Laughter Yoga Blogs

Jeffrey Briar is the Director of the Laughter Yoga Institute based in Laguna Beach, California. An enthusiastic, articulate and engagingly positive teacher, Mr. Briar is one of the leading American disciples of Dr. Madan Kataria, the world-renowned exponent of Hasya (Laughter) Yoga.  Mr. Briar is also the founder of the first Laughter Club in the world outside of India to meet seven days a week. The Laguna Laughter Club has had more than twelve thousand participants, and has been featured extensively in both local and international press.  Mr. Briar is probably the most experienced currently-practicing Laughter Exercise Leader in the world outside Asia.

Mr. Briar leads workshops in Hasya Yoga at yoga studios and retreat centers as well as corporate and community events.  He certifies others as leaders in the Hasya Yoga/therapeutic laughter modality in two-day training programs.

In addition to his work in Hasya Yoga, Jeffrey Briar has over 35 years of experience as a teacher of traditional yoga.  He first studied under Swami Turiyananda, Director of the Integral Yoga Institute of Santa Cruz; and later taught on the staff of the University of California, Santa Cruz.  Briar also has more than 20 years of training in the Integral/Satchidananda, Sivananda, Kundalini, Iyengar and Ashtanga schools.  He has led yoga classes and master classes for teachers throughout the USA, Canada and Europe and is on the faculty of Irvine Valley College.
In addition to his yoga practice and complementary to his work in Hasya Yoga, Mr. Briar is an accomplished comedic actor who has performed throughout the United States and Europe on stage and screen.  While Laughter Yoga does not involve traditional humor or comedy, Mr. Briar's knowledge of the pure joy which laughter brings to audiences enhances his effectiveness as a speaker and brings another level of understanding as he guides others in the learning and practice of Laughter Yoga.