Connecting Cultures with Chi (energy) & Laughter

Join us as we practice some Chi-Laughter! Tai Chi and Laughter Yoga is a magical combination.

Today's guest, Sylvia Liu, is the Founder & Director of Fusion Culture Group – a group that connects people and bridges cultures through laughter, exploration of gestures, theatrical magic, contemporary Tai Chi, and cultural events.

It was an honor and pleasure to connect with Sylvia and learn how she combines 2 of my favorite modalities to raise our energy and feel relief: Laughter & Qigong.

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Links to learn more about Sylvia and her groups:

• Sylvia Liu: https://www.facebook.com/SylviaL888
• Fusion Culture Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/201904224966957
• Fusion Laughter: https://www.facebook.com/groups/318546612267322/
• Fusion Tai Chi: https://www.facebook.com/groups/206861623312132/

About your Host:
Lauren Tatner, founder of Law of Happy, is an inspirational teacher, attorney, author, wellness arts practitioner, and inspirational clown. She is certified as a Reiki Teacher, Consulting Hypnotist, and Meditation Teacher, Laughter Yoga Leader, and Fitness Instructor Specialist. She also trained in Theatre, Dance, Zumba, Voice, Mediation, Public Speaking, Improv, Clown, Comedy, Past Life Regression (with American Psychiatrist, Dr. Brian Weiss), Shamanism, and Qigong.

Lauren has always been fascinated with the mind, body, and spirit connection. She is passionate about teaching the power of laughter, meditation, and movement in a fun and relatable way. When Lauren gives talks and leads workshops in the corporate and private sectors, she uses a unique approach that integrates elements of her diverse skills and experience.

Lauren is the mother of twins and a rescue pup.

- Follow Lauren on IG @TheLawofHappy
- Watch & Laugh with us on YouTube
- Interested in laughing with Lauren on the show or in a customized workshop: Get in touch

Transcript

0:07

Welcome back to the Law of Happy podcast. I'm your host, Lauren Tatner. I'm an attorney and I teach laughter as an exercise. When we laugh, we feel good and we raise our energy. This allows more good, fun things to flow into our experience. This is the law of happy. So let's laugh, have fun, and practice the law of happy together. I'm excited for you to meet today's special guest Sylvia Liu. Sylvia is based in Australia and is the founder and director of fusion culture group. A group that connects people in bridges, cultures through laughter exploration of gestures, theatrical magic, contemporary Tai Chi and cultural events. It was an honor and pleasure to connect with the Sylvia. And learn And how she combines two of my favorite modalities to raise our energy and feel relief Laughter and Xi gong Please join me in giving a warm welcome to sylvia

Lauren Host: 0:59

Sylvia, I am so excited that you're our special guest today on the Law of Happy podcast. Welcome. I'm just so excited you're here.

Sylvia: 1:07

I am very excited to coming. We breaking the time and location barrier right now. I'm in your tomorrow.

Lauren Host: 1:17

I know. So just so that our listeners and viewers understand I'm in Montreal, Quebec in Canada

Sylvia: 1:25

I'm in Sydney, Australia, the country down under.

Lauren Host: 1:29

Wow. Wow. You're I don't even know where to begin, but you're the director and founder of the Fusion Culture Group, which is an, incredible project. Can you tell us more about, your group because it's just, it's amazing.

Sylvia: 1:43

Thank you so much. I have lots of fun with it. When I first start, I was working as a volunteer in one of the local community centers and I noticed there was a group of Chinese seniors. They were so happy and very loud and laughing. And there was another group of non English speaking Australian ladies or ladies, and they were looking at them with disgust. So I thought, oh, I know what happened because they were so loud because most when, you don't understand the language, you think it's noisy. It's not bad manners. So I said, oh, this is not very good. So having been to different places, seeing different cultures. And so I thought, How can I help? Someone suggested, you should start a group. So I did. I started, the group has two arms. One is for to promote Chinese culture through Tai Chi. And then the group of Chinese seniors, our classes are not like the normal classes. We play. We sing, we laugh, because it's so hard for the Chinese seniors we don't realize how hard it is for people to learn a completely new language at an old age. And especially to have never been exposed to this, to the different kind of language other than Chinese is so, different. So that's how all got started, because I said, how do I teach them, how can I, so I started looking for. ways to to get first get the interest focused. And so it has to be fun. My philosophy is, if it's not fun, it's not worth doing. So laughter was my first thing. I did it for them, or because of them, I started doing, So we were able to combine to bring people from different cultures together. I also work with groups like Spanish groups. Australia has about 268 280 cultures in Australia, and those who come here at an older age, they probably don't speak English, and if it was then I realized. Oh, there are really a lot of people who don't speak English here. So we are not alone. We just do funny things, fun things, and people just forget that they're Chinese or Spanish or from other culture, we just have fun.

