Ending the day on a positive note

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I don’t know about you, but I really like to end my work day on a positive note. I thought I’d share with you what I do to give you some ideas!

Here’s what I’m putting on the menu.

  1. Ending the day with a quick phone call to check in on someone – a customer, a colleague, a friend – just to say I’m thinking of them. It always makes them smile, and it’s good for both of us.
  2. Send an e-mail that says “Thank you” to someone. It’s a ritual that feels good.
  3. Taking the last 10 minutes to tackle a task we’ve been putting off is like taking that first bite of elephant before the next day. And elephants are eaten one bite at a time, as you well know!
  4. Tidy up your work surface to find a welcoming space the next morning.
  5. Completing one last task on your to-do list will give you a sense of accomplishment.
  6. Write down things to do the next day. It’s a great way to clear your mind and help you concentrate better the next day.
  7. Meditate for a few minutes. There are many applications that can help. Yes, it takes a bit of practice, but the benefits are enormous in terms of stress reduction. Don’t feel like meditating? Then take a series of breaths (cardiac coherence), smiling broadly.
  8. Research shows that simply performing the same ritual at the end of the working day became a way of closing up store and moving on. Turning off the lights, tidying up the desk…
  9. Take a moment to think about what went well, noting 3 things we’re grateful for, the small successes. The worse the day has gone, the more important this ritual is!
  10. Do something fun, dance, raise your arms to the sky and say “WOOHOO! The day is over”.

And what about you? What do you do to take a break between work and home? Especially now, when many people are telecommuting. It’s harder to “let go of work” while you’re on the way home – commuting time often sucks! It only takes a moment to switch from office space to family space. This makes it all the more important to plan the smiling transition between the two.

Have a nice evening!

Laughter, joy and health

Linda

How about a hug to reduce your anxiety?

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Yes! How about a self-treatment to reduce anxiety?

Most of us suffer from anxiety from time to time. At least, we suffer from high levels of stress. Experts agree that chronic stress causes many problems, including insomnia, depression, exhaustion… and very serious illnesses.

And right now, when our whole world seems to be falling apart, when our usual landmarks have disappeared, hello STRESS AND ANXIETY! For many, the sense of security we once felt may be gone.

However, there are some simple, practical exercises that have been around for a long time that can help reduce or even eliminate this anxiety.

I’ve discovered an exercise that can be practised at any time when anxiety strikes. It is also suggested as a daily practice to help increase our inner security on a daily basis. It not only helps us feel grounded, but also more balanced physically, mentally and emotionally.

It’s a“self-cuddling” exercise derived from a technique developed by trauma and stress expert Dr. Peter Levine. I’ve made a video here to demonstrate how it works. Click on the link to do it with me.

How to exercise self-care

Before starting the exercise, I’d like you to think of your body as a container, not just for your physical organs and systems, but also for your emotions. It’s all in our bodies. Keep in mind that if you feel anxious, it’s because your “system” doesn’t feel safe. So we aim to maintain feelings of security within ourselves through“self-cuddling“. In this way, we dominate overflowing emotions such as anxiety.

You can do the exercise standing up or sitting down.

  • Place your right hand under your left arm, just under the armpit.
  • Then place your left hand on your right shoulder.
  • Feel the loving embrace you give each other.
  • Inhale slowly to the count of four and exhale to the count of seven.
  • Note the sensations in your body.
  • How are you feeling?

You can continue to breathe slowly and deeply, or normally. Stay in this position for as long as you need, until you feel calm and more relaxed. This may take 30 seconds or several minutes. The idea is to stay present to our sensations and emotions. Without judging them.

You pay attention, you breathe, you relax and you give yourself a big dose of love. All this helps calm your nervous system.

It’s another great technique that works very gently. A self-cuddle to reduce anxiety!

Well, of course, laughter also works little miracles in the body! You don’t have to convince me of this, and if you haven’t already experienced it, I invite you to laugh intentionally and energetically for two or three minutes. Then watch your body and mind calm down. Need a little boost? Do the exercises with me here

So the next time you feel the anxiety creeping up on you, when your stress level is too high, give yourself a nice loving hug… and laugh!

