UnitedMind, Lotte Mikkelsen and Laughter Yoga in the News

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Our press page covers Newspaper Articles, Press Releases, Radio Intervies and other media coverage since UnitedMind was founded in April 2002.

Over the past years the attention from the press has increased and the number of journalists interested in the topic of laughter and health has been on the rise.

The UK (and the rest of the World) needs more laughter and UnitedMind is ready to provide Laughter Yoga to workplace, organisations and individuals.

Newspapers and Magazines

  • 12 May 2005 – Luton Herald & Post – A LOTTE laughter is the best medicine by Bev Creagh
  • 03 June 2005 – St. Albans Review – Learning to laugh again by Caroline Cook
  • 03 June 2005 – Hendon & Finchley Times – Learning to laugh again by Caroline Cook
  • 03 June 2005 – Edgeware & Mill Hill Times – Learning to laugh again by Caroline Cook
  • 17 June 2005 – BBC 3Counties – Is laughter really the best medicine by Katy Lewis
  • 11 July 2005 – St. Albans Review – Stress can be a laughing matter
  • 11 July 2005 – St. Albans Observer – Stress can be a laughing matter
  • 26 Jan 2006 – WeightWatchers Mind Body Soul – Laughter Therapy by Roz Lewis
  • 08 Feb 2006 – Optima Magazine – We have ways of making you laugh! by P Shields
  • April 2006 – Being Girl – Get fit and have a laugh by Ruth Jamieson
  • May 2006 – HertsNews – World Laughter Day
  • 07 June 2006 – Carers Org – Laughter Yoga Workshop announcement for Carers
  • 28 Sep 2007 – SUR in English – Southern Spain – Your Health by Emma Pomfret
  • August 2008 Cosmopolitan UK
  • 14 August 2008 Urban Junkies about launch of Glaceau Vitamin Water
  • 29 Sep 2008 BBC 3Counties – Laughter is still the best medicine by Katy Lewis
  • 02 October 2008 – Herts Advertiser – by Charlotte Morgan
  • December 2008 – Herts Lifestyle – by Abena Bailey
  • December 2008 – Our St. Albans – Laugh for No Reason by Lotte Mikkelsen
  • January 2009 – Candis Magazine
  • June 2009 – Daily Express – Telephone Laughter Club article
  • July 2009 – The Lady – feature about comedy and laughter
  • 23 February 2010 – Women’s Weekly – well-being pages
  • September 2010 – Elle Magazine – feature about laughter and health
  • February 2011 – Glamour Magazine – Laughter Yoga
  • May 2011 – Saga Magazine – health benefits and laughter
  • January 2012 – Spirit and Destiny – Laughter Yoga
  • January 2012 – Cambridge News – Laughter Yoga
  • August 2012 – OM Magazine – laughter and benefits
  • August 2012 – Shortlist Magazine – health and laughter
  • January 2013 – Life & Living Magazine – Laughter is the best Medicine
  • February 2013 – Looking Good Magazine – Articles for the Blind
  • June 2013 – The Independent – Laughter Inc.
  • July 2013 – The Daily Telegraph – Now there is proof…
  • August 2013 – Top Santé Magazine – Laughter the best Medicine
  • September 2013 – Prima Magazine – Laughter Yoga article
  • April 2014 – Cultivate your Happiness by Emma Letessier
  • 05 June 2014 BuzzFeed – I joined a Telephone Laughter Club by Ailbhe Malone
  • July 2016 – Healthy Magazine – Laughter Therapy article
  • August 2016 Tatler Magazine – featuring The Telephone Laughter Club by Ian Ramsey
  • 04 January 2017 – Boots Health and Beauty Magazine – How I (re)learned to laugh by Robyn Wilder
  • 15 January 2018 Halifax Courier – Lessons in laughter for staff at Halifax Factory will blow those Blue Monday blues away!
  • January 2018 – Federation of Holistic Therapists Magazine Article
  • February 2018 – Bella Magazine
  • April 2018 – Hertfordshire Life
  • April 2018 – Psychologies Magazine ‘Mini Mindfulness’
  • May 2018 – Spirit & Destiny – Laughter Yoga for instant Happiness
  • 2019 – Happiful Magazine
  • June 2019 – Unlikely Positions in Unlikely Places – a Yoga Journey through the UK by Elizabeth Gowing – chapter on Laughter Yoga
  • September 2019 – Waitrose & Partners Health Magazine – article on Laughter yoga
  • 08 October 2019 – Liz Early Wellbeing – by Amy Moore
  • November 2019 – Natural Health – by Liz Frost
  • 22 January 2020 – GoodtoKnow – Laughter Yoga: Everything you need to know by Bess Browning
  • April 2020 – Red Magazine – by Anna Bonet
  • May 2020 – Hertfordshire Life – by Caroline Thain
  • May 2020 – Femina Denmark – by Christina Bølling
  • 18 May 2020 – My News Magazine
  • June 2020 – Health & Wellbeing Magazine – Anna Blewett