Lauren Host: 3:58

It's beautiful what you've created, it's, really unbelievable.

Sylvia: 4:02

When I was in my teenager twenties time, I have three wishes. Every stage of my life, I have three wishes. The three, the first three wishes was to be able to speak all the languages in the world. I know that's not possible, but then also to be on stage and to be able to help people and and, also to be healthy and doing different things. So once the only reason I discovered Really, I, my, my two wishes have come true. It's not about speaking all the languages in the world. It's about how I connect how we connect people with our language. So that's like languages of the world. So I said, Oh my goodness, thank you so much like I was able to hit on this and I got what I wanted to do. And so So I think also the cultures really fascinates me. So now I'm able to, through what I do, I'm able to do things I love to do. And I love what I do. So I feel very lucky. And this journey has taught me a lot of things. It's not about just me giving. I, feel that I receive more than I gave, have given. So that's very rewarding for me.

Lauren Host: 5:10

That's beautiful.

Sylvia: 5:11

People from different cultures do laugh differently. That really opened my eyes as well. Open my heart. I said, Yeah, but I didn't think of it that way because we love we just love but I realized that you know the Asians, like Asians, it's in the past is impolite to laugh out loud to show your teeth. So I behave differently in different ways. different groups, like when I started working, I just, when I, a lot of people look at me as though I'm crazy. So I said, okay, I better control myself but my nature is, I love I loved very expressive. I like to laugh, but it's okay, but it helps me to really understand the sensitivities of different cultures and to understand the different and to do how to behave in different cultures, which is just as important. In that way, people know that you are sensitive to the culture you try to do what is the right thing to do they will you will gradually make a lot of friends. Because I, I'm really passionate about learning different cultures so fascinating because each culture at the end of the day, there's a core of human the human court is roughly the same it's just that going we've gone to different branches, and we do different things, but at the end of the day is that we are still all humans we love we hate we cry we smile and we, do, and we you know we do. Different things. We do the same thing, but different ways.

Lauren Host: 6:39

This is fascinating to me. So how do you find your because and that's so important that you said, you know that you're sensitive to the different cultures and what they're comfortable with and with respect to. How they laugh and just the nuances and the differences that you're sensitive to that because you're making everybody feel safe and comfortable, which is so important. It's just really unbelievable what you're doing. Can we I get so excited. I want to just keep hearing more because I'm, truly fascinated. Can we do a sample laughter exercise yeah,

Sylvia: 7:14

because I come, yeah. I combined that with Tai Chi to say doing this way, it's going to be good for you. It's not just laughter. It's got to be deep breath in. And then you go, ha, the Chinese Kung Fu people, because that ha is from the Dan Tian where our energy center is the three fingers below our belly button. I want people to breath in, deep breath in, store in your Dan Tian and you bring your hands up and make a fist. And let the your elbow, dig into your, lungs like. Yeah, so you can feel it all the tea and all the best stuff is coming to your throat, and always remember to spit it out you don't want it the best stuff, you know coughing up the stuff from your heart from your, chest. to never swallow them is very bad. So, what we do is that we go deep breath in, and then we'll come down. And so you got water in your hand, you go deep breath in. And then Yeah, so because it combines because she laughter needs energy needs oxygen. So it's, it goes very well with the chicken when you deep breath in. And you store the tea in your dantian where three, it's a three fingers below your belly button and you come down. Also Chinese as a way of doing the shake like water in your hand, you shake it. That is also absolutely helps activates all the meridians in your body because in our palms, there are lots of it. So we don't have shaking like this and this, and then we laugh. So that's what we do up and down, and this one, my favorite is that. We warm our hands, we warm our hands and, cover your eyes with your warm hands and count to eight. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. And let your fingers run on top of your head tap them, and massage the back of your head and move your fingers, go behind your ears. And that's where our first defense system is. That's where our lymph gland is. The first one, you massage it. And deep breath in, and you go, yeah, so we do a single laughter like, because when you do the louder just one sound, breathing comes out, you get with detoxing ourselves. Yes. So that's why you massage it because they were the first. And of defense is and you massage it and deep breath in and go.

