Madan Kataria, MD, Laughter yoga initiator

Known as the Merry Medicine Man and the Guru of Giggling, Dr. Madan Kataria is the Founding President of Laughter Clubs International.
The pioneer of a new technique of Laughter Therapy, which is based on Yoga, is Dr. Madan Kataria. His innovative Laughter Clubs now number over 800 in India, USA, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Italy, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and Dubai.
Leading laughter presentations and workshops worldwide, Dr. Madan Kataria explains the scientific research on laughter and its effects on human physiology, biochemistry and behaviour. He examines the essential link between yoga and laughter; the health benefits of laughter therapy - physical, mental, social and spiritual; how to create a therapeutic laughter group at workplace; the inner spirit of laughter; how paying compliments and forgiving help create harmonious relationship. Dr. Madan Kataria starts each session with a deep breathing and ho-ho, ha-ha warm up exercise and this is followed by a variety of stimulated laughters including hearty laughter, silent laughter, lion laughter, dancing laughter, cocktail laughter and many others.
Many proven benefits of laughter include decreasing stress, increase in lung capacity, strengthening of the immune system, reduction of depression, high blood pressure and heart disease, alleviation of bronchitis and asthma and the release feel-good endorphins resulting in increased confidence and self worth.
As a qualified physician in Allopathic system of medicine, Dr Madan Kataria has practised in Bombay (India) for the past 15 years and is the ex-registrar of the Internal Medicine and Cardiology for the Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre (Bombay).
He has appeared in Asia's Who is Who (NHK TV, Japan) and in numerous publications including Time Magazine, National Geographic, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Daily Telegraph (UK) and Colors Magazine in Italy. He has also appeared on BBC, CNN, NHK (Japan), ABC News (USA) and numerous other television networks worldwide. In 1999 Director Mira Nair filmed Dr. Madan Kataria and his work for the film Laughter Clubs of India.
Dr. Madan Kataria is a corporate consultant for Holistic Health and Stress Management to a number of national and multinational companies. He has conducted workshops and seminars in the USA, Australia, Singapore, Italy and the UK. His client list includes Hewlett Packard (Denmark), SAS Airlines and Volvo Automobiles (Sweden), Emirates Bank and Emirates Airlines, (UAE), Glaxo Pharmaceuticals (India), and the Ministry of Manpower and Social Welfare (Singapore).
The author of Laugh For No Reason and the family health guide Self- Medication, How Useful, How Harmful?, Dr. Madan Kataria guarantees to get your audience laughing in no time at all.

Albert Nerenberg, Independent filmmaker, actor, journalist and laughologist

Born in London, Ontario in 1962, Nerenberg studied English Drama at McGill University in Montreal, where he formed the Theatre Shmeatre, an improvisational theatrical company, and served as the editor of the McGill Daily.
Nerenberg's most recent documentary entitled Laughology premiered at Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in May 2009[6]. The documentary proves that laughter is the original peace signal and the human ability to share and transmit laughter is the key of the rise of human civilization. The film chronicles unusual laughter phenomena such as Holy Laughter, Laughter Parties and the Tanzanian Laughter Epidemic. Screenings of the film have noted that the fits of uncontrollable laughter have followed the film. Gabor Pertic writing for A&E Vibe described a packed screening at HotDocs International Film Festival in Toronto Canada. "The screening had some of the loudest collective laughs I have ever heard in a movie theatre.
Nerenberg frequently tours and speaks as a "Stupidity Expert" and more recently as an expert on Laughter. After travelling to India and studying the benefits of Laughter Yoga with Dr. Madan Kataria, Nerenberg invented Laughercize, a system of joy-inducing exercise that works off natural human contagious laughter. This technique has been used in a number of Canadian alcohol and drug rehab centres. He has also invented the Laughter Party, which creates the same atmosphere as a wild party, without the need of drugs and alcohol.
Nerenberg also works as a newspaper columnist for The Montreal Gazette. His most recent work is a 10 column series about the benefits and the importance of positivity in today's world. In 2011, he got involved in the production of a documentary about boredom.

