To revel in joy and peace is a rare occurrence for adults. Part of it, I believe, stems from an acquired cynicism that comes with adulthood, necessary at times, though never to the extent in which it is upheld. We also tend to view the world with already arrived at presuppositions, those learned and those manufactured from our own intellect. This is an important facet of adulthood, of course. It breathes confidence into our persona(s). It enables us to carry authority and experience as tools to teach our children.
It seems to inhibit as well. The potential is to no-longer embrace situations as new experiences. Instead, we size them down and squeeze them into our already assumed world and perhaps this prevents us from our own learning.
Laughter Yoga helps us to be in the moment without trying to categorize it (issues) or shape it. Not to say we should prance about the world without trying to understand. At least if you prance you might as well laugh. Perhaps, being present in the moment using laughter is a useful starting point.
Laughter is like exercising. It has been called “internal jogging” giving the respiratory system, the abdominal, inter-coastal, and facial muscles a thorough workout. Something else happens: laughter releases in the brain, those chemicals that reduce pain.
Dr. Kataria in his book, Laugh for No Reason, claims, “It has been scientifically proven that your body cannot tell the difference between pretend laughter and spontaneous laughter. Pretend laughter becomes genuine through eye contact and the contagious nature of laughter.”
HOHOHOHOHO!
We are hardwired for laughter. Before our ancestors used speech, scientists say, laughter was used to communicate. People who are born blind and deaf also know how to laugh. Babies laugh almost from birth without jokes or props. Children will find humour in observing adult activities. As soon as I crack up laughing my grandson joins in. What a joyful experience for both of us.
The brain can certainly tell the difference between real and simulated laughter.
Our body is a chemical factory that kicks off numerous neurotransmitters and hormones in response to the activity when we laugh whether it is fake or real, and remember that when you decide to laugh your body simply cannot help but react.
Happiness is the endgame. Perhaps no other variable in your life today is as important as laughing.
So follow the laughter!