SME News Southern Enterprise Awards 2023 | 42 Practised in numerous countries across the world, laughter yoga is a modern exercise that involves prolonged voluntary laughter, without relying on humour, jokes, or comedy. In 1995, the technique was researched by Indian physician Dr Madan Kataria, who found that it has similar physiological and psychological benefits to those produced by spontaneous laughter, including reduced stress, improved mood, and more. Without even realising it, Clive StJames has been a laughter yoga leader since he was a child. At the age of three, he noticed that his mother often seemed sad, which he later found out was due to clinical depression. However, Clive noticed that she laughed when Tommy Cooper, a famous Welsh prop comedian and magician, was on the television. For this reason, he learned how to do an impression of Tommy Cooper’s laugh. Clive later went on to become the UK’s top Tommy Cooper tribute act. After his shows, he always left the stage feeling great, despite the fact that he was just pretending to laugh. This is because, when a person fake laughs, their brain still releases the chemicals that cause happiness. As a Magician Entertainer, Clive believes that laughter is similar to magic in that it suspends reality; you truly can’t laugh and be sad at the same time. For Jackie StJames, the journey to laughter yoga was more gradual, occurring over ten years of her career. She initially graduated from Durham University with a teaching qualification, then went on to teach at Mile End Road in London. There, Jackie encountered many children who appreciated the opportunity to escape from their difficult home lives by laughing and having fun at school. She dedicated time to building their confidence and creating a warm and fun atmosphere, whilst providing them with skills like reading, numbers, and more. Later, Jackie entered the world of sales and marketing, eventually becoming CEO of her own promotion company. She found that creating a fun atmosphere for her staff and clients provided them with a positive experience and fostered loyalty amongst all parties. This enabled her to grow the business to employ over 1,000 freelance staff Based in Poole, Laughter Yoga is owned and operated by married couple Clive and Jackie StJames, the UK’s top laughter yoga facilitators. The pair deliver highly beneficial laughter yoga workout sessions, as part of which they lead attendees to stretch, laugh, breathe, and have fun. Here, we explore the paths that led Clive and Jackie to laughter yoga and dive into what they aim to accomplish through their business. and 60 fulltime personnel, whilst building a client base that consisted of many household name brands. Inspired by her firsthand experience of the many benefits of laughter and joy, Jackie went on to become a Laughter Yoga Teacher and now enjoys passing her knowledge and abilities to others, enabling them to experience the similar benefits of voluntary laughter. Today, at Laughter Yoga, Clive and Jackie offer a range of classes and workshops. They are driven by the goal of equipping people with a lifechanging skill through which they can live longer, happier lives. Their Laughter Yoga Experience Facilitator of the Year 2023: Clive & Jackie StJames
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