Dr. Michael Titze, Assistant Professor, Psychologist and psychotherapist

Dr. Michael Titze, Assistant Professor was born on December 24 in 1947 in Maribor. He is a prominent German psychologist and psychotherapist and one of the pioneers of therapeutic humour. He is the founding president of the German association "HumorCare" and author of several books on the topic of therapeutic humour and gelotology. He has been employed as an Assistant Professor at the Academy for Individual Psychology. He was Chairman of the Scientific Commission of the International Society for Individual Psychology (IVIP) from 1983 to 1990. He was a founding member of the Vienna Association of logotherapy and existential analysis in 1987. He is also the author of many books, which focus on the healing power of humour and laughter. He has been working with the founder of gelotology William F. Fry as a consultant at the Institute of Humour and Health in San Diego since 1985. He is the initiator and organizer of many conferences on therapeutic humour in Germany and Switzerland. This way he was able to establish a collaboration of many professionals (psychologists, pedagogues, doctors, philosophers, artists, clowns, ...) through whom they have developed a variety of networks, which later led to a number of associations involved in therapeutic humour, such as : humor.ch, humour Care (in Switzerland and Germany), Humorakel (in Munich and Liechtenstein). Since 2001, its activities have focused on Hospitalhof in Stuttgart, where he organizes congresses and conferences on therapeutic humour, and in cooperation with therapeutic clowns he is training professionals on the field of mental health.

Eva Škofič Maurer: Red noses - Clown doctors

Eva Škofic Maurer was born on September 25 in 1968 in Ljubljana. Her mother Neža Maurer is a poet and writer, and her father was a journalist. After finishing studies in Slovenia she studied for a clown at the National Academy of circus arts (GUCEI) in Moscow and she also studied theatre and radio directing at the Theatre Academy in St. Petersburg. Since 1992 she has had numerous self-theatrical and literary performances in Slovenia, which have been associated with the promotion of reading among the youngest. She has recorded a set of shows on Television Koper and Radio-Television Slovenia. She has issued three books of fairy tales, three picture books and CD with songs for children. She has been the founder and artistic director of the Read noses - clown doctors since 2004. Red noses – Clown Doctors is the Society for assistance to sick and suffering and the mission of this society is to spread laughter in hospitals and nursing homes.

Livija Rojc Štremfelj, MSc  

Livija Rojc Štremfelj, MSc, master of non-for-profit management at Faculty for Social Sciences, has graduated in English and Spanish (Faculty of Arts) in 2002. Since 2007 the project manager of Rdeči noski, Slovenia, in her pass time organiser and producer of cultural events (Festival ÀLA), as well as consultant to non-profit organisations and an extremely curious creature.
I was born on May 31, 1977, in Ljubljana. I live in Cerkno. As a very active, good and insatiably curious child I have probably caused plenty of trouble to my teachers. At no time was there enough knowledge for me, otherwise an excellent student. Maybe that is why I was granted the Zois scholarship for the gifted students, which allowed me a carefree journey through grammar school and both faculties. Having finished the Poljane grammar school, I decided to study languages. In the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, Section of Spanish Language and Literatures, I was a student demonstrator and co-founded the Spanish students’ theatre group Hiperclorhídria, which still produces shows. My diploma in Spanish literature dealt with a very special playwright and comedian Enríque Jardiél Poncela. In my English diploma one can read research on my other passion – syntax, translation science and comparative linguistics. From here on my life has been spinning around the arts. My taking part in the projects at International Organisation of Migration (IOM Ljubljana) has influenced my current work and contemplation a lot, as project clerk or translator I have faced destinies of concentration camp victims, returning refugees home and victims of trafficking. These sad stories and also the premature death of my mother have shaken me and I have begun to find my mission on this world. As a very social and cheerful person, with some experience gained and lessons learned, I figured out that I am here simply for one cause only: to help, if in no other way then by being good-humoured, wishing to be there for people in darker moments of their lives. I marched on to get new knowledge, to study management of non-for-profit organisation at the Faculty of Social Science. And it was the right thing to do.
The amateur culture I nurtured during my working for IOM, in schools as a teacher of adults and children, as translator, journalist and consultant for non-profit projects was not enough for me. In 2004 I joined the team of the biggest Slovenian street theatre festival Ana Desetnica, where I soon learned that it is quite difficult to be successful in arts. For three years I had been a part of this wonderful team, still aiming to bring top cultural events to the street. I dedicated my master’s degree to Financing the theatre festival – the case of Ana Desetnica. I began to understand art and culture better with more in-depth knowledge on management, adding a great share of good will, enthusiasm and with more experience project management became simpler and easier to cope with.
In the spring of 2006 I receive an invitation to join Rdeči noski. A new challenge? Absolutely. A job, where I can put together the wish to help, health care and working with artists? Impossible, but totally true. I turn down the tempting offer, as I dedicate my time to my newborn Filip. But already in March 2007 I get introduced to the wheels of this 20-year-old international organisation taking care for good will and cheerful souls of those that need us the most – the sick, the lonely, the suffering. In March 2012 as the project manager I also represent a wheel in this huge red nose family. It’s an honour for me. This work brings sense and a smile to me every day, also when being a mother of my Amelie and Filip.

