Laughter Therapy
Workshop Facilitator: Justus Neumann
Please let us know if you have any questions.
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 0402421834
When: February 2nd
Time: 11 – 12pm
Where:
Second Echo Ensemble
Studio is located at 228 Liverpool St. HOBART, 7000.
Booking & Payment.
One hour workshop $40.
Please arrive early around 10.30 to allow payment processing and settling in.
Accessibility:
The Second Echo Ensemble Studio space is accessible and welcoming for all people.
Hello,
I am Justus Neumann; I have been living on Bruny Island for 39 years. I am 76 years
old, originally from Austria, Vienna.
I have been an actor, director, and drama teacher all my life. I have won many awards in Austria and Australia, the most significant being six Tasmanian Errol's for the production “Alzheimer Symphony” 2015 in Hobart.
In December of 2022 I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.
In my search to tackle this calamity, I found numerous scientific articles and studies
supporting activities, such as laughing, singing, humming, and dancing that promote
positive benefits. Some of this research states;
‘Laughter Therapy has been found to be a universal non-pharmacologic, cost
effective, non-invasive, and easily implementable intervention approach’, with benefits
including (but not limited to);
● Reducing stress hormones.
● Increasing mood enhancing/health hormones, such as endorphins & dopamine.
● Strengthening the immune system by increasing T-Lymphocytes.
● Reducing Blood Pressure.
● Assists in controlling the neurotransmitter serotonin, which diminishes depressive
mood states.
● Helps reduce anxiety and anger.
Hardly any Doctor’s tell us these things.
Over the last year and more, I have been developing a range of hilarious exercises,
which have helped me enormously to sustain a good and unchanged quality of life.
My workshops offer an uplifting and entertaining experience that encourages
participation in laughing and improvisational singing, dancing and spontaneous
storytelling with the audience members.
These workshops benefit all ages, and will particularly benefit older people, including
anyone experiencing depression and anxiety, those affected by other conditions,
medical or otherwise that diminish people’s quality of life, alongside carers, family &
friends, medical and alternative health practitioners who want to engage in stress
reduction and mental health wellbeing activities.
In October 2023, I traveled to Vienna and performed my show on Parkinson’s Disease
and included some of these exercises to a very receptive audience. I have since held
workshops on Bruny Island and recently with a group of medical practitioners from Gore Street Medical in Hobart.
I'm looking forward to meeting and laughing with you in this next workshop.
Kindly, Justus