Get the Giggles at Laugher Yoga

Looking for the perfect way to de-stress on your lunch break and beat a serious case of the Mondays?

Try laughter yoga at the Burnaby-Vancouver branch of CMHA! Laughter yoga is a series of playful interactive exercises designed to stimulate laughter. The sessions provide a safe non-judgmental environment to be playful and express joy.


Laughter yoga does not involve yoga postures, and you do not need any special clothing, equipment or props to practice laughter yoga. It can be practiced by anyone, of any age and fitness level, and can be modified for people with limited physical activities.

Laughter yoga was developed by Dr. Madan Kataria, a physician in Mumbia, India who was looking for a way to help his patients many of whom were stressing from stress and stress related illnesses. He developed a technique to help people laugh without jokes or humour, which uses simulated laughter and playful interactive exercises to help people re- connect with their inner spirit of joy. Scientifically proven benefits include:

• Relieves stress and anxiety
• Decreases blood pressure
• Boosts the immune system
• Helps with pain management
• Provides aerobic exercise
• Enhances the mood

 Laughter yoga is by donation on every third Monday at CMHA #110-2425 Quebec Street. Hope to see you at our next session on March 19, 2012.

We'd like your input on depression screening events

Made possible with the support of a group of great volunteers, CMHAVB put on a small public depression and anxiety screening event at our office on Monday evening - Blue Monday - and we were a bit disappointed by the small turnout.

Not to be put off, we are seeking input from as viewpoints as possible to see how we can better meet the needs of our community.

One thought is that the need for this type of event is no longer needed. We think not.

Other considerations included:

The time of day not being a good fit. We planned this particular event to catch folks just after work...maybe this was a bit optimistic? Would a daytime event be a better fit for those concerned about low mood or anxiety?

The day of the week was not a good fit. A suggestion from one of our volunteer clinicians is to consider holding a screening event on a Saturday. We would be willing to try that.

Perhaps people would prefer to look at the screening tools in advance or even fill them out on-line prior to taking the time to come out to an event in person? We think this is a really good idea, and are willing to consider this option for our next screening event.

Most of all, we would like to hear what others have to say. Perhaps you have attended an event in the past? Or held you own events? Or it may be that have you have only considered going to a screening...

In any event, we'd like to hear from you.

A conversation about Depression Screening events

So, Sue, you’re excited about depression screening. What is this all about?

This is an opportunity; I would say a gentle opportunity, for people to get a snapshot of how they’re feeling. It works for a whole range of people. We find that often people come to a depression screening because they’ve already identified something’s wrong but they’re nervous about seeking help. Others are just curious about the process. Because we’ve been doing this type of screening publicly for now more then 10 years, we find that sometimes people come back to get some reassurance that they’re getting better, some validation. It’s a really unique opportunity to talk to someone else in a safe environment without having to invest a lot of time or personal emotional risk or money.

So what happens at a depression screening?

Individuals are invited to fill out a short questionnaire. It’s a tool that’s been specifically designed for public screening events. It started off with just depression, now we have it for anxiety, risky drinking and specific populations such as older adults or youth. The depression tools have been translated and used locally in Chinese, and we also have materials in Punjabi and Farsi.

Once someone fills out the questionnaire, what happens?

Their form is scored by a volunteer, and then they meet one on one with clinician (also a volunteer) who will help them interpret their results. The idea is to help people identify whether they need to seek treatment or whether they need more information or reassurance that what they are experiencing is within the normal range, part of the human condition, rather than a crisis. Over the years, we’ve had very few incidences where people were actually in an emergent situation. This is heartening – we find that people are seeking out information before things are getting to the point where they can’t cope. It’s also a way for concerned others to have their observations of their loved one evaluated.

So the same tool is used for a person with a potential challenge and for someone who is concerned about someone?

No. There is an adapted version for the concerned other. It’s their impression, what they observe very different from someone answering from a personal perspective. We take the concerned others just as seriously, because it indicates there is a struggle that is affecting more than just the individual with the potential mental health problem. That is one of the big things that is so devastating about mental health problems – it’s not just the individual but the people they’re connected with that feel the impact.

Do you have a success story?

Jay (not his real name) was new to Canada and had come out to a number of public talks. Some time later he came to a more specific talk about mental health, something where there was more personal engagement. By the time the next screening rolled around, he felt safe enough and connected enough to do a screening, which was carried out in his own language. His results weren’t anything drastic but he did indicate it was the catalyst to seek help from a Western practitioner. The screening gave him confidence to have that checked out as a health concern, not a shortcoming or something to be ashamed of. He is still connected to us, and still comes to our talks.

"Blue Monday" - a depresssion and anxiety screening event
Monday Nov 1 2010 from 5-8 pm at CMHA Vancouver Burnaby office at 175 West Broadway, Vancouver. Please call 604-872-4902 for more information . Space is limited so booking a specific time is recommended.