LAUGH FRIDAY SALE!

Looking for that perfect gift? How about LAUGHTER?

Why not give that special someone a WHOLE WEEKEND of LAUGHTER? On May 16-18, we’ll be holding the second annual LaughFest of the Midwest. It was a smash success in 2013 so we’re planning uplifting experience for 2014. Now, registration is open just in time for your gift giving needs. And if you act fast, you’ll get a $30 discount.

 There is something magical about gathering with new friends and old to laugh your cares away.

And it’s a hoot to dress up in hilarious costumes!

There will be speakers sharing insights about wellness, joy and laughter. Recharge your laughter yoga practice with this wealth of inspiration! No experience in laughter yoga is necessary, though. This event is for all people of all ages. It is designed for anyone willing to have more health and happiness.

There will also be workshops, laughing hikes, deep fun games, singing, dancing, a costume party and more! For those of you who live in the Midwest, it doesn’t get any handier than this. You can experience a conference on par with the annual All America Laughter Yoga Conference...but right here in your own neighborhood! If you live futher away, you can fly into the LaCrosse airport.

Laughter brings people together! Imagine what fun it will be.

I believe the setting is extremely important. That’s why this event is going to be held at a retreat center in Southwest Wisconsin. It is a secluded valley with 635 acres of prisine wilderness with a creek running through it. It’s of the beaten path and well worth the trip for the opportunity to connect with nature in springtime, just as the earth is coming to life again.

The hospitality at the camp can’t be beat. This year, we’ll be staying in the log cabin village, the main retreat center and the Koinonia Lodge (pictured below). These upsale shared accomodations have bathrooms with showers in each cabin/lodge. It's like a big slumber party! And the food is delicious. Everything is made with love by the camp cook. Vegetarian and meat entrees are served at each meal. Please let us know if you have other dietary needs. The center also boasts a wood-fired sauna, which will be heated up to perfection each evening. 

The all-inclusive price for the LaughFest of the Midwest in Ferryville, Wisconsin is $225, which includes 2 nights lodging, all meals, healthy snacks, a Laughter Blasters CD, a brand new laughter e-book by Laughing Laura, and a myriad of delightful programming for the entire weekend. But if you act NOW, you can get the EARLY BIRD rate of just $195 for all that!

Who do you know who could use a “laughter intervention” of a stress-free weekend at the LaughFest? Bring a friend or family member and share the experience! 

Personally, I’m giving my sister this gift (Shhhh! Don’t tell her). Here we are pictured below. I can’t wait to spend the weekend bonding with her, building a whole new set of happy memories. Who are you going to bring?

To get the great LAUGH FRIDAY rate, register now! Visit my new laughter site to register: http://www.laughinglaura.com/laughfest.html

NOW YOU CAN BECOME A CERTIFIED LAUGHTER YOGA TEACHER

So you’re a Laughter Yoga Leader and you’d like to take your laughing career to the next level? Then, it’s time to become a certified Laughter Yoga Teacher. Learn more about laughter yoga and how to effectively teach certified Laughter Yoga Leader courses of your own. I am going to be teaching the teacher course in an awesome wilderness retreat setting in Southwest Wisconsin March 30 through April 3rd.

Students have been wildly enthusiastic about learning laughter yoga at a retreat center. So, by popular demand, I am offering a spring retreat at Sugar Creek Bible Camp in Ferryville, Wisconsin. The facility is accredited by the American Camp Association. Here, you can get away from your everyday stresses and relax in a beautiful environment, explore trails, laugh through a spiritual labyrinth, gather around a campfire, and luxuriate in a wood burning sauna. It is just a half hour from the LaCrosse, Wisconsin airport. Rides can be arranged for you if you are flying in or taking Amtrak.

As a Laughter Yoga Teacher student, you will will have the opportunity to observe and assist me as I teach a Laughter Yoga Leader course. You will have additional meeting times during the weekend to get a behind-the-scenes look at the way in which a class is led.

Then, after the leader students graduate and leave the camp, you will stay for another two and a half days to go deeper and learn all the practical information necessary to teach certified Laughter Yoga Leader courses. 

As a bonus, you will have the opportunity to lead a laughter yoga session with a large group of senior citizens who will be coming to the camp on Monday. This is an excellent occasion for practice.

Tuition for this course is $795, the standard set by Laughter Yoga International. Not only does it include the 5 days of intensive instruction, it also includes a Be Laughter CD,  a signed copy of The Little Book of Big Laughs, a Live a Laughing Life poster and a Laughter Inspiration poster. You will receive a copy of my original laughter yoga manual and an official laughter yoga teacher manual, published by Laughter Yoga International. Upon graduation, you will receive the official Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher diploma, signed by Dr. and Mrs. Madan Kataria. You'll also receive the resource pack of CDs and DVDs from Laughter Yoga International and you'll get a free year of "Prozone" at www.LaughterYoga.org where you'll be able to advertise your upcoming Laughter Yoga Leader seminars.