It really works!

Laughter, joy and health

Linda

A great lesson in fear

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I’ve just read a text that teaches me a great lesson about fear.

The fear of failing, of being ridiculous, of missing the mark… and I’m sharing this text with you here.

From “A Year of Living Consciously” by G. Hendricks.

Babe Ruth once said: “Don’t let the fear of missing the ball get to you” And who better to know than the famous Yankee player. While hitting all those home runs, he also missed MORE THAN ANY other player. So what? When we think of Babe Ruth today, we don’t think of all his strikeouts. Babe Ruth and home runs are forever associated in our minds.

So here’s the question: What would be the equivalent of hitting a home run for you? Would it be writing a poem, or cooking soup, or going to college? And on the other hand, what would it be like for you to be “taken out of the game”? To write a poem no one would like? To cook a not-so-good soup? To be rejected?

Now notice that, in all these cases, the second possibility can’t happen without the first. Withdrawal can’t happen if we don’t try to hit the ball first. And another thing – it’s rarely the things we try to accomplish that fail that trouble us later in life. It’s ALWAYS the things WE DON’T TRY that trouble us.

Take risks and try things you’ve been thinking about but haven’t dared yet. And who cares if your soup doesn’t make it into Campbell’s great recipes? You’ve tried it! Just trying feels good!

So I ask you now: What are YOU going to try NOW?

For my part, I know there’s something I’ve been thinking about for months. Something I’d like to create and have been “working” on for a long time, but haven’t accomplished because I was afraid I wouldn’t be “good enough” for it. Of not being able to.

Well, I’m I’LL GET STARTED RIGHT AWAY. We’ll see what happens! If I fail, at least I’ll have tried!

Just thinking about it made me smile… and sparkle. Half fear, half excitement! BUT I’M MOWING!

Stay tuned!

Laughter, joy and health

Linda

P.S. Why don’t you write down what you’re going to try? Just so you’ve told someone, to force you to take action? I’d love to be your cheerleader! info @ yogadurire . com

Love is everywhere

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That’s the conclusion I came to yesterday as I received love from someone who might have seemed more than unlikely.

Love is everywhere.

Not many people are aware of this, but I’ve been in Toronto for just over a month now on an important mission. That of accompanying a great friend in her last moments of human life. Important, difficult, sad, magnificent, privileged. Qualifications that go well with what’s happened.

This friend has been a big part of my life for almost 30 years. First of all, she was my boss when I worked at the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation, where I came to know her as a determined, solid, visionary, generous woman, sometimes challenging but always right. A bit of a bulldozer, but above all the kind who SEES the potential in her employees and forces them to excel.

A few months after she left that job, we saw each other again “socially” and over the months became friends. Going from “you” to “you” had been a challenge for me!

From weekends at his house in the country, to summer sojourns in Maine, in what became a veritable haven where we could recharge our batteries after months of grueling work, and where we always arrived exhausted and ready to clear our heads, we have accumulated memories of complicity and smiles.

During the last month I was with her, we reminisced about the little places we explored together, on the lookout for amusing or useful finds. Antique shops where she liked to rummage. Beautiful landscapes… She told me about her travels, the people she met, the challenges she overcame, the hard knocks, the beauty of the world.

I have no other friend who, when I ask her what rose petals do in a small container, says “It’s from a rose on Mother Teresa’s coffin when I went to the funeral with Madame Chrétien and the Canadian delegation” or when I sort through her photos and ask her if that’s her with Queen Elizabeth “I was introduced to her twice” or “This photo was taken with… in a leprosarium in India” or “I bought this in a market near…” naming a remote country where most people will never set foot, where men weave magic carpets and the entire village performs a creative task for its survival.

She left last Thursday. Serene, with a heart full of gratitude, surrounded by love and sunshine. I was with her.

Messages started pouring in from friends around the world. All expressed sadness, but also joy and gratitude for having had her in their lives. A larger-than-life woman. Not perfect – far from it – but a woman who was doing her bit to make the world a fairer and more beautiful place.

She left. And I stayed to complete the beginning of the second part of my mission. A little numb. Deeply moved and honored to have been able to be with her at the end of this life journey.