Radio and TV Interviews

  • 10 June 2005 6:20 pm – BBC 3Counties Radio – Drive Time with Katherine Boyle
  • 13 April 2006 1:40 pm – BBC 3Counties Radio – Katherine Boyle live – radio interview
  • 05 May 2006 2:10 pm – BBC 3Counties Radio – Katherine Boyle live – radio interview
  • 07 May 2006 8:40 am – BBC Asian Network – Hot Breakfast with Tazeen Ahmad
  • 22 July 2006 11:00 am – Aylesbury Vale’s Mix 96 – Saturday Alternative, Fiona Faulkner
  • 27 Feb 2007 5:45 pm – BBC 3Counties Radio – radio interview
  • 12 April 2007 5:50 pm – MK TV (Sky Channel 227) – MK Tonight – TV interview
  • 23 April 2007 12:30 pm BBC 3Counties Radio – Justin Dealey and Jane Killich
  • 06 May 2007 9:10 am BBC Asian Network – radio interview about World Laughter Day
  • February 2008 8:45 am – BBC 3Counties Radio – Katherine Boyle live – radio interview
  • 27 Feb 2008 6:00 pm – BBC2 Eggheads – The Laughter Network  on Eggheads
  • 19 Sep 2008 7:30 am – BBC 3Counties Radio – Breakfast Show with Stephen Rhodes
  • 04 Oc 2008 8:55 am – BBC 3Counties Radio – Saturday Show with Howard Hughes
  • 16 Sep 2009 8:00am – BBC Radio Scotland – MacAulay & Co – radio interview
  • 26 Feb 2010 – Hertbeat FM – radio interview regarding working with MIND
  • 06 July 2010 3:05pm – LBC Radio London – Jeni Barnett – radio interview
  • 21 Oct 2010 5:30pm – Verulam Radio – West Herts Drivetime with Danny Smith
  • 17 Jan 2011 10:15am – BBC Radio Newcastle – Jonathan Miles – radio interview
  • 01 Feb 2011 5:30pm – Verulam Radio – West Herts Drivetime with Danny Smith
  • 15 July 2011 4:00pm – ONFM London – with Samira Kiyani – radio interview
  • 04 Aug 2011 10:00pm – BBC Radio Leeds – with Dominique Busby – radio interview
  • 14 Sep 2011 8:30am – BBC Radio Sheffield – launch of Oxford Uni research
  • 05 Jan 2012 5:30pm – Verulam Radio – West Herts Drivetime with Danny Smith
  • 25 Jan 2012 8:15pm – Radio Verulam Spiritual Matters with Energy Brown+Liz Kaloczi
  • 25 Oc 2012 8:15pm – Radio Inspired Talk Matters with Energy Brown
  • 08 Nov 2012 3:00pm – ITV Alan Titchmarsh Show – ‘making Britain happy’
  • 21 Jan 2013 12:35pm BBC Radio Leeds about Blue Monday – radio interview
  • 02 July 2013 3:50pm BBC 3Counties Radio – Roberto Perrone live – radio interview
  • 16 Sep 2013 BBC Inside Out South – featuring The Telephone Laughter Club
  • 05 June 2014 BuzzFeed – I joined a Telephone Laughter Club by Ailbhe Malone
  • 10 June 2014 RTE Radio Dublin – featuring The Telephone Laughter Club
  • Jan 2016 Conscious 2 – filming for Let’s Get Spiritual documentary series
  • March 2016 Endemol – filming for online documentary series
  • May 2016 Local FM Radio Sunderland – World Laughter Day and Angel of the North
  • Oct 2017 The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE) – Laughter Therapy with the Cast
  • 09 Nov 2016 BBC Radio Leicester – Telephone Laughter interview with Jo Hayward
  • 09 Nov 2016 BBC Radio Nottingham – Telephone Laughter interview
  • 30 Nov 2017  Made TV Birmingham – Laughter Therapy on The Big Daily
  • 15 Jan 2018 BBC Radio Leeds – Laughter Yoga in Halifax for Blue Monday
  • 15 Jan 2018 BBC Look North – Laughter Yoga with Pladis Global McVities
  • 25 March 2018 talkRADIO Steph & Dom Radio Show – IS laughter really the best medicine? Choose time track 11-11:30 and go to 26:25 approx 12 minutes long
  • 11 September 2018 Channel 4 4Music Trending Live with AJ and Jimmy
  • 26 September 2018 Radio Humberside interview for happiness themed week
  • 28 January 2019 London University Radio Project
  • 20 March 2019 MageQuill Interview with Swara Shukla
  • 20 March 2019 talkRADIO Eamonn Holmes
  • 05 May 2019 Chat & Spin Radio – World Laughter Day
  • 02 August 2019 BBC 3Counties Radio Nick Coffer discussing Laughter Yoga
  • 29 August 2019 ITV Lorraine introducing Laughter Yoga with Andi Peters
  • 20 January 2020 talkRADIO with Darryl Morris – Laughter Yoga and Blue Monday
  • 14 April 2020 BBC Radio interviews on 14 stations from 8am to 10pm covering Stoke, Somerset, Wiltshire, Surrey, Cambridge, Tees, Scotland, Leeds, Manchester, Shropshire, Cumbria, Berkshire, Kent and Cornwall
  • 26 April 2020 BBC Three Counties Radio
  • 05 May 2020 TalkRADIO with Darryl Morris
  • 08 May 2020 BBC Three Counties Radio
  • 11 May 2020 ITV News – Sally Weather
  • 23 May 2020 BBC Billboard
  • June 2020 Arts E.X.P.L.A.I.N.E.D Podcast Interview with Rachel and Frances
  • June 2020 The For You YouTube Channel – Resident Laughter Yoga video provider for the channel
  • 27 June 2020 BBC Radio 1 with Alice and Dev re Glastonbury cheer-up

