can be so busy sometimes. And we we just neglect ourselves care. So book yourself into session, and just give yourself really to it. And when you’re connected, either it’s in zoom or in person, you’re looking at other people, you’re looking into the eyes and their smiling faces and you can’t help but respond to that. And it is like a family. And yeah, so yeah, give it a shot.

Pete Cann  29:19

And why would I do that Natalie’s? Actually you know, as well. It’s like, go get definitely try it. But if you don’t connect with the leader, have a look around because there’s plenty of us out there or doing our different ways basically, aren’t we? So there’s lots of different energies out there, you’ve got the more you’ve got the maybe more spiritual side of people, you’ve got people that more Yogi side of things, you’ve got people of maybe more entertaining the clowny type, you know, so there’s, there’s, yeah, we all we’re all we’ve all got the same outcome in our mind. We just want to laugh. But we get there different ways.

Natalie  29:54

It’s true if we were going to an actual yoga CDs yoga class, if we didn’t like if we didn’t do that. With the leader, we’d find another class another leader. So you’re right. There’s loads of us. We wouldn’t take it personally. But just passionate about sharing our love of laughter.

Pete Cann  30:10

Exactly. Exactly. And just sharing Yeah, exactly sharing the the way you can feel you can feel, you know, you don’t have to feel the way you feel right now, if you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed or stressed, or, you know, it’s an emotion that can be quite easily to be fair sort of counteracted with laughter and to say, yeah, you’ve got to take that step to the right place, or even watch a few YouTube videos is not a bad shot to start with, just to get a feel for, what’s it all about? So um, okay, so this is probably my favorite bit of the whole interview. Your favorite two laughing exercises. Now, obviously, we’re people that are listening. Literally, I’m just listening to Natalie, because we were not looking at each other on Zoom. At the moment. We’re just literally talking to each other. So you got to be a bit creative with these ones. I think Natalie, okay. So

Natalie  30:58

I’ve been in radio, it’s all good. And I was it gave one of my favorite laughter yoga exercises, like one of the old ones bit, it’s laughter cream. So imagine you’ve got to put a cream in your hand. And if it was a summer, we can imagine it was something that we got our part of cream in her hand. With our other hand, we’re gonna take a huge big dollop, or we’re literally gonna apply it everywhere. That’s Nina laugh. So did her cheek and we’re gonna go

Natalie  31:35

and give it churching and don’t forget the nose wash your hands so much because of COVID We need some key winner hands Oh, amazing. Easy to do. That was brilliant.

Pete Cann  32:39

I was What’s your second?

Natalie  32:41

Oh, my second one actually is a lift laughter and it’s my class. My laughter yoga club. It’s their favorite one. And I didn’t think this one would translate well over zoom. And one of my first name classes, my computer lagged. And then it booted me out. So my laughter yoga class continued without me. And they did less laughter and then they reported back to me Hey, brilliant, it was Sunday we’ve continued with it. So basically lift laughter you’re imagining that you’re all crammed and tellef together. And when the doors your hands are the doors when the doors are open. You get to behave yourself and be really quiet because people could be walking past and then when the doors are closed you can laugh so we do this cut law it’s just hilarious so imagine the doors are open right now and the doors are closed and doors are closed

Natalie  33:58

doo rs closing time I did that and an in person class and somebody was like open up the doors

Natalie  34:27

that get the laughter going. That’s absolutely brilliant. For ages because you could be like police department or we’re gonna go to and then we can be all the different flights and

Pete Cann  34:44

it’s brilliant. It’s brilliant. So we just reminded me as well you mentioned them someone. Someone did that in the laughter meditation. What are my first Oh yeah, every everything just loosened up. Yeah, just Everyone’s just laughing for probably about 30 seconds and then it went

Pete Cann  35:12

so gnarly this, um, this podcast is called laughter and positivity with Pete. So um, so what other positive habits do you have, what positive habits you have in the day,

Natalie  35:22

a attitude of gratitude. So every single day, normally at bedtime, I go through a list of everything that I’m grateful for. Because I feel that when we’re when we should be grateful for all the wonderful things that happen in your life. But even in days, we’re really stressed and feeling overwhelmed, there are still things we can be grateful for. And I just feel that reminded ourselves of this, and staying in this state of, you know, having this attitude of gratitude, it just raises our vibration. And they just attract attracts more beautiful things and wonderful experiences in her entire life. And so I’m huge about that. I love that. And also random acts of kindness. I’m all about random acts of kindness. Every day, I went to random acts of kindness. I think that’s such a powerful thing for connecting with people. Even if they don’t know about it, don’t know what you’re doing. It just gives us you’re such a beautiful sense of helping others and community and just raising that positivity and feelings of Yeah, feeling great and wonderful.