Lauren Host: 9:44

So we're massaging just for the people who are tuning in audio only we were massaging the the behind our

Sylvia: 9:51

earlobe. Yeah, that's your earlobe. That's where our first defense the lymph gland is that you massage it. And then you come out and also you can stick your tongue out as well you massage it and go one, two, three, deep breath in and go.

Lauren Host: 10:06

Yeah. We fling our hands out. I'm trying to describe this.

Sylvia: 10:11

Actually, it works. When your hands, and then you spread your hands out and you go with your tea as well and go deep breath in, it's massage and your hands. Spread

Lauren Host: 10:27

And we were let go of, of let go. Both

Sylvia: 10:30

arms go sideways as so

Lauren Host: 10:32

trying to fly. Ah. Oh, Thank you so much for leading us in that I, I am like, I can't even express how excited I am about this because I I discovered I was drawn to the practice of Qigong. I hope I'm pronouncing it properly. I know it's Qigong. Yes. And Qigong is a is it a form of Tai Chi Or Tai Chi is a form

Sylvia: 11:00

of Qigong is the umbrella of all Chinese martial arts, and Tai Chi is one of them because all the Chinese martial arts are all deal with Qi means energy. So it's a practice of Qi, so it's an umbrella. And so every martial art that you see, If you use the soft type, that's really all qigong. Even that hard one, the Shaolin masters, it's all about using your internal energy to turn it into external energy to move things. So it's about mindfulness. Through mindfulness, you move your qi and the qi, you move your, physical your physical body. So in fact, it does not. Use a lot. It's not about strength. It's about your mindfulness that move your chi. So it's easy to say it's so abstract. When I first started, my Tai Chi master says relax. I said, how do I know I'm relaxed. He said, gradually, I'm gonna move up. So how do I know how to, how can I stop moving? So it takes a long time trying to, it's self, it's a self journey. The journey is incredible. It's about life. The more you want it, you said, I'm going to get it. Now you don't, it just come along where you're not noticing it. So it helped me to understand a lot more about the Chinese philosophy of Yin Yang. Yin, it's a two, the Yin is about the positive and negative energy. Or it also represents a male and female. It's the interacting of the two equal and opposite energy that creates balance and harmony is such a deep philosophy. I'm still learning and learning. It's incredible. Oh,

Lauren Host: 12:39

I yeah I love it. I was drawn to learn more about it in my own journey. I found a a Qigong master not far from me. I just, loved it because it just, like you said, it incorporates mindfulness and moving our internal energy and oh my gosh, I felt like it was like a moving meditation. It was just so relaxed, relaxing, but energizing and, oh, I just love it. And so when I found out that you do chi laughter, so you, like you said, and like we did, you combine chi gong with laughter, which is

Sylvia: 13:15

amazing. Yeah, because this all hit and miss. I didn't start out to do Tai Chi. I didn't start out to do laughter. But then when I thought about when people, like my initial impression, People when people think Tai Chi is all people and because I'm passionate about sharing the Chinese culture and promoting cultural exchange. So I thought, I want to do something different. So I'm, telling people that I'm not teaching you Tai Chi, I am sharing my Tai Chi journey, how I learn, and I'm sharing my laughter experience. I'm about to spread the Chinese culture through something interesting and also beneficial to health. So it's not about being a Tai Chi master. I'm not. So I'm just. Wanted to do something that's fun and easy for people to find it helpful, good for health. And that's the goal. And it happened to be with laughter. I find that it's really, laughter is about chi as well. If you do it right, it really is quite a powerful tool to get rid of the stuff in your body. So the more I do, the more I thought, Oh, this is not bad. I hit a miss. I got it right. I guess there's no right and wrong. It's just fine.

Lauren Host: 14:25

Exactly. Can we do one more chi laughter exercise that would be simple to describe for the audio listeners.