Dr. Stangler Herodež Š., Assistant Professor, Laughter yoga leader

Dr. Špela Stangler Herodež, Assistant Professor, was born on December 31 in 1974 in Maribor. She graduated at the university program at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. She was employed at the faculty. She enrolled in the graduate MBA and performed research work at the faculty until 2003. At the same time she participated in national and international projects. After her successful master work defence at the University, she continued post-graduate doctoral study and she was employed in General Hospital Maribor, Laboratory of Medical Genetics, in November 2003. In the same year she was awarded by the "Henkel Slovenia Foundation" for best master's thesis at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology in 2003. She finished her PhD at the University of Maribor in the field of molecular genetics in 2006. Her field of work is developmental research in molecular genetics and she does this in the Laboratory of Medical Genetics at the University Medical Centre Maribor. At the same time she participates in the teaching process of the Faculty of Medicine,University of Maribor. She teaches and leads practice for students of medicine at undergraduate and postgraduate level. She is a member of various prominent Slovenian societies in the field of genetics and health. She is also involved in national and international research projects. She is presenting her professional and research work at various national and international professional meetings. She has worked as professional manager with the International Institute for laugh (MIZS) since 2012. Her working area is the research of the influence of laughter on mood and mental state of people.

 Prof. dr. Ihan A., MD, clinical microbiologist

Alojz Ihan is a doctor of medicine, a specialist in clinical microbiology and professor of microbiology and immunology at the Faculty of Medicine in Ljubljana.
He was born on July 23 in 1961 in Ljubljana. He graduated at the Medical Faculty in Ljubljana in 1961. He began working at the Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, in 1988. He worked at the National Institute for Cancer Research in Genoa (INRC) in 1991 and 1992. He received his PhD in 1993. He performed his research work on the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Bethesda, USA, in 1993. He has been a specialist in clinical microbiology since 1997. He became a professor of microbiology and immunology at the Faculty of Medicine in Ljubljana in 2006. He is the Head of the Department of Immunology at the Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine.
Alojz Ihan is the main supervisor of clinical microbiology and immunology specialization (Medical Chamber of Slovenia), a member of professional supervision in the field of clinical microbiology and immunology (Medical Chamber of Slovenia), president of the expanded professional college of Microbiology and Immunology (RSK), Ministry of Health which is the main Slovenian professional body in the field of microbiology and immunology. Alojz Ihan is a member, and Vice President of at the Institute of Public Health. He is the Director of the ISDR (Institute for the professional and business development) at the Faculty of Medicine in Ljubljana. He is also the chief editor of medical journal Isis.
In addition to professional, educational and scientific research in medicine, Alojz Ihan also deals with the literature. He was the editor of thejournals: Problemi, Literatura, Sodobnost, and book collections Alpeh. Alojz Ihan’s literary work consists of 6 books of poetry: Srebrnik (Ljubljana. Književna mladina Slovenije – Aleph 1985), Igralci pokra (Ljubljana. Cankarjeva založba 1989); Pesmi (Ljubljana. Emonica 1989); Ritem (Celovec. Wieser 1993); Južno dekle (Ljubljana. Mihelač 1995); Salsa (Mladinska knjiga, Ljubljana 2003).He has published 3 novels: Hiša (Ljubljana. Emonica 1997); Romanje za dva … in psa (Ljubljana, Študentska založba – Beletrina 1998) , Hvalnica rešnjemu telesu (Cankarjeva založba, Ljubljana 2011) and two books of essays: Platon pri zobozdravniku (Ljubljana Cankarjeva založba 1997); Deset božjih zapovedi (Ljubljana. Študentska založba – Koda 2000). He is also the author popular sciencebooks Imunski sistem in odpornost (Mladinska knjiga 2000 ) and Do odpornosti z glavo (Mladinska knjiga 2003). These two are widely read and translated into several languages . He has won numerous awards for his literary work. One of them is Prešeren’s Award (1986).