Pete Cann  36:36

Yeah, no, I completely completely agree with that. And you know, the gratitude side of things I think is really important is you know, it’s it does open it opens your heart it opens your mind it hopefully your body to attract more gratefulness and gratitude towards you and actually attracts you to lovely souls as well doesn’t it when you when and you know, obviously there’s just a lot of stuff going on in the world right now. There Hey, still lots of stuff to be grateful for, you know, just even him the bird song in the morning is just something to be grateful for. And some Yeah, just being present. I think it’s really important as well, isn’t it? So I

Natalie  37:13

know for sure. And I do volunteering. I’m back from volunteering this afternoon. And that’s a huge part of my of my life. Just serve. It’s just helping other people. And as you say, connecting with different souls, my work leader, and it’s just amazing to connect people from all different backgrounds, you wouldn’t necessarily meet them normally. And just to go in for a walk in nature. I just think that’s such a powerful and therapeutic thing to do as well. And obviously sharing laughter when I’m doing it. Yeah,

Pete Cann  37:43

exactly. Exactly. Is a good a good giggle in a walk is not a bad little way to spend the day is it’s actually amazing. So it was something that a lot a lot a lot of people know about you.

Natalie  37:57

Oh my god, I get a lot of people didn’t know about me. Oh my God, that’s a tough one. Because I am such an open book. People that know me know everything about me. And Hmm. Oh, no, I know. That’s a really tough one.

Pete Cann  38:19

For me in the listeners won’t know about you then.

Natalie  38:22

Hey. I love the color. Orange. I have an orange car.

Pete Cann  38:31

Nice. Nice. What

Natalie  38:33

car is it? It’s a Honda Jazz.

Pete Cann  38:37

Nice. Nice. And is it bright? Is it same orange as my sort of orange. These in

Natalie  38:43

love orange. Obviously love orange.

Pete Cann  38:46

It’s just a happy color. Isn’t it? Oranges? Just yeah,

Natalie  38:49

definitely. Definitely. Definitely. So yeah, I love orange. I’m into everything sort of. positivity. I actually love like, vision boards and doing filming rituals. And I’m a bit woo woo

Pete Cann  39:05

but Louise Good.

Natalie  39:06

I love Louie. I think that’s just, you know, life is short. I just think we should be embracing all different things and just enhancing our life experience.

Pete Cann  39:16

Definitely, definitely, I’ll take you into the law of attraction as well. lately. Yay. Horse. I love all of that Natalie, I mean, just, you know, vision board as well. It’s just like, ultimately, you create the future you want to live, you really do believe in that. So, um, you know, and a less, let’s not be let’s not sugarcoat it, you know, the last couple of years or like definitely last 18 months has been pretty, pretty bad for creating the vision that you want to live. However, we’ve been putting in foundations for the vision that we want to live. You know, it’s just building those foundations so that you know, once everything starts properly opening again, we’re ready to roll basically. So it’s only I

Natalie  39:59

think if I she’d been a healing time for us. It gives us this time for reflection. I mean, that’s part of the reason I left Social Work at the start of January. I always like to know, I’ve just the time is now and I just feel it’s been so healing to get back into nature connecting with our local walks, know, in areas, but like decluttering. And, like, Can I do my filming rituals, my friends, you know, we write a list of everything that we want to read ourselves off, and the things that no longer serve us. Because we’re humans, and we naturally hold on to things you know, you know, things that have upset as and situations. And I don’t know, things that just happen, we just hold them and we carry them with us. Just quite an important ritual to just release that. really

Pete Cann  40:50

gnarly, I’m not gonna let you get away with starting to dangle this little carrot in front of me. All right, so what’s our goal on what’s it all about them.