Sylvia: 14:35

Let's pretend we're a giant tree. So the giant trees has lots of roots. And when you're grounded. your roots, because the giant tree, their roots is as tall as the tree. So that means if you think that way, you'll be grounded. We need to connect the energy of heaven and earth. Therefore, you start with the roots, you deep breathe, you breathe in deeply through your roots. So you're connecting the energy of the earth. Through it through the through your roots and through your legs and deep breath in. And then when you extend your arms up towards the sky, you become the connector of heaven and earth. That's what that's when you are the most, your most energized. So deep breath in and you stretch, and I get people to stretch, and then on your toes. And I said when you when I come to three, you come down as though you've got water in your hands. And you land on your heels very, hardly. So you start jumping down, right? So one, two, three, and you're, Ah!

Lauren Host: 15:41

Ah!

Sylvia: 15:43

Ah! You put your, you shake the water in your hand, bend your back and relax your back and jump on, and then on the floor, and then your heels will be down on the floor and your back on grounded again. So that's how you get connected. And you get, and also when you get connected, you get the good qi, and when you swing your arms down, get rid of the bad qi. So the negative qi, and in that process, you recharge your energy, get your shoulders moving, get your back straightened out because you're stretching out. And you're working on your heels on your, toes, and that because underneath our toes underneath our foot. That's all the meridians that link to our internal organ is underneath our foot. So when you jump down really hard. You're also working your internal organ as well that means recharging activate. Think the energy inside your organs and also with the palms. We also do a lot of clapping, like when the laughter we like to clap and also make fists open with big fists open and close and turn it into a when you open turn it into a tiger claws right like crap like you're what yeah that's yes see that get your energy up And make a really tight in our hands. It also all the meridians that link to our body link to our organs. So what you're doing. So I'm, a very lazy person, I try to do things that's easy and achieve the highest possible thing so if you work on your hands you make the tiger claws, and if you jump down and land on your feet, and you have done all the activation of your all the meridians your body. So those, are the things that I, because I'm lazy person to I try to give shortcuts, so people can. Yeah,

Lauren Host: 17:38

it's not I don't think it's being lazy like I think it's being efficient with your time and energy and

Sylvia: 17:45

it is. The Chinese culture is quite incredible, not because I'm Chinese. That because I feel I've learned so much from it. Oh

Lauren Host: 17:54

I I understand because, yeah I'm not, I'm Canadian born and my, my, my grandparents, my family is from Eastern Europe but I have such a passion for, your culture and everything that it teaches with respect to the Eastern medicine, the traditional Chinese medicine and yeah. Qigong and I did a course in medical Qigong. I'm just fascinated with all the different ways of feeling good and staying in balance. This was such a dream and it's so exciting for me to, connect with you because you are literally combining all of my favorite tools and practices

Sylvia: 18:36

The more you share, the more we can help everybody help people and to let us, so we can grow as well. That's my philosophy of doing things, not that I don't, I'm not a Tai Chi master, but I just want to share my journey. That's most important, my journey. So maybe with a lot of shortcuts. With a lot of how I came to, came about to understand what this Qi is, because I always hear is that relax, what does that mean? I don't know what that means. So I love it. And I'm very happy that I did. I'm very happy that I took this journey of Tai Chi and I'm very happy that I found laughter and I can combine it with Tai Chi because both have to do with energy, really is with energy and it brings our energy up. And just sometimes when you don't feel like it just, laugh. I love laughing. So that's the most thing, but in Chinese, when you laugh too loud, that's very rude. So I first, my first job, I was so happy. People looked at me. I said, where are you from?

Lauren Host: 19:35

But

Sylvia: 19:35

it's okay. We laugh when we're happy. We laugh when we're not happy. We laugh at the same. It's the same.

Lauren Host: 19:41

Yes. I love how you have the the spirit and desire to, to share because it's, so helpful for so many reasons. And when we share we're helping and inspiring others. And then we're also learning at the same time through the sharing. And also I like how you reminded us that everybody's journey is unique and And everyone experiences things in their own way. And there's no right or wrong way. It's just about finding what works and feels right for you. So

Sylvia: 20:12

I, really, yeah, thanks. And also I think one journey is very important is to be aware. To be aware, we can move through life blindfolded, then it's just wasting that whole journey of life because I feel that if we don't open our eyes and our heart to see what's going around us, and to absorb the good and get rid of the bad. We are like this lifetime will be always so I don't want to waste my lifetime I want to learn as much as I can. My next plan I'm going to Venus.