Enova D., BA, Clinical Psychologist

Dušan Enova, BA, a specialist in clinacal psychology, was born in 1955 in Ljubljana. In 1979 he graduated in physical therapy at the Higher School for health workers. He worked as a physiotherapist with children and adult population. In 2000 he graduated in psychology at the Faculty of Philosophy and in 2009 he passed a special exam in Clinical Psychology at the Medical Faculty Ljubljana. Since 2003 he is working as a psychologist for adult patients in the University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Intern Clinic. By his clinical work he is facing mostly with diabetes patients, blood and blood forming organs diseases and cardiovascular diseases. In 2012 he started,in the frame of the tertiary project UKCLJ, with researches on the field of the complementary therapy of the treatment of arterial hypertension in help with the method of biological feedback loop. In the last article, published in February 2012 in the ISIS journal, he writes about his introduction of art therapy for adult patients in the UKCLJ, as well as about establishing the Society for help with art Lotisa. 

Nataša Potočnik Dajčman, MD, Child and Adolescent   psychiatrist and psychotherapist

Nataša Potočnik Dajčman MD, a specialist in child and adolescent psychiatry and a psychotherapist, was born on August 13 in 1965 in Kranj. She graduated at the Faculty of Medicine in 1991 in Ljubljana. She was employed in the Maribor General Hospital where she began with a program of specialization in psychiatry. She changed her professional interests and focused on the area of child and adolescent psychiatry. She specialized in psychiatry, with a focus on pedopsihiatry, in 1999. Since then, she regularly educates in all her basic areas, and she is also active at the organizational level of her profession work. During her basic training, she completed three additional post-graduate studies in the field of psychopathology, pedopsihiatry and psychotherapy. She officially received the title of psychotherapist with complete personal analytic experience in 2003. She has issued several professional articles on the topic of child and adolescent psychiatry in various professional journals, both domestic and foreign,. She regularly participates in education from the field of pedopsihiatry, on both professional and partly laic field. She was involved in the preparation of national guidelines for the treatment of people with spectroautistic disorder. She has been a President of the Slovenian Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry since 2007. She has been working in private pedopsychiatric ambulance since 2007, where she continues with all the professional activities. She is also the main supervisor of child and adolescent psychiatry specialization for the last year.

 Dr. Arnejčič B., Assistant Professor, psychologist, anthropologist, motivator

University teacher of anthropology, psychology of organization, social skills and media education at the Faculty of Education, an advocate and researcher of expression and applied psychology and anthropology in the field of sports endurance, knowledge management, education and lifelong learning. He is a researcher of laughter and humor. He is a lecturer who tries to motivate the unusual occurrences, either in public administration or at the faculty. The professor believes more in the rainbow colors of voice that come from the individual's inner strength than in the power of media images.

He was born in 1965 in Ptuj. He lives and works in Ljubljana and is employed at the Faculty of Education. He was also elected as an assistant professor of social science subject area of education. As professor at the Faculty of Education he is a carrier of more regular courses in the field of social science education and psychology.
He is performing his professional and scientific work in the fields of: mass psychology, social skills of children and parents, public oratory and speaking skills, organization psychology, anthropology, recreational race and anthropology of education. He is participating as a researcher in the study “Values, lifestyle and health status of the Slovenian people” at the Faculty of Sport, University of Ljubljana. Recently, he researchers depth psychology and the rich legacy of C. G. Jung, in conjunction with modern knowledge of the social brain, neuroscience, meta-reasoning and personality typology based on modern knowledge about the brain.

