Curly Steve at Laughter Events and Training

General information

It feels good to laugh.
It feels better to make someone else laugh.
It feels good to laugh with others.
It feels better to laugh with family and friends
Laughing is a social thing. Generally, when someone else laughs, we laugh along with them and when we laugh with a group, it’s sometimes hard to control the laughter!

Research suggests that only 25% of the time we laugh is about comedy, jokes or indeed, anything funny.
So that leaves 75% of laughter due to being; Shy, nervous, embarrassed, not quite sure of a situation or even sad. This tell me that laughter is about stress release.
Laughter is a natural way for the body to shake negative or neutral energy into positive. It’s also meditative in a way that when you laugh all other thoughts disappear into the background.

We DO NOT Laugh because we are happy. We are happy because we laugh.

In 1995, a medical Doctor from India, Madan Kataria was writing a thesis titled “Laughter is the best medicine”. He got up one morning, went to his local park and stated a Laughter club enthused by his research of the magical power of laughter.
Four attendees told jokes and funny stories to each other and after just a couple of weeks, he had 50 people there and a couple more 100.
Soon though, the jokes and funny stories dried up, or became rude and offensive and someone said to Madan, “You have to stop this”.
Madan agreed that the format was wrong, he would go away that evening and chat to his wife Madhuri and come up with a plan to continue with The Laughter Club.
At that stage “Laughter Yoga” was born and today, over 7000 clubs exist in over 65 different countries.

Laughter yoga is not about jokes or comedy and in fact, you don’t even need a sense of humour!
It’s about Yogic breathing, fun, childlike playfulness, eye contact, laughter exercises and laughter meditation.
Yogic breathing is where you breathe deep from the diaphragm, expelling stale air from the lungs and introducing fresh, oxygenated air which makes you feel refreshed, energised and brand new.
The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit root Yuj which translates to “union” of the mind, body and spirit”.
The reason that Dr. Kataria called this technique Laughter Yoga is due to the incorporation of the pranayama exercises (breathing techniques) to the laughter exercises. Pranayama has been used for over four thousand years for the benefit of the body, the mind, and the soul.
We all love to play like a child, even though we (as adults) don’t do it enough, when we do, it feels great. Laughter yoga promotes play, fun and creativity.
The strength of eye contact is often wholly underestimated. Looking into one’s eyes is a glimpse into the soul of that person. Even a short moment of eye contact can invoke feelings of happiness, joy and intrigue.
There are hundreds of Laughter exercises which encourage the participants to “Laugh for no reason”. Once the laughter starts, it becomes real and contagious. Soon the whole group will be laughing unconditionally!
Laughter meditation has several variations. One such is where the group lie on the floor with their heads in the middle and their legs out to the side of the area to form a star shape. A couple of deep breaths are taken and then the laughter allowed to flow. And flow it does! After a few minutes, the laughter is slowed and then stopped. A guided relaxation exercise in the form of A Yoga Nidra completes the session helping to ground everyone and ease them back into their day.
I am Curly Steve and I am the Director of Laughter Events and Training Ltd. I also run Laugh for life UK and The Cornwall Laughter Club.
In 2006, I wanted a change of direction in my life. I reached for the internet and found Laughter Yoga. I travelled to London and trained with The Laughter Network (At the time, a small group of laughter professionals). I trained to be a laughter yoga leader so I was able to facilitate sessions. In 2010, I travelled to India and trained with Dr Madan Kataria to become a Laughter yoga teacher and I am delighted to say, that in 2012, I was chosen to be an Ambassador for the Laughter University of India for my services to Laughter!
I have taken Laughter yoga into many environments and laughed with thousands of lovely people in local communities and events. Schools, Colleges and Universities. Businesses, Corporate Seminars and Conferences. Fayres and Festivals.
Laughter yoga has become a massive part of my life which has enabled me to work with so many amazing diverse people in so many super venues around the UK and beyond.
I have by default become a Gelotologist – One who study’s Laughter. It is an incredible subject which is gaining traction and interest Worldwide.

When you join me for a full Laughter yoga workshop, expect to feel Energised, Rejuvenated, Enthused, Joyful and Refreshed.
I look forward to Laughing with you. 