Accommodation at the camp is in the modern Log Cabin Village pictured above. These upscale retreat lodgings are shared with up to seven persons per cabin.  Each cabin has a covered porch, a small sitting area with a fireplace and bathroom and shower facilities. 

The camp chef will pamper us with healthy, home-cooked meals. Vegetarian options will be provided. And in between those meals, there will be ample snacks and beverages for you. The hospitality can't be beat!

Cost for the four nights and all food is just $160, bringing the total investment to $975. This is an incredible value, as you will have great potential earning power once you are a certified Laughter Yoga Teacher.

WHO THIS COURSE IS FOR

• Therapists and Healers

• Pastors and Spiritual Leaders

• Recreation Activity Facilitators

• Yoga/Tai Chi/physical fitness trainers

• Occupational Therapists

• Psychologists and Psychotherapists

• Nurses and Healthcare Workers

• Counselors

• Social Workers

• Professional Speakers

• HR Trainers 

• Comedians and other enthusiastic laughers

THINGS YOU WILL RECEIVE

• Official Laughter Yoga International Teaching Manual

• Laughing Laura’s original Laughter Manual

• The Laughter Yoga Resource Pack DVD and CD set, which includes video clips showing international news coverage, laughter yoga in the business world, laughter yoga in schools, scientific research on laughter yoga and articles and photos for press and media

• An official Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher diploma

• One year free Prozone subscription at www.LaughterYoga.org, a $60 value!

• A daily solo practice CD called “Be Laughter” (www.BeLaughter.com)

• Two full color 11” x 17” laughter inspiration posters

• A signed copy of Laughing Laura’s book of laughter and yogic breathing exercises, The Little Book of Big Laughs

EXPERTISE YOU WILL GAIN

• An in-depth understanding Dr. Madan Kataria’s laughter yoga method and the history and philosophy behind it

• A knowledge of  how to adapt laughter yoga practices for a variety of groups including the elderly, physically and mentally challenged, children, prisoners, and business professionals

• Ways to inhabit the inner spirit of laughter and deepen your spirituality through daily laughter and yogic breathing practice

• Tips for growing a laughter yoga business, including gaining media attention and putting on a killer businesses presentation

• The practical skills necessary to plan, promote and lead a life-changing Laughter Yoga Leader course

Space is limited at this highly-sought retreat so enroll as soon as possible. To do so, go to www.LaughterYogaIowa.com.

“Laughing Laura is amazing! I made no mistake in selecting her to be one of the first Laughter Yoga Master Trainers in the USA and awarding her the title of Laughter Ambassador.  She speaks from her heart and inspires people with her true, joyful spirit. Her knowledge of Laughter Yoga and her teaching skills are incredible. Laughing Laura is surely one of my best Laughter Professors."

—Dr. Madan Kataria, Laughter Yoga Founder

APRIL FOOL'S DAY LAUGHTER YOGA LEADER RETREAT

March 30—April 1, 2012 • Ferryville, Wisconsin • Now Enrolling!

Earn lifetime certification as a Laughter Yoga Leader by enrolling in this upcoming April Fool's Day retreat to be held at a wilderness camp in the rolling hills of southwest Wisconsin. 

Most certified Laughter Yoga Leader courses are offered as a two-day seminar. While this format works, I have found that teaching it over a slightly longer period of time in a retreat setting works even better. Students have been wildly enthusiastic about learning laughter yoga in this way. So, by popular demand, I am offering a spring retreat at Sugar Creek Bible Camp in Ferryville, Wisconsin. The facility is accredited by the American Camp Association. Here, you can get away from your everyday stresses and relax in a beautiful environment.

The retreat begins Friday, March 30 at 6:00 p.m. We’ll gather in the octagonal meeting cabin for opening session. Then we’ll laugh, tell stories and roast marshmallows around a campfire in the evening. After that, the camp’s wood burning sauna will be fired up and ready for us.

On Saturday, we'll spend the entire day laughing, learning, bonding, and eating delicious food. As part of the experience, we’ll laugh our way through the camp’s labyrinth and deepen our spiritual joy.  You’ll be given some free time in the afternoon so you can explore the camp’s trails, visit with your laughter friends or curl up in your cabin for a nap. That evening, we’ll have a full-blown costume party, complete with games, gibberish singing and dancing.

Sunday—April Fool's Day—the fun continues with more practice, brunch, and the crafting of our laughing life plans. The retreat concludes with a rollicking graduation ceremony in which you’ll laugh "Pomp and Circumstance," take the laughter pledge and be zealously awarded your laughing degree-he-he. Believe me, you’ve never had such fun at graduation ceremony. We’ll then take our class pictures and be finished and ready to hit the road by 2:00 p.m. that afternoon.

This is a rare and exciting opportunity to study laughter yoga at a  retreat. The tuition is $295 (the international standard for this course, set by Laughter Yoga International) and includes all instruction to certify you as a Laughter Yoga Leader, my original manual, The Little Book of Big Laughs, a Be Laughter CD, two posters and a full color diploma professionally printed with your name.