Yesterday, I had undertaken some administrative tasks. Sorting, filing, tidying to keep my brain busy and try to see things more clearly.

A week ago, I asked for a replacement for my laughter yoga sessions with URGENCE RIRE and Rire en ligne (Corinne’s sessions in France). I didn’t practice my intentional laughter exercises as assiduously as usual. Tears took priority! I stayed strong for months and it was time to let them out. And they did!

So yesterday, I decided to take over my 4 p.m. (Quebec time) slot and propose a 10-minute session of intentional but gentle laughter, so as not to rush myself and to avoid suddenly bursting into tears, as has been happening to me over the past few days. We did 10 minutes together. And it did me a lot of good. I didn’t laugh out loud, but I was laughing and it felt good.

I had one last task to complete before the end of the afternoon: go to the bank to notify them of my friend’s death and initiate the transfer of the account to that of the estate. I had met them several times over the past few weeks, and they were very thoughtful and kind to me. I stood firm while the person in charge explained what was going to happen and how I was going to proceed. It was on the way out that I “lost my temper” and started crying, even though I was on the sidewalk at a time of heavy traffic. I couldn’t move forward. I just stood there crying. And people passed by me indifferent and in a hurry to get home.

Until a man walking towards me, dressed really extravagantly and worthy of a suit assembled from donated clothes, looked at me and said, “What’s wrong honey? Tell me. I am Mother Nature and I can help” The look so full of compassion and love. “What’s wrong honey? Tell me. I am Mother Nature and I can help”.

This banged-up itinerant had stopped to console me… wanted to help me with my grief.

I couldn’t help thinking that, for weeks now, I’ve been seeing homeless people in the neighborhood every day, and that people pass by them without stopping, but also that I’ve never felt reassured by seeing so many of them. A man who screams and gesticulates and seems to be in crisis is not reassuring, I agree. And unfortunately, we come across too many of them these days. Drugs? Mental health? I don’t know, but I walk fast when I go out in this neighborhood.

And this man who’d been talking to himself a few moments earlier had stopped to give me a little love as the other passers-by went by.

I wanted to take him in my arms to thank him and welcome him back.

COVID oblige, I told him, wiping my eyes, that he had just done me a lot of good. “This, my dear, is worth a whole lot of brownie points in heaven. You are a dear dear man”. Vous êtes très très précieux cher homme” And he went on his way, blowing me a kiss with his hand. Without asking.

Love came to me on a street corner in an unlikely and life-saving way. Comfort came from someone who certainly needed it as much as I did. A small moment of profoundly and intensely luminous humanity.

Lessons learned: look with the eyes of the heart. Do not judge. Don’t be afraid. Love is everywhere.

HAHAmaste

Laughter, joy and health

Linda

Smile with a mask?

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Have you noticed that it’s harder to see a smile when wearing a mask? Half the face is covered, leaving only the eyes to detect facial expression.

When we pass people walking in the streets or parks, we keep our distance – which, on the one hand, makes us feel safer, but, on the other, also distances us emotionally. Whenever I walk, I notice that most people walk while looking at the ground… as if looking at each other were going to be a contaminant!

If science is studying the impact of masks to reduce the spread of COVID, it is also studying the impact of smiling on humans. Mask and smile… How to reconcile the two?

Sharing a smile creates a bond. It sends a signal of comfort and human warmth – something we sorely need right now. Mask or no mask!

Smiling at another person activates physiological changes by triggering neurotransmitters associated with well-being. These include oxytocin – the love hormone, which circulates when we feel a shared connection – endorphins, which promote a sense of ease and calm, and even serotonin – all those wonderful hormones that are also natural antidepressants, which activate when we feel good about ourselves, laugh or think about some of the good moments in our day.

Right now, this visual cue is even more important than ever, as many of us are not doing well. Autumn is here, the days are shorter and we’re preparing – in Quebec at least – to “go into our caves” for winter. Many of us suffer from seasonal depression and look forward to November with apprehension.

