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Smile It's Happy Time!
WE'LL HAVE YOU IN STITCHES
» Thursday 25 June 2009 | 5 pm
» The Bohemian Café, 524 Bernard Avenue
An informal afternoon hour showcasing ideas
and people in the Okanagan creative economy. Join us as therapeutic clown Donna O'Hearn,
laughologist Rose Sexsmith and pastor Kenn Gordon discuss the healing power of happiness - what it does, why it works, and how to get there..
» $2 at the door. Refreshments are available at a modest cost.
» Seating is limited, please reserve yours HERE
Experts Say There's No Time Like Now to be Happy
Sure there's a recession going on, but that doesn't mean people have to be glum. In fact, there is lots of evidence to indicate that living life on the dark side of life creates only more of the same - and who needs that?
Experts say now is the time to pump up the volume on the happiness meter. We need more smiles, more laughter, more light-hearted responses to life. It opens us up, helps create a vibrate community, has healing properties and provides an open-space for new ideas to flood in.
On Thursday, June 25th at 5 pm the ongoing weekly Okanagan Institute Express series at the Bohemian Café presents Smile: It's Happy Time!. Join us as we turn to the lighter side of life to explore happiness in all its glory, featuring three experts - therapeutic clown Donna O'Hearn, laughologist Rose Sexsmith, and Kenn Gordon - co-pastor of the Centre for Spiritual Living in Kelowna. They'll talk about the healing power of happiness - what it does, why it works, and how to get there with more than a few chuckles along the way.
In the late 1960s, author Raymond Charles Barker in his book Power of Decision wrote that happiness is a matter of choice. He said it had nothing to do with external circumstance and everything to do with internal outlook.
Decades later, we're still studying happiness and wondering about its power in our lives. Studies have shown that as a society we don't laugh as much as we used. In the 1950s we spent 20-minutes a day laughing. Today we consider ourselves lucky to get six. And age doesn't help either. Our laugh-meter drops from 400 giggles per day as children to a scant 14 for those in their forties.
Studies have also shown that a happy outlook speeds up healing, and as a result people like Donna O'Hearn are working and volunteering in many hospitals and seniors facilities across the country.
  Donna O'Hearn launched herself into clowning 16 years ago in Mississippi for a surprise birthday party. Since then she learned the Art of Therapeutic Clowning through Vernon's Kalamalka Caring Klown training program. Also known as Gizmo A. Klown, Donna regularly shares her optimistic view on the world both professionally, and through her volunteer work at The Alzheimer's Society and North Okanagan Hospice Society. She's presented at various conferences, including the B.C. Hospice Palliative Care Association Conference.
 Rose Sexsmith is a Kelowna business woman and Certified Laughter Yoga Trainer and Instructor. She received her training in India from Dr. Madan Kataria, the creator of the World Laughter Yoga Movement, which has grown to more than 6,000 clubs around the world, in 60 countries.
 Kenn Gordon is the co-pastor of the Centre for Spiritual Living in Kelowna, which he founded in 1993 along with his wife Rev. Deborah. A perpetually positive thinker, Dr. Gordon believes that our outlook creates our experience, so there is nothing more important than being consciously aware. With that outlook - being happy only makes sense. An engaging and insightful speaker, Dr. Kenn has spoken before audiences of more than 1,000 throughout North America.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER ONLINE CLICK HERE
Smile: It's Happy Time! takes place at the Bohemian Café. This marks the 96th event the Okanagan Institute has held since the Express series got underway in July 2007.
Express has played host to many Okanagan luminaries, including former deputy secretary general of Amnesty International Derek Evans, artists Lee Claremont and Gary Pearson, BC Book Award nominee Don Gayton, CBC Literary prize winner poet Harold Rhenisch, distinguished editor and author Jim Taylor, poet and professor John Lent, animator and filmmaker Jim Cliffe, community activist Don Elzer, dancer David LaHay, architect Jim Meiklejohn, culinary artist and writer Heidi Noble, broadcaster Marion Barschel and others from a wide range of creative fields.
Mark you calender for this exciting event in Lake Country!
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