“Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.”
Alohahaha!
I’m Jenna, a Filipina-American certified life coach and yoga teacher based on O’ahu. I’m originally from the San Francisco Bay Area (Ohlone Territory), and my parents immigrated to San Francisco from Bacoor, Cavite, Philippines.
Short Story:
After losing my mom to cancer when I was 15, I was no stranger to grief, depression, and anxiety. In 2015, I discovered meditation and yoga, and it changed my life.
For the past 8 years I’ve been on a spiritual path, and I love helping women of color explore their souls so they can live in alignment with their most authentic self and experience more joy, connection, and presence.
Long Story:
I was a mischievous kid who loved to play pranks, laugh, sing, and dance to the beat of my own drum. At the age of 14, my world drastically changed - my mother was diagnosed with Stage 4 gastrointestinal cancer. She passed away soon after my 15th birthday, and I spent the next 15 years trying to find a way to reconnect with her.
When I was 29, I found myself dealing with a tremendous amount of grief in multiple areas of my life - the death of my mom, loss of a job, a breakup with a partner of eight years, and being diagnosed with Repetitive Stress Syndrome from working at tech startups. I saw this as an opportune time to soul search and travel with my mom in spirit since she didn’t get to travel much during her time here on Earth. In honor of my mom, I also promised myself I would go to 30 different countries before I turned 30, and sure enough the Universe provided.
I followed my heart and bought a one-way ticket to Colombia. While traveling solo in Latin America, I discovered and completed a 10-day Vipassana course in Bolivia which was my first meditation experience (excluding the ones I slept through during high school Religion class 😬). I felt called to continue down the path of self-exploration, and I completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training in Guatemala. Meditation and yoga helped me reconnect with my mother, and ultimately, helped me connect to my Higher Self, God, and others on a deeper level.
“Laughter is an instant vacation!”
While traveling the world, I also discovered laughter is a healing universal language. People from every culture enjoyed hearing my laugh - so much so strangers stopped me on the street to give compliments! My cousin also mentioned my laugh sounds like my mom’s, and it brings me joy knowing her energy is around whenever I laugh. Because of this, I felt called to help people love and trust themselves by teaching Laughter Yoga and helping people connect with their soul.
I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to share my love for life and laughter with others, and I can’t wait to laugh with you! 😆😂🤣
Experience
Facilitated global corporate Laughter Yoga classes and employee development workshops at companies like Google, Salesforce, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Roche Diagnostics, Maui Economic Opportunity, New York Psychotherapy & Counseling Center, Environmental Defense Fund, Shriners Children’s Hospital, UH Manoa, Amida Care, Viz Media, and many more
Taught Laughter Yoga for college students at San Francisco State University and UC San Francisco
8+ years of professional work experience as a founding member of Human Resources and Marketing teams at companies like Facebook and Box
Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Social Behavior with a Minor in Education from the University of California, Irvine
Certified Shamanic Munay-Ki Practitioner from the Four Winds Society (studied with Marcela Lobos and Alberto Villoldo)
Certified Life Coach through Lumia Coaching (a school accredited by the International Coaching Federation)
Certified Yoga Teacher (200-Hour Hatha & Vinyasa yoga teacher training from School Yoga Institute, a Yoga Alliance accredited school in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala)
Certified Laughter Yoga Leader (from Laughter Yoga University via University of California San Francisco)
100-Hour Bhakti Flow Yoga Teacher Training with Rusty Wells
Advanced studies with world-renowned yoga teachers such as Janet Stone, Tias Little, and Sarah Powers
Launch Coaching Program with Mel Robbins
Energetic Fertility Program with Nancy Mae
Speak with Soul with Sahara Rose