When we feel socially isolated or deprived of human contact, smiling becomes an essential link with normal life. Without our usual means of social interaction, of which smiling is an important part, we unconsciously run the risk of rewiring our brains to fear and anxiety. This is particularly worrying in children, given the elasticity of their brains and the rapid formation of their neurons.

Research has already established a link between the negative impact of not sharing a smile and so-called “subjective happiness” – including in people who use Botox, as it restricts facial movement, suppresses laughter or smile lines. Interesting, isn’t it?

So how can we make sure we still get our daily dose of happiness and connection while wearing a mask? How can we, for the sake of children and young people, find ways to express our smiles?

Even if our mouths are hidden, we can still share a certain intimacy with each other.

We have to smile more widely – so much so that our eyes light up.

A sincere smile triggers a whole series of changes in our brain and autonomic nervous system. We’re more relaxed and therefore less anxious.

To your smile, you could also add a friendly gesture. Wave, wink or raise your eyebrows in a friendly way. Find other creative ways to express your smile; make a mask with a hand-painted smile or a decal like the one my cousin Joëlle my cousin Joëlle (By the way, I invite you to listen to the episode of L’Élément JOIE where she is my guest. You’ll hear the smile in her voice). Wear a mask with a transparent part. Smile broadly!

And “watch” people. Be even more kind to each other. When we’re masked, our ability to sense whether someone is doing well can also be masked.

Can’t we see your face? Take the opportunity to smile ALL THE TIME! You won’t look weird in a crowd because… you’re wearing a mask over your smile! Make your eyes smile! And let me know if you feel the difference the next time you’re out in the fresh air or in a public place, proudly wearing your smile under your mask!

It’s a fact!

Laughter, joy and health

Linda

 

Can’t you laugh right now?

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Can’t laugh right now? For any number of reasons, laughter may not be an option for you right now.

I’m chatting on Messenger with a friend who had a big scare yesterday. She was rushed to hospital and underwent heart surgery. Young, fit, active, eating well… and yet she had a massive heart attack.

A friend with whom I was discussing the matter said he was surprised because, according to him, it’s “more men who are affected by heart disease”! Sadly, no. According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Quebec, “a third more women than men die of stroke in this country. Women with heart failure are more affected than men.”

Makes you think, doesn’t it?

I’ve already told you about the research Dr. Michael Miller has undertaken at the University of Maryland, where he is a professor and researcher in the School of Medicine. I told you about it in a video I made when I returned from the American Laughter Yoga Conference in 2018. Watch the video here Laughing is EXCELLENT for our heart health. If only because laughing will “zap” the harmful effects of stress, I’m convinced of the positive effects of laughter on our cardiac system.

So I suggested that my friend imagine that she was laughing out loud. To feel the energy of laughter in her body at rest after her surgery. By closing her eyes, by “pretending” she was laughing out loud. But above all, to pay close attention to how she feels as she imagines herself laughing. To feel intensely. Because she’ll reap the benefits of this physical visualization.

I have a little theory about that, you see.

Several years ago, when I was immobilized with a shoulder injury that made my every move hurt like hell, I found myself unable to laugh out loud. IN CA PA BLE! For a pro in daily practice, this is not an easy thing to live with.

That’s when a colleague suggested I imagine I was laughing. And I tried it.

To my amazement and delight, I found that I relaxed, felt lighter and smiled more. Just imagining and feeling it very strongly in my body.

When I’m laughing out loud, I know how it feels. And I feel great!

So the power of our mind allows us to FEEL the well-being of our body, which is laughing. Hello endorphins and goodbye tension!

I’m extending an invitation to you. Try it! You don’t have to wait until you can’t laugh to try it. Just do it. Just to see if… And let me know how it goes. Because I’m curious to know if you’ve dared to do it!

But I know it works miracles. HAHAHA!

And I’m convinced of that.

Laughter, joy and health

Linda

Have you spoken to your adrenal glands recently?

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Right now, we’re seeing an increase in adrenal fatigue. What is adrenal fatigue? It seems to be the new buzzword for sheer exhaustion. And I assure you, it’s very real, especially for those living in a constant state of high stress. Continual stress also means adrenal fatigue!