 MIRO ČOKOLIČ, MD, internist

He was born on September 16 in 1954 in Maribor, where he finished elementary school. He finished high school and he applied to study at Faculty of Medicine in Ljubljana. He ended his medical study in 1979. He passed the professional exam in 1979. He worked as a general practitioner in a health centre Maribor to 1984. He passed a specialist exam in Ljubljana on December 23 in 1988 and since then he has worked as a specialist internist at the Department of Endocrinology and Diabetology at the General Hospital of Maribor (now University Clinical Centre Maribor). He has been dealing with osteoporosis and densitometry since 1994. He regularly attends professional meetings at home and abroad (Endocrinology Section, EASD meeting in Europe and the ADA meeting in the U.S., European and American endocrine congresses, IDF congresses, conferences on osteoporosis, Tavčar days, from practice to practice) and he is a member of: SZD, the Slovenian Society of osteology , the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA). He is also a member of the Medical Association of Maribor (some years ago a member of the UO) and vice President of the Slovenian Association of Endocrinologists. He also works as a sports physician. He finished his postgraduate studies in sports medicine in 1982 and now he is a member of the Association of Slovenian sports doctors. He attended professional training in Copenhagen, in the USA in Indianapolis and in Zagreb at the Institute Vuk Vrhovac, where he finished postgraduate studies in diabetology. He passed the exam in the U.S. for CCD. He was elected to the assistant in internal medicine at the Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine in Ljubljana, for three times since 1995. He is an assistant on Faculty of medicine in Maribor since 2006. He is the head of the Department of Endocrinology and Diabetology in Medical Centre in Maribor since 2004. He is a mentor and co-mentor for students, trainees, and specialists. He mostly deals with lectures for population health raising awareness, contributions to the press and appearances on radio and TV.

Simona Krebs, RN, laughter yoga teacher

Simona Krebs was born on January 12 in 1973 in Maribor. After finishing secondary medical school, she enrolled in the High School for Health Professions Maribor. She obtained the title of high nurse in 1998 and later (2003) graduated for a nurse, after finishing the program of higher education. She was the first assistant dean student at the newly established Faculty of Health Sciences in Maribor. Her career began in UKC Maribor in the Lung department as a middle sister, and later in the Health Centre Maribor on patronage. She continued her journey as a professional manager in the company Beiersdorf Ltd., where she worked with pharmacists, dermatologists, paediatricians and nurses. It has organized education evenings for pharmacists, and she has participated at numerous professional conferences in the frame of Beiersdorf Company. After 8 years she continued her way in the marketing of Sabex Company, where she was responsible for dietary supplements and she has been working with wholesalers, pharmacists, doctors and nurses.
In 2007 she enrolled master’s programme in the Faculty of Health Sciences in Maribor. She is currently completing her master’s work: Laughter yoga "tool" for self-therapy or complementary therapy, under the supervision of Dr. Špela Stangler Herodež, Assistant Professor and co-supervision of Dr. Majda Pajnkihar, Assistant Professor.
She started her own company for health care and home help named NOVA NEGA in 2009. The company focuses primarily on laughter and laughter yoga.  She completed the training for laughter trainer with an international certificate in 2009 in Slovenia. . She completed her studies for laughter teacher, a programme by Dr. Madan Kataria, in2010.  She finished advanced training in Vienna and India by the Gibberish therapy. She is the founder of the first free yoga laughter club in Maribor which was established on June 3 in 2010. She began to practice laughter yoga for seniors at home for elderly people Danica Vogrinec Maribor. She  has been invited as a lecturer to a numerous professional meetings. She lectured on the impact and importance of laughter for health at this lectures. She performs laughter exercises. She is the author of the show “Learn to laugh” at the Radio Maribor.  With the help of her colleagues from the club she organized The first festival of Laughter for no reason, which took place in Maribor and Ljubljana. She would like to present the effects of laughter on a scientific basis and to include it in all systems of society. She is a participant of a clinical study on the effects of laughter on blood glucose in diabetes at the University Medical Centre Maribor. The   head of this department is the assistant professor Čokolič Miro, MD. She is the initiator of the International Institute of laughter Maribor, which was registered in January 2012 and it will be the organizer of The 2nd International Congress of laughter. The congress will be organised by the help of the Faculty of Health Sciences.

