Frequently Asked Questions About The Certified Laughter Yoga Leader Training

Laughing is not difficult. Why do I need to train?

This is actually a very good question.

1. Why should someone pay $40,000/year to go to University and become an English major when they can have access to the same learning material for free at their local library? A good reason to train with us is not to learn the Laughter Yoga method. You can do that for free by taking the time to explore this website. The value of attending a training with us is experiential, and an exchange of consciousness. We won't teach you theory. We'll show you how it's properly done. You will experience and you will practice, then we'll do it again and we will talk about it. A book cannot replace the knowledge and inspiration one receives from a true teacher.
2. Laughter Yoga is a true lifeskill that teaches you to face adversity with a positive attitude. Would you still be laughing if you had just lost your job, had broken your back, were sued by your ex-partner for divorce, had lost all your money, and your kids had gone into drugs? If the answer is no then your "happiness" and "laughter" is sitting on a pin-head. You could benefit with some training there. Laughing does not deny the seriousness and severity of life's situations. It won't change your life. It will change you and how you choose to react to it. It will empower you to systematically ask yourself the question "what can I do, now?" with a smile.

Can one make a living teaching Laughter Yoga?

Allow us to rephrase the question: "Can one make a living being self-employed?"

The answer is of course "yes", and things rarely come pre-cooked in life. Do not expect for anybody to come running after you just because you have learned something that's truly amazing. Relying on yourself for your income is a very different ballgame from receiving a monthly check, rain or shine. Are you ready for the challenge? A business is a business, no matter what you sell. If you have issues with selling, well, either get over it or review your plan to become self-employed. There is a genuine market for the benefits that this method provide: stress release, team building, inter-personal communications. Our best suggestion is this: don't quit your full time job just yet, and start offering your services now. Do it for free before you do it for fee. There are many groups in every community that are constantly looking for free speakers. Gain experience. Build a client list. Ask for letters of testimonials and referrals. Learn to sell yourself. Remember that there are no mistakes, only learning curves. In short: go out and do something now. Sales is a science of numbers. Learn to plan, implement and review, then do it again. Practice. Be patient. Persevere.

What is the difference between the Certified Laughter Yoga Leader Training of the Dr. Kataria School Of Laughter Yoga and the Certified Laughter Leader Training of World Laughter Tour?

Two different people, same idea.

An American psychologist Steve Wilson who had written several books on laughter and humor heard of Dr. Kataria and his concept of Laughter Clubs in 1998. He went to India, learned from Dr. Kataria and invited him the following year to tour the USA for 6 weeks. This trip was very successful and received a lot of press. Steve Wilson started his company World Laughter Tour shortly after and has been teaching his version of laughter exercises since then. The differences between his certification "Certified Laughter Leader" and Dr. Kataria's "Certified Laughter Yoga Leader" is minimal (the core method is roughly the same) and yet a world apart in its concept and understanding. World Laughter Tour teaches a controlled body-mind approach to health and wellness. Our method is body-mind and you are free to do whatever you want with it. We also put a lot more emphasis on the breath and what we call "the laughter meditation" as well as "the inner spirit of laughter". Our view is that Laughter Yoga is like water. It cannot but take the shape and color of the environment it is.

Is the agenda of the Certified Laughter Yoga Leader training the same around the world regardless of who is teaching it?

This is still the early stages of Laughter Yoga in North America and unfortunately there is not yet an agreed, standard curriculum that is used by all Certified Laughter Yoga Teachers. To explain why is too long a story to include here.

Click here to see the typical agenda of the American School Of Laughter Yoga. Our training is both a crash course into laughter yoga as well as an advanced training for all seasoned laughter yoga practitioners. We have been teaching Laughter Yoga full time since 2005 and train hundreds of Laughter Yoga Professionals every year. Expect to laugh a lot, recharge your batteries and learn enhanced ways to create, spice up and strengthen the (therapeutic) impact of your laughter sessions!

We strongly encourage you to ask the Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher that you plan to train with to give you ahead of time a copy of his/her own training agenda so that you know exactly what to expect. Also keep in mind that something is better than nothing. Start somewhere.

Why come to us when we can come to you? We travel and lead empowering and memorable laughter sessions, workshops and customized trainings for private groups! Ask us for a quote. You may be surprised at how affordable we are.

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