There are many things you can do to energize your adrenal glands. I’m not a health specialist, but I would suggest relaxing the adrenal glands to slow down the release of cortisol and adrenaline in the body. By doing so, you’ll allow the glands to reset (reboot) on their own.

How to get there

A great way to do this is through meditation, or more precisely, what my friend Cathy Wildschuetz calls the body scan technique. If you’ve never experienced a body scan, I recommend you do!

It’s hard to explain the relaxation that occurs with a body scan. The way the body relaxes and unwinds, the way the organs inside the body relax as the muscles do. It’s wonderful, and since Cathy introduced me to it, it’s become one of my favorite techniques. Apart from laughing, of course!

Talking to your body?

During the body scan, we command certain parts of the body to rest. Yes, I said “command”. And when I get to the adrenal glands, I ask them to relax and tell them they’re safe, that I don’t need them right now.

Okay, so it’s possible that you’ve never talked to your body before. However, it’s proven that by focusing our attention on what we want or need, our body will respond. And why am I telling these little glands that they’re safe? Well, they’re the central glands for cortisol and adrenalin in the body!

So, when we’re under a great deal of stress, like the one we’ve been dealing with for several months, our bodies use these hormones to regulate our emotions. With constant stress and fear, our bodies are flooded with these hormones, resulting in fatigue.

Are you beginning to understand why I’m talking about these glands? YES!

By telling them you’re safe, you stop this process and give them a chance to “reset”, to recharge. Even if you leave the body scan meditation and find yourself in a stressful situation, this reset will help the glands differentiate between the need to turn on the little faucet rather than the big garden hose! As a result, they’ll be able to better regulate the production of stress hormones in your body. You’ll have them in your body, but not in staggering quantities! It’s healthier.

Taking a break is vital to our health. It’s much easier to schedule time to relax our adrenal glands than to drive ourselves to exhaustion or burn out when it’s not in our plans! Someone said to me a few weeks ago, “I’m taking my vacation now and I’m doing it before my body chooses a time that won’t work for me.” Good idea, don’t you think?

So talk to your adrenal glands today, and if you need help, use the short meditation my friend Cathy recorded for you below. And I did it in French! You’re worth the joy! Your body deserves it.

Laughter, joy and health

Linda
Cathy’s website: www.naturallyguidedhealth.com

How’s confinement working out for you?

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Hello! How’s confinement working out for you?

I was talking to a fellow speaker this morning and he said that everything was going well for him, his wife and their children. However, he’s very worried about his mom, who’s in an old people’s home. She’s almost deaf, so it’s impossible to call her on the phone. For almost a month now, he’s heard nothing from her. It must be terribly difficult.

At least, even if they’re far away, I can talk to and see my parents thanks to Messenger and Skype. I know they’re together, healthy and safe in their home.

The situation we now find ourselves in is so far from any scenario we could have imagined! Reality meets fiction!

I was watching Andrea Bocelli’s live broadcast on YouTube from the Duomo in Milan on Easter Sunday. The cathedral was empty. The cathedral square was deserted. I well remember the crowds that used to gather there when I was there a few years ago! And today… nobody walks there! The images from Paris, London and New York of empty thoroughfares… it was chilling! When you consider that all these places are frequented by thousands of people at all hours of the day and night, it was a nightmarish vision we were shown. But at the same time, it’s a good sign. It means that people are staying at home to avoid the spread of the virus. That people are taking the instructions seriously and thinking of each other.

Still…

More than 30 days of confinement… that’s tough!

I avoid going out for anything other than fresh air and essential food shopping.

I’m busy with several projects.

First, I collaborated with my colleague Corinne Cosseron in France to set up an intentional laughter “circuit” offering 3 blocks of time to laugh for 10 minutes each time.

Then I created Urgence Rire to allow people in our Canadian time zones to benefit from 10 minutes of intentional laughter several times a day. I have to admit, it took me a long time! Technology is miraculous right now when we can talk to our families and see them through all this. But when things get stuck and we don’t understand why, we can spend many hours… which is what I did! After a few attempts, things got back on track and we now offer over 30 “windows of laughter” a week in Quebec. Not to mention all the possibilities with French schools! It’s all wonderfully beneficial and liberating. I’d like to thank the animators and teachers who donate their time!

