Laughter Yoga
PERMAH: Engagement
Lynette Mitchell led a fun, interactive evening filled with uplifting laughter for our members.
Laughter Yoga combines aerobic exercise with joyful laughter, offering a simple way to boost energy, lift spirits, and create a sense of harmony. It helps participants relax on a physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual level. As a group activity, it promotes team building, encourages connection, communication, movement, and networking.
The benefits of laughter are impressive—it helps people overcome inhibitions, spark creativity, feel happier, reduce stress, and improve mental clarity. It also strengthens the immune system, lowers blood pressure, combats depression, and even provides a form of “internal jogging” by massaging internal organs.
This year’s first event focused on Engagement, one of the PERMAH positive psychology principles: Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment, and Health. In 2025, Communities of Wellbeing aims to help members explore and practice these principles through education, encouragement, and evidence-based strategies.
Gardening for Wellbeing
PERMAH: Health and Relationships
Aiming to utilise and showcase our community neighbourhood houses, this event was held at Bedford Park Community Garden. It was designed to foster wellness and celebrate the joy of being in nature.
Despite the very hot weather, it was an uplifting evening of learning about gardening, building connections, and strengthening community ties. Each attendee was encouraged to explore and discover more about gardening, and to learn how they can get involved with community houses to support wellbeing.
“The evening reminded everyone that tending to a garden — like tending to wellbeing — grows stronger through connection and care.”
Double Doodling
PERMAH: Engagement (Flow)
Katharine King of Katharine King Consulting guided us through the creative and calming practice of Double Doodling. Katharine is a Brain Gym® practitioner with a passion for helping people access clarity, insight, and wellbeing through simple, powerful, movement-based techniques. Her warm and engaging facilitation gave everyone the chance to reconnect with themselves, explore flow, and activate both sides of the brain through art and reflection.
The session provided an interactive experience that supported wellbeing and creativity, offering an overview of the Double Doodle exercise and its benefits — including improved hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, and fine motor skills. Participants also discovered how the practice can help ease eye tension and headaches, improve coordination and focus, relax the mind, and engage their creative side while connecting with a wonderful community.
Following the Double Doodling event a compiled a list of free resources was made available to help explore the benefits of bilateral drawing — engaging both hands simultaneously — and finding your state of flow. These activities can support creativity, insight, and emotional wellbeing.
“It was a beautiful reminder that creativity flows best when both the mind and body are in harmony.”
Lea Waters: ‘Growing Through Adversity’
PERMAH: Engagement (Flow)
In partnership with Maroondah City Council and Bendigo Bank (Ringwood East and Croydon branches), Professor Lea Waters returned to Maroondah to present our 2025 Special Event, Growing Through Adversity, held on Thursday 15 May at the Karralyka Centre.
Professor Lea Waters, PhD, Order of Australia, Fellow of The University of Melbourne, and Director of Visible Wellbeing Pty Ltd, shared her research on the positive changes that can occur when we embrace — rather than deny — our struggles.
Reflections and takeaways included:
- Talking about it changes your physiology. Sharing your story can be a powerful meaning-making exercise. It helps move trauma out of your body and into shared understanding.
- You don’t have to ruminate. Talking isn’t about getting stuck in the past — it’s about understanding it, finding meaning, and making space to heal.
- You are stronger than you think. You may feel broken, but your courage, kindness, and persistence show an inner strength. You can be both hurting and powerful.
- Adversity accumulates — and so do strengths. If you’re not coping as well this time, be kind to yourself. Remember: joy, connection, and meaning accumulate too. They protect and restore us.
- Find the glimmers. Just like triggers remind us of pain, glimmers spark feelings of calm, joy, or safety. Look for them — they matter.
- Ask for and accept help. The people who grow through adversity are those who talk, seek meaning, notice the glimmers, and reach out for support when needed.
It was a deeply moving evening that reminded us all of the strength that can emerge from struggle.
“Growth doesn’t mean eliminating pain — it means discovering meaning and strength within it”
Healing Threads: ‘Weaving Strength Through Story and Stillness’
PERMAH: Emotion, Meaning, and Purpose
Meaning involves understanding the significance of life, while purpose is about using that understanding to guide action and create a future.
Following Professor Lea Waters’ Growing Through Adversity presentation, Healing Threads: Weaving Strength Through Story and Stillness provided an opportunity to explore, map, and reflect on our feelings, helping participants understand how adversity can foster emotional growth. It was a time to reflect on life’s turning points, experience stillness, and explore the power of story, connection, and inner strength.
Storytelling is a powerful practice. When we share our stories, we share a piece of ourselves with the world, which can be incredibly healing for mental health. Listening to stories can reduce anxiety and stress, while telling stories can boost self-esteem, improve mood, and build empathy and understanding. Stories can educate, entertain, and, most importantly, heal.