Lauren Host: 20:45

I've never heard this before that's great. I like your attitude. So we

Sylvia: 20:55

have to do our best.

Lauren Host: 20:57

Yes, exactly. That's what it's all about. And I wanted to ask you, is there something that I didn't get a chance to ask you about that you would like to share.

Sylvia: 21:05

It's really through my volunteer work. I fell into this by accident, but I'm so glad I did. Most people tell me you'll get burnt out after 10 years. But I'm in my 13th year and every now and then I do get tired, but I have to say that I, number one I, receive more than I gave because I, it's also a personal journey for me. It's through helping people, we learn about ourselves and learn about how we can progress as a human being and by, by learning about other people's life. So, it's about the journey itself is about a sense of belonging. trusting and also caring and tolerance. I learned two things most important are patience and tolerance because we are working with people from different cultures and there are things you think it's not right or it's strange but if you open your eyes open your heart you will see the reason and why and if you accepted it will not be such as So that's why we have our our group where I create a group rep, that's a fusion culture group rep. The first two lines is that we are one, and we are all together, So I'm, really happy that I started this journey and I'm still here after 13 years. So giving is receiving, but I'm receiving more than I gave and I love what I do. And most importantly, I do what I love and that's so lucky to be able to do that, but it's always happy. Sometimes I get upset. I put in so much time and effort, and they don't even look at their homework. Yesterday I gave them a hug, so it's okay. So I do they know. So they're very protective of me as well. I'm so happy that we chatted, and thank you for reaching out, Lauren. I really love this chat.

Lauren Host: 23:07

Thank you so much for having been a guest. You're really an incredible person. And I'm just in awe of everything that you're doing. Of course it's, amazing for you, but you're giving me Like you said, you're receiving a lot, but you're giving so much and bringing so much joy and wellbeing to, to your community and it's just beautiful. Is there a a goodbye laughter that we can do? Usually I wave and laugh, but is there how does that sound?

Sylvia: 23:35

That's good. I do that in every one of my events. I want people to close their eyes. Start with a smile and you gradually, you laugh gradually, and go,

Lauren Host: 23:48

ha And if it's safe for you to close your eyes, if you're driving, just do this with

Sylvia: 23:51

your eyes, right? You can do with your eyes closed you, actually, with your eyes closed, you sort get rid of your embarrassment jeans. That's all. So you can open your eyes and from very slow for the lotus flower under your chin, you close your eyes and you swing left to right and start to. Smile and you imagine you're in on a boat with the beautiful flowers floating on the water and then you start making a little bit of noise. And I just laughed and laughed and just laughed! It was easy to clap, you open your eyes, yeah! And it was so nice. It was so nice. Really fun.

Lauren Host: 24:46

This goodbye. Laughter exercise is amazing. I've up until now, I've just been waving and laughing, which is fine, but this is even more fun. So I, if you don't mind, I would like to use this, but I'm going to mention that I learned it from you. you're fine. I love this. I love

Sylvia: 25:08

to be one in one of your sessions to when we have time when you have a session let me know. Thank you for your time, Lauren.

Lauren Host: 25:15

Thank you. Thank you so much. And we're gonna have all of the the links where people can find you online. We'll have that in the show notes. So thank you so much, Sylvia, for everything. You're incredible. And I can't wait to to laugh with you again soon.

Sylvia: 25:31

Thank you, Lauren. Okay. You're such a great host and wish you all the best for everything you do. Thank you. You, incredible. I'm so happy. So I'm really am. Very grateful that we got connected and I really want to get to know you more because you, are doing so much for the community and all the work that you do. Thank you. I

Lauren Host: 25:49

appreciate that. And thank you so much and sending love and and all the best to you too. And, we're going to speak and laugh soon. Absolutely. Bye. Bye. Thank you.

26:06

Thank you for having tuned into this Law of Happy episode. If you smiled, laughed, or felt inspired, please subscribe, rate, review, and share the Law of Happy podcast with someone you'd love to have fun with. And if you'd like to laugh with me as a guest on the show or in a customized program, you can email me at lauren at law of happy. com. I look forward to laughing with you soon.