M.Sc. Borut Ambrožič, Bachelor of Laws

Borut AMBROŽIČ jun. is Master of Laws (Labor Law and social security at the Law Faculty of the University of Maribor) and environmental science (environment protection at the Faculty of Environmental Sciences University of Nova Gorica). He is a registered researcher and author of various scientific articles on the topic of environmental protection, social responsibility (socially responsible entrepreneurship, social responsibility accounting, green business), labor law and social security, taxation and finance and patients' rights (Money Magazine, Tax – Financial practise, Enterprise and work, Legal Practice, Capital, Maribor beat, Žurnal24, journal Geology, Our Pharmacy, Healthy News, ABC Health, Medicine Today, Patient rights and duties, etc.). He acts as a visiting lecturer at the Faculty of the University of Maribor, Maribor Universe Minerva, part-time lecturer at the private faculty DOBA in Maribor. He is the founder and first president of the Rotary Club Maribor - Park in year 2009/2010 in Maribor and a founding member of the Rotaract Club Maribor in year 2000. He is the founder of the Commission on youth issues in the Center district of Maribor and the district councilor until year 2010. He is a license holder for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR expert), PR license holder (LSPR - London School of Public Relations) and license holder (Protector of mountain nature). As an organizer or participant he has been active in the past at many international conferences and seminars (FKPV - Faculty of Business and Commercial Sciences, AAS - Alpine Association of Slovenia, RCI Rotary Club International, IRDO - Institute for Development of Social Responsibility, SGZ - Styria Chamber of Commerce, ZGM - Association of Maribor Businessmen, SCTC - Slovenian Coalition for Tobacco Control, The Association Against Cancer , etc..). In year 2009 he was appointed as ombudsman for the patient's rights in Maribor. His academic path is continued at doctoral studies in the field of studying the history of occupational diseases in Slovenia. Since 2010 he is a member of the Council for disabled persons of the Municipality of Maribor. In 2011 he was an initiator of a new magazine in edition of 5,000 copies and witch is available in the waiting rooms of health care providers, pharmacies in Podravje region of Slovenia. He is a Vice President of Association Against Cancer Styria – Maribor and IRDO member. In 2012 he was elected into the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia, where he is active as a member of the Committee on Health and the Committee on Labour, Family, Social Affairs and the disabled persons. 

Tjaša Čepon, occupational therapist, BSc in Andragogy and Pedagogy, Laughter yoga leader

Her career began in 1992 after graduating from occupational therapy at the High School for health workers in Ljubljana. Her first job was in the UKC, Maribor, in the Department of Psychiatry. After two years she decided to continue her career in the house for elderly people Danica Vogrinec Maribor, where she works today. She works as a leader in self-help group and as an active member of the Society of Drava since 1994. She was working as a voluntary consultant on TIN (telephone, information and advice), phone for help in distress, from 1994 -- 1995. She graduated at the Faculty of Philosophy and obtained a BSc degree in 2001. She actively participated in the first LAUGHTER festival in Maribor for no reason in 2001. She is one of the laughter trainers. She is currently performing research in the house of elderly people Danica Vogrinec Maribor and it is entitled Laughter Yoga - effective workout for seniors, which will be presented at the 2nd International Congress of LAUGHTER.

Oliver Čepek, nurse, work instructor, laughter yoga leader

Oliver Čepek, born on February 27 in 1986 in Maribor, is employed in the house for elderly people Danica Vogrinec Pobrežje, Maribor. He works in the department of dementia as a working instructor,where he deals with people suffering from dementia and similar diseases using the method of individual work or group work. As a laughter yoga trainer he introduced laughter yoga in the process of care. He also leads laughter yoga in the house for elderly people Danica Vogrinec Maribor Tabor. He attended a course in self-healing by the healer Vasilij Šimek, where he met learnt different methods of treatment: bioenergy, iridiology, natural healing, medicine, ... He is fluent in German. In his free time he plays amateur music. He plays bass guitar and classical guitar; plays football, and his team NK Jarenina won the first place in the second Youth League - East.

Alexandria A. Bott, MSc

Alexandria A. Bott, born on January 30th, 1963 in Innsbruck is: An elementary teacher.
During 1990 – 1992 she attended a training course for theatre.
1992 she was certified in theatre pedagogy.
2004 she graduated at the University of Innsbruck in sciences of education (diploma thesis about „Humour as a method of intervention in the fields of education, consultation and teaching in classes”.
In 2006 she founded the first laughter-yoga-theatre in Innsbruck for adults. Within that she worked with different people: teachers, artists and people with mental deseases.
In 2008 she introduced a new school subject in elementary school in the role as a school director „Healthyby laughter“. So she taughtlaughter for children in school for two years in the position of a school director.
Since 2010 she is teaching in an elementary school, is employed as an assistant at the Teacher’s Training Collegeand gives lessons in Humour and Laughter for students and adults.
As an humour activist she takes care of Humour and Laughter in the education system and everywhere is needed. And she asked herself: Is there any place where Humour isn`t necessary?