Key Moments

  • 2004 – the first press announcement of the Laughter Club International in St. Albans with coverage in St. Albans, London and Luton
  • 2005 – the first anniversary celebration of the Laughter Club was shared with the press who came to the laughter session and interviewed the participants
  • 2006 – the World Laughter Day was celebrated in St. Albans for the first time in Verulamium Park with 25 participants who laughed and played
  • 2007 – the first TV appearance on SKY TV in Milton Keynes – 10 minutes live local tv
  • 2008 – the Telephone Laughter Club in the UK launched and created huge media interest with radio interviews and stories all over UK
  • 2009 – the succesful completion of new Laughter Yoga Leaders around the UK. UnitedMind trained nearly 60 people. The feedback from the Laughter Leaders was fantastic!
  • 2010 – the launch of the teamwork with The Regency Training Foundation to combat social exclusion in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire
  • 2010 – the introduction of the Laughter Yoga Leader Training programme to the NHS
  • 2011 – the first Online Laughter Yoga Leader Training programme to pilot in January
  • 2011 – the original 2004 Laughter Medicine workshop to re-surface with renewed energy and content in St. Albans and in Durham
  • 2011 – launch of the Online Laughter Club – laughing every week on Tuesdays
  • 2011 – teaming up with Sole Developers in North-East England to fire up powerful communication using Gibberish and other empowering techniques
  • 2012 – Telephone Laughter Subscription adding serious laughter to weekday mornings
  • 2012 – UnitedMind celebrates 10th anniversary at our 7th celebration of World Laughter Day on 6th May 2012
  • 2012 – UnitedMind celebrates 5th anniversary for teaching Laughter Yoga Leader Training to individuals and team across the UK. The longest non-stop delivery of Laughter Yoga Leader Training in the UK
  • 2012 – Lotte Mikkelsen of UnitedMind is appointed and trained as Laughter Yoga Master Trainer and becoming the first Laughter Yoga Professional to uniquely teach the Laughter Yoga Teacher Programme in the UK
  • 2013 – UnitedMind launches programme for teachers and students in a bid to tackle stress and pressure in the school system
  • 2013 – UnitedMind develops The Psychology of Laughter Facilitator Training a new facilitator qualification for anyone with or without Laughter Yoga qualifications
  • 2014 – UnitedMind organises Advanced Training Day with Dr. Madan Kataria in Manchester. The day kicks off the Laughter Festival which is organised by Feelgood Communities CIC
  • 2014 – UnitedMind and Laughter Lines Coaching organise the Laughter Flashmob at Trafalgar Square in London, 5 July
  • 2015 – UnitedMind organises the 20th Anniversary Laughter Yoga Conference in the UK, 5-7 June
  • 2015 – UnitedMind launches an initiative to gather Laughter Yoga people to develop Laughter Yoga in the UK
  • 2016 UnitedMind teams up with Retune to promote corporate wellbeing awaydays
  • 2016 UnitedMind becomes a Corporate Member of ISMA (International Stress Management Association)
  • 2016 UnitedMind’s Certified Laughter Therapist Training accredited by WCI (World Certification Institute)
  • 2017 UnitedMind partners with The Vital Touch to provide workplace wellness and stress management laughter workshops
  • 2018 UnitedMind laughed with Giovanna and Tom Fletcher for Giovanna’s 31 Day Challenge, BarclayCard campaign
  • 2018 UnitedMind starts working with Pladis Global for the benefit of all staff and to support the company’s Mental Health Pledge
  • 2018 UnitedMind shared Laughter Yoga with thousands of festival goers at CarFest North and South
  • 2018 UnitedMind organised the first The Playing Human Conference in London
  • 2019 Laughter Yoga and Laughter Therapy training received accreditation status. The awarding body is FHT
  • 2019 First Laughter Yoga Teacher Reunion since the training started in the UK in 2012
  • 2020 Moving Laughter Yoga Training to Online Laughter Training on a big scale
  • 2020 International Online Laughter Yoga Congress organised by Geert Van De Vijver, Belgium
  • 2020 UnitedMind become Supporter or Stonewall

