Kalpana Doshi is a certified Laughter Yoga practitioner based in London, working in visitor experience at the iconic Victoria & Albert Museum. Her passion is running Laughter sessions as well and she has more than 12 years’ experience doing that. She runs sessions for corporate clients, schools, festivals, community centres, old people’s homes, charities, health & wellbeing retreats and exclusive social events.
Examples of some events include Camp Festival (2021), Diwali in Trafalgar Square (2022 on the main stage), Zee London Mela (2019), Corona Energy (2019), Haberdasher Aske’s Girls School (2020), Karuna Manor Care Home (2019) and Mantra Therapy’s wellbeing retreat in Tuscany (2018), Diversity Festival (2022), Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (2023).
Kalpana’s personal journey is documented in a book entitled Voices From Gujarat (2021), which recognises inspiring stories of 21 British Gujarati women, who take charge of their happiness.
1) Which place, or city or country do you most feel at home in?
London mainly because of family and friends but I also love Kenya (my birthplace) and India (my motherland). India is also home because I grew up speaking my mother tongue and I love the food, music, culture. Kenya is home because of familiar sights and sound of childhood memories which come flooding back when I visit.
2) What are your proudest achievements?
My proudest achievements are of having raised my lovely daughter all by myself, learning a new unusual skill and becoming a really good Laughter yoga leader to spread happiness and joy to others. I am also very proud that the story of my life has been published in a booked titled “Voices from Gujarat”.
3) What inspires you?
My past inspires me, through reflection reminding me how far I have come. It makes me want to achieve more and become the best version of myself. Setting goals gives me the desire and drive to achieve them. Having fun, being adventurous and leading laughter sessions making others’ happy inspires me the most.
4) What has been biggest obstacle in your career?
One of the main obstacles has been that some people do not take “Laughter yoga” seriously. I can’t stress enough how beneficial it is. I do not feel supported with this idea and have not been able to find the right mentor or investor to turn it into a flourishing successful business.
5) Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?
No one person has influenced me. I have been observing many other successful people around me, looking for gaps in the market and grabbing opportunities where I can. I know that Laughter is much needed and will keep working at it to make a difference.
6) What is the best aspect about your current role?
I am a people’s person, and it is a privilege to connect with people. After an interaction, we are all left in a good state, and it is a wonderful feeling. The role comes to me naturally (whether it is talking to visitors in the museum or leading the laughter exercises).
7) And the worst?
Honestly, there is nothing bad or negative about both my jobs – most of the time I am in the world’s leading art and design museum surrounded by beautiful and precious objects, sharing my knowledge and when I’m leading laughter sessions, I am in my element making people happy. I am blessed.
8) What are your long-term goals?
My hopes, wishes and dreams are to turn the Laughter into a successful business, it would be amazing to lead laughter sessions in corporates (team building and well-being week), schools, hospitals, hospices, cruise ships, retreats, etc. and travel to spread laughter in different parts of the world.
9) If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change?
To be honest, I don’t understand politics and policies much, but it would be good to see the cost of living to go down, less taxes for people on minimum wage, more police presence on the streets, less crime, more housing, shorter waiting lists on the NHS.
10) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why?
Helen Keller who showed potential of the human spirit. She was able to break the isolation of being deaf/blind by becoming the first deaf/blind person to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree. Also, Italian physicist, physician, philosopher and educator Maria Montessori, best known for her philosophy of education. The Montessori schools and the Montessori education system.