Teena's Laughter Journey
Teena has been practicing Laughter Yoga since 2008. That's 14 years of sharing the health benefits of what she titles Therapeutic Humor - a tool to lower stress and lessen stress hormones produced in the brain brought on by trauma and excessive stress produced in our hectic anxiety producing world. Teena was trained to be a Laughter Yoga Teacher by the founder of Laughter Yoga - Dr. Madan Kataria, M.D., cardiologist. She initially started using Laughter Yoga to boost her own immune system. Then invites and requests began pouring in to have her bring her own personal program ASTEP (A Seated Therapeutic Exercise Program for ages 5 to 105!)) to a variety of locations. Teena continues to bring Laughter Yoga from Japan to England and from Coast to Coast in the USA!
Teena knows about stress and anxiety, having survived Late Stage Cancer and has now survived 3 unrelated Cancers. Teena was honored to be chosen as the California Hero of Hope for the American Cancer Society in 2016 and once again in 2022 as a Voice of Hope for the Western United States-in 2022 that was California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii and Guam. 2023 the American Cancer Society reorganized and now the Western States are California, Hawaii and Guam. Teena likes to say “She did not volunteer for this honor!”, but she is honored to bring hope when speaking to survivors, care givers and their families and medical support such as oncologists and oncology nurses.
Teena has been bringing Laughter Yoga and Therapeutic Humor to her local Relay For Life for the past 10 years. It's a passion she never tires of and Teena has spoken on every topic/keynote address when asked to do so.
Teena is the recipient of the Prestigious Laughter Ambassador Award presented to her by the Founder of Laughter Yoga, Dr. Madan Kataria, M.D. & Madhuri Kataria, CoFounder. This award is world wide recognition of her dedicated and selfless service to promote Laughter Yoga (Hasya Yoga)- a mission of bringing good health, joy and world peace through laughter.
Teena is the proud mom of 2 daughters - one a doctor and the other a psychiatric therapist (Teena was a single mom for over 20 years and she loves to tell audiences “she didn't ruin them as a single mom!”) Teena is married to her best friend, even if he is a Cal Grad (she's Stanford all the way!), and a Grandma to her 4 Grandbeauties (her title for her Grandchildren!). Teena has received degrees and certificates from schools of higher education, Cal State Sonoma, Stanford, and JFK University, currently working on certification as a Somatic Re-parenting Method Teacher.
Teena loves her community and believes in giving back whenever she can supporting a variety of charities -picking a new one on her Birth-day to celebrate and support throughout the year ahead.
Teena Miller - SOLANO COUNTY LIVING LEGACY!
Written by Marianne Cooper-van der Veen | Communications Professional | from the Netherlands, based in California
TESTIMONIALS
"TEENA THE GREAT!"
Dr. Madan Kataria, M.D. Founder of Laughter Yoga
“YOU ARE DOING INCREDIBLE WORK, TEENA.
AND I AM SO PROUD TO KNOW YOU!"
Allen Klein, Award winning author and pioneer in gelotology and the Therapeutic Humor Movement
“TEENA GETS OUR PATIENTS (IN A MENTAL HEALTH RECOVERY CENTER AND LOCK DOWN FACILITY) TO LAUGH FOR NO REASON AND RECONNECT WITH THEIR HUMANITY AND THE JOY OF LAUGHING! IN SPITE OF THE EFFECTS OF MANY PSYCHO-TROPIC DRUGS THEY MUST TAKE"
Dr. Miriam Andrade, PhD
"KEEP DOING WHAT YOU ARE DOING, TEENA! ALL PATIENTS NEED TO DO THE SMILING AND LAUGHING TO RELAX"
Dr. Lee Berk, PhD, Loma Linda University
“TEENA IS HAPPINESS PERSONIFIED - SHE LOVES TO LAUGH AND SHARE HER SMILES AROUND THE WORLD. FROM JAPAN TO ENGLAND, TEENA BRINGS HER PASSION FOR LAUGHTER AND ITS HEALTH BENEFITS TO ALL AGES!"
Kuniko Maruyama, Akashi, Japan
TEENA MILLER IS A KIND AND GENEROUS PERSON. I MET HER LAST YEAR AS SHE DONATED HER TIME TO ONE OF MY EVENTS CALLED “WE MOVE FOR HEALTH”. HER LAUGHTER YOGA WAS THE HIT OF THE EVENT AND PARTICIPANTS LOVED HER SO MUCH I HAVE ASKED FOR A COMMAND PERFORMANCE! DURING HER SESSION YOU FEEL HER POSITIVE VIBES AND THAT SHE TRULY LOVES PEOPLE AND WHAT SHE'S DOING. AND AFTER HER CLASS YOU FEEL BETTER, HAPPY AND IN A CALM SPACE. TEENA, PLEASE KEEP SHARING YOUR GIFT BECAUSE I FEEL YOU TRULY LOVE PEOPLE AND LOVE WHAT YOU DO AND THAT TRANSLATES SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO!
Adriene Bennett, Program Manager - Alameda County
10X10 Wellness Program, Health & Human Resource Education Center