Through light-hearted and enjoyable activities, participants gained practical tools via hands-on, creative, reflective, and personalised exercises, resulting in self-expression and a strengthened sense of purpose.
Our starting point was ‘Natures Lens’ by Gill Richards.
“My artwork explores the concept of overcoming life’s challenges through shifting our perspective. By adopting an earth-centric viewpoint, we realise that our perception of problems are often opportunities for growth. Uneven ground, which may seem troublesome, actually provides refuge and supports entire ecosystems through water catchments. Similarly, boulders symbolise new perspectives that allow us to steadfastly navigate obstacles and gain advantageous vantage points.
Through this artwork, I aim to inspire viewers to embrace nature’s lens and find resilience amidst adversity.”
“Healing Threads demonstrated how reflection, creativity, and connection can transform adversity into growth and purpose.”
AI for Wellbeing
PERMAH: Meaning
The AI for Wellbeing session was a welcoming, hands-on introduction to how AI tools can support mental wellbeing through creativity and self-reflection. While many attendees came in curious about the technical side of AI, the session naturally shifted toward exploring how AI can inspire joy, imagination, and personal insight.
We welcomed back guest presenter and former Communities of Wellbeing executive member, Peter Maguire, who shared a moving example of AI’s creative power — a music video he produced using AI tools, featuring lyrics he wrote himself. Peter spoke about how AI helped bring his ideas to life and highlighted the deep connection between creativity and his wellbeing.
Everyone was encouraged to experiment with using AI for their own creative projects and to utilise free tools such as ChatGPT to get started.
“Using AI helped me see my creativity in a new light, and I felt a real sense of joy bringing my ideas to life.”
Discover Hygge: Connection, Calm & Comfort
PERMAH: Emotion and Relationships
Discover Hygge: Connection, Calm & Comfort was an evening of warmth, reflection, and gentle connection. Hygge (pronounced “hoo-guh”) is a Danish and Norwegian concept representing a quality of coziness, contentment, and conviviality that fosters a sense of wellbeing. It involves embracing simplicity, prioritizing small pleasures such as candlelight and warm drinks, and enjoying time with loved ones in a comfortable atmosphere. Hygge is both a feeling and a lifestyle focused on self-care and finding joy in everyday moments, rather than a specific aesthetic.
Following the success of the 2024 Hygge event, Communities of Wellbeing decided to make Hygge an annual winter gathering. From the scent of hot chocolate to the fun of Family Feud-style questions, the evening reminded us of the power of slowing down and simply being together. We loved seeing participants lean into the softness — whether through laughter, writing down hygge ideas, or just taking a deep breath.
Participants shared that they felt more grounded, inspired, and connected. This sense of calm and community is exactly what we hoped to create, and we are so grateful it resonated with everyone.
“By encouraging simple pleasures, mindfulness, and connection, the evening beautifully fostered both emotion and relationships.”
Financial Wellbeing
PERMAH: Emotions, Engagement, and Accomplishment
Stemming from 2024 participant feedback and the current socioeconomic climate, there was a clear need for financial awareness. Guest partners Bendigo Bank (Ringwood East and Croydon) kindly organised an informative session focusing on financial literacy and how your financial situation can impact wellbeing.
Participants highlighted budgeting, financial planning tools, scam awareness, retirement planning, and the reminder to regularly review finances as the most useful aspects. Many noted the non-judgemental, kind, and supportive tone of the presenters, which created a safe space to discuss finances — a topic that can often feel sensitive.
With reference to the PERMAH framework, it was noted that managing finances with awareness and understanding can increase wellbeing and reduce stress. Key takeaways included regularly reviewing and updating personal finances, using budgeting tools and planners, seeking better deals with providers, engaging more with their bank, and making financial discussions an active part of daily life. By focusing on financial literacy, planning, and management, individuals can create a solid foundation for a more fulfilling and flourishing life.
“This session touched on PERMAH principles by supporting emotions, encouraging engagement with finances, and fostering a sense of accomplishment through proactive planning.”
Growing Your Wellbeing Activity Day
PERMAH: Engagement
The Growing Your Wellbeing Activity Day is an annual event organised by Maroondah City Council wellbeing team in collaboration with health and wellbeing agencies and the Communities of Wellbeing.
In recognition of World Mental Health Month, the event aimed to raise awareness about the importance of positive mental health and wellbeing for people of all ages and backgrounds. It provided an opportunity to explore ways to look after your own mental health while discovering tips for supporting family and friends to thrive.
Activities included a Better Sleep workshop, Active Kids Healthy Minds activities, an Urban Art Tour, art therapy and nature art activities, lawn bowls, kids’ bike safety education, and make-your-own smoothie bikes. “Participants enjoyed hands-on activities and reported feeling inspired to incorporate new wellbeing practices at home.”
“Through active participation and creative engagement, attendees explored ways to strengthen their wellbeing, reflecting the engagement principle of PERMAH.”