Accommodation at the camp is in the modern Log Cabin Village. These upscale retreat lodgings are shared with up to seven persons per cabin.  Each cabin has a covered porch, a small sitting area with a fireplace and bathroom and shower facilities. 

The camp chef will pamper us with healthy, home-cooked meals. Vegetarian options will be provided. And in between those meals, there will be ample snacks and beverages for you. The hospitality can't be beat!

Cost for the two nights and all food is just $80, bringing the grand total for the weekend experience to $375. This is much more affordable than staying at a hotel and dining out. 

Below are testimonials from two laughing graduates who took the Iowa School of Laughter Yoga certified Laughter Yoga Leader retreat at Sugar Creek.

Space is limited at this highly-sought retreat so enroll as soon as possible. To do so, click the convenient Paypal button below to make your $200 deposit or call 563-880-2699 to make payment by credit card.  To enroll by mail, please fill out the application form and send a check payable to Laughing Laura to: P.O. Box 11, Marquette, IA 52158. The balance is to be paid at the start of the retreat. Register with a friend and you’ll each receive $35 off your tuition plus a free CD or DVD.

Visit The Iowa School of Laughter Yoga to learn more.

LAUGHING WITH CAMP STAFF

This summer, I led a session on prayer during staff training at Sugar Creek Bible Camp. The camp is located in a beautiful valley Southwest Wisconsin. It is near and dear to my heart as I was on the staff of this camp when I was in college. It is also the location in which I hold laughter yoga leader retreats. As part of this session, I taught them a technique I like to call "laughter prayer," which brings laughter yoga principles to Christian prayer.

Here I am teaching the group of talented young staff people.

I'm talking emphatically with some of the staffers during our small group discussion.

Then we did a laughter session. They had a fabulous time, as you can see by these photographs by William.

We also did a laughter meditation.

Then we went outside to do a laughter blessing tunnel in the great splendor of the evening.

Here we are doing a giant, laughter praise circle.

Here I am with Dick Iverson, the camp's executive director. I've known him since my time on the camp staff. It was a delight to see him again. Below are some scenes from the picturesque camp.

Look! The goat smiled at us! Must be a laugher too.

Below is a short video of the camp staff doing the laughter meditation, which is a powerful form of prayer. It can connect you with your source of spiritual joy.

LAUGHTER YOGA RETREAT

This past weekend, January 9-11, the Iowa School of Laughter Yoga offered a Laughter Yoga Leader retreat at Sugar Creek Bible Camp in Ferryville, Wisconsin. "It was an amazing weekend!" says participant Kathleen Lynch.

After three days of laughing and learning, 8 new Laughter Yoga Leaders zealously graduated. You can see the happy grads with their laughter diplomas above. These truly amazing, fully-equipped Laughter Yoga specialists are:

Ann-Marie Clark
130 Green Bay Rd
Thiensville, WI 53092
262-242-3142
amarie.clark@gmail.com

Becky Comnick
Southern Minnesota
507.327.0814
beecomnick@gmail.com

Barb Klapperich
2456 480th Street
Stacyville, IA 50476
641-737-2548
bklapperich@yahoo.com

Cyrilla Lace
757 River Heights Rd.
Menominee, WI 54751
715-235-3774

Kathleen Lynch
8628 Fremont Ave N
Brooklyn Park, MN 55444
612-281-6457
kazzlynch@gmail.com

Lori Moynihan
535 Aspen Ave
Verona, WI 53593
608-845-5435
lmoynihan@tds.net

Carolyn Schug
5238 State Hwy 97
Athens, WI 54411
715-297-7132
schugfamily@verizon.net

Gloria Wall
58876 Wall Ridge
Eastman, WI 54626
608-874-4004
gwall@crawfordcountywi.org


We were also joined by Pat Reeves of West Des Moines, Iowa, who graduated from the Iowa School of Laughter Yoga in 2007 and came back to strengthen and renew her laughter leadership skills.

The winter weather was beautiful at the wilderness camp. In addition to our laughter lessons, we spent time intertubing, snow shoeing, taking saunas and roasting marshmellows around the campfire.

And of course, we had a whoopin' good time dancing, leaping and laughing at our Saturday night costume party. See the group shot above.

Barb Klapperich declares: "I am so proud to have graduated from the Iowa School of Laughter Yoga. The retreat was such a wonderful setting in the snowy Wisconsin woods with opportunities to interact with nature AND the fantastic group of laughers who were there. It was an honor to meet people who are ready to help bring peace to the world through laughter."

Becky Comnick adds: "Not only was it a delight, it was an honor—a brilliant start of many great things in 2009!"

And here is the really good news: you can join us for the next Laughter Yoga Retreat at Sugar Creek Bible Camp. It has just been scheduled for April 3-5, 2009. To learn more and register, visit the Iowa School of Laughter Yoga. No joke!