Natalie  41:01

So meet with, I meet with my friends every month, because there’s a new moon and there’s a film in each month. And basically, at the start, we just start where we catch up and what’s happened in the last month because obviously, we’re all about goal setting and manifesting. But to start with, we really do we get our crystals i and, and we, we get an Oracle Card Deck, and we pick a card and see if that helps us and just get a bit more clarity in our in our situation, or just the time and space that we’re in. But I find it really important to write a list as they see of things that we want to release, whether it’s feelings of upset, whether it’s feelings of not being worthy, or, or not good enough, or smart enough or no it things like that, just write them down. And then what we do is we burn them under the moonlight. And it just feels like it’s just such a cathartic thing. And we have to do that. We don’t have to we do do that before we move on to the next stage, which is really what do we want to manifest? What do we want to look at, for, you know, the month ahead, before we catch up again, whether it’s focusing more time in the business, attracting new clients, and being open to, you know, opportunities, meeting souls, just that sort of thing. And it’s it kind of, in a way, we’re kind of like accountability partners, because when we catch up the next month is like, Well, you were gonna do this, how’s that worked out for you? And then we’re like, well, self sabotaging. And they’re like, why are you doing that? Yeah, it’s just really important just to have good friends with you to sort of go through life’s journey with and just

Pete Cann  42:48

definitely, definitely, so we need when you do that, when you it’s like the light. Put your teeth in. When you do this ritual. Are you outside for the whole of the evening? Or do you sort of sit in someone’s house? And then you go out and do the burning of beer off the outside? Or how does that bit work?

Natalie  43:09

Well, I live in the Highlands of Scotland. Yeah. So like, tonight I meet with my friends will be indoors. Until we’re late. Hang on. We’re gonna send you a full moon tonight. Is it? Yeah, well, yesterday, but yeah, so it’s the time that you can do a film in richer like two days before like either side of the of the filming. Got. Yeah. And so we’re gonna catch up tonight. So we’ll be indoors, for most of it. And then we’ll go outside. But then in the summer months, we’ll just be outdoors the whole time. Nice. It’s just such a beautiful thing to do. It’s really powerful. It’s just Well, I know it sounds

Pete Cann  43:47

it and I’ve heard it I’ve heard similar things in the past actually, and, and sort of just quite conscious of time, we have to wrap it up in a second. But you know, when you’re saying about how this whole COVID thing has been quite a sort of detox as well for a lot of people and a lot of resetting the mind and the body and you know, like Chloe and I have decided you know that we’re going to move to Cornwall and that’s that was quite a big that’s a big step for us as a family to move the children as well. And it’s just like but actually the reason deep down we want to do it is we just want a more relaxing life and just more chilled out and it’s just like, you know, bring up the kids near a beach and just be able to enjoy the simpler things in life really so badly. Yeah, so amazing. is all about is is completely is so Natalie, where if anyone’s listening, where can they come and reach out to you say hi.

Natalie  44:44

I’ve got a Facebook page called laugh life coaching. I’m also on Instagram and LinkedIn. And that’s my sort of. Yeah, that’s my coaching title. Fantastic. You can find me amazing Yeah, sorry.

Pete Cann  45:02

No, no, no, I would encourage anybody to reach out especially if you want to find out more about sort of Natalie’s laughter You know what, where she’s, you know, bringing laughter to, to her world but also, you know, all the other side of things like the moon, your full moon ritual, all of that. Love it. Love it. Yes. So final thought then that Aliy before I leave you what, what are the what three things bring you joy.

Natalie  45:24

And my random acts of kindness bring me joy. Because helping other people and shooting up other people makes me so happy. And my dogs make me joyful, because they’re just ridiculous. They’re very silly. And the last few days, I’ve been really unwell with the cold and they’ve just carried in with me. It’s been lovely. And enjoy being out in nature. I’m so blessed to live in the highlands. It’s stunning. It’s absolutely beautiful. And be dating the word that brings me so much joy.

Pete Cann  45:58

Fantastic. Natalie, thank you so much for your time.

Natalie  46:01

Thank you.

Pete Cann  46:02

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 pecan.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