Press Releases

  • 22 June 2004 – UnitedMind launches the Laughter Club International in St. Albans
  • 01 May 2005 – UnitedMind introduces executive Laughter Workshops
  • 01 June 2005 – The Laughter Club in St. Albans celebrates 1st anniversary
  • 10 April 2006 – World Laughter Day to be celebrated in St. Albans
  • 01 May 2006 – Overwhelming support for World Laughter Day in St. Albans
  • 07 May 2006 – World Laughter Day kicks of with a laughing start
  • 17 April 2007 – World Laughter Day to be celebrated in St. Albans
  • 17 March 2008 – Laughter Yoga Leader Training Brought to you by UnitedMind
  • 17 April 2008 – World Laughter Day to be celebrated in St. Albans
  • 14 September 2008 – Launch of The Telephone Laughter Club
  • 14 April 2009 – World Laughter Day to be celebrated in St. Albans
  • 26 February 2010 – UnitedMind and The Regency Training Foundation team up
  • 15 April 2010 – World Laughter Day to be celebrated in St. Albans
  • 01 January 2011 – Launch of the Online Laughter Yoga Leader Training
  • 18 February 2011 – UnitedMind re-launches the original 2008 Laughter Medicine
  • 05 January 2012 – The Laughter Club publishes a map of regular Laughter Clubs in UK
  • 01 May 2012 – World Laughter Day is now on a countrywide map for people across UK
  • 04 September 2012 – Lotte Mikkelsen appointed Laughter Yoga Master Training
  • 01 January 2013 – The Regency Training Foundation awarded funding
  • 01 March 2013 – Launch of Outdoor Laughter Leader Training onWorld Laughter Day
  • 01 April 2013 – Unleash the Laughter Within! a new workshop to combat depression
  • 01 June 2013 – The Psychology of Laughter Training – a new way to teach laughter
  • 01 August 2013 – Dr. Madan Kataria teaching in the UK for first time in 10 years in 2014
  • 01 January 2014 – Laughing in London on Blue Monday with Laughter Professionals
  • 30 October 2014 – New timeslot added for The Telephone Laughter Club at 12noon
  • 15 May 2015 – 20th Anniversary Laughter Yoga Conference in the UK
  • 01 January 2016 – New alliance with UnitedMind and Retune London
  • 28 April 2016 – Celebrating World Laughter Day at Angel of the North on 1 May
  • PRESS information is being posted bi-monthly!