And this morning, I put the finishing touches to a “Containment 2020” idea kit. In a few minutes, I’ll be sending it out to my newsletter subscribers. My intention is to offer ideas for doing something creative, constructive and rewarding during confinement. Stuck at home, maybe. But you don’t have to stay in your pyjamas all day, watching time go by!

I continue to make my cuckoo clocks live on Facebook every day. I call it Operation Hope and Good Humor! Would you like to see it but aren’t on Facebook? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered, because we’re putting the whole thing on the Laughter Yoga School YouTube channel! hahaha! In the Coronavirus playlist. And if you subscribe, you’ll never miss one!

Not an easy task…

A rollercoaster of emotions some days. From laughter to tears. Anger and frustration sometimes creep in.

LOVE… radiate love. Feel love. Sending love. Flood the world with love. To love and forgive ourselves. Love yourself. Like in James Taylor’s wonderful song “Shower the people” ( chills guaranteed).

What about you? How’s confinement working out for you? Write to me and tell me about it, your favorite recipe, your favorite activity… Talk to us!

I wish us an abundance of love and health

Laughter, joy and health

Linda

 

We laugh to ward off fear… and viruses!

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Note: you’ll find all the links behind the orange words!

The whole world is shaking right now, and it’s time to LAUGH TO STAY CENTERED! We laugh to chase away the fear and the virus!

Since March 12, I’ve been doing on my personal Facebook page every day to encourage us to do things that keep our energy higher. That help us look up instead of down. Do things and make CHOICES! And of course, we laugh together!

Once completed each day, I place these videos on the the Laughter Yoga School YouTube channel (because, of course, not everyone is on FB!) where you can watch them and get inspired.

To prevent the spread of the virus, all places where laughter yoga sessions were held were closed. However, opportunities to laugh together online flourished here and there!

Many fellow Laughter Yoga facilitators, teachers and masters around the world have offered to host shorter Laughter Yoga sessions or, more simply, intentional laughter sessions on the internet. (ZOOM will have seen its shares bounce back over the past week, as many groups meet virtually to exchange ideas and have a laugh. Our direct contacts may be limited, but our virtual communications are proliferating – much to our delight! Thanks for our sanity 😉

Reinforcements

Here are some links where you can see/hear yourself laughing – because laughing releases tension, lets go of fear and anxiety, and keeps you as calm and collected as possible. We take the means! And we CHOOSE JOY! – because the other alternatives aren’t valid right now! HAHAHA!

10 minutes

First, the link to the 10-minute mini-sessions on ZOOM.

How it works: You choose your time and click on the presenter’s photo. You’ll be directed to the meeting space on ZOOM. We laugh together for about 9 minutes and breathe calmly at the end. No talking. Just laughter.

It can be a little unsettling the first time, but give yourself the gift of doing it cheerfully and see how much better you feel afterwards. Do it as often as you like! And there are laughers from all over the world who’ll be with you.

Do you want to be with me?

I’m there Monday, Wednesday Wednesday and Thursday. If you’re in Europe, the times shown on the chart are yours. If you’re in North America, you’ll need to look at the world clock to make the calculation. France switches to daylight saving time on March 28, at which point there will be a 6-hour time difference between Quebec and France (6 hours LESS here)!

30 minutes

And also the link to the laughter yoga session I offer on Wednesday evenings at 7pm – 30 minutes of laughter yoga, breathing and relaxation exercises. Before going to bed with a smile on your face.

So there’s no excuse not to take the smiling steps to boost your immune system and chase away the blues and stress!

Humans are not made to be alone.

And in these times of upheaval, it’s reassuring to know that we can “see” each other, despite our enforced isolation!

Come and join us! It’ll do me as much good as it’ll do you! (Guess why I’m doing it…)

Take care of yourself. Wash your hands for 20 seconds while laughing. Think of others! Love yourself!

Laughter, joy and health

Linda

 

Let our emotions run wild!

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Let our emotions flow… there’s nothing more HEALTHY!

At a certain point in my life, I believed – wrongly, you’re right – that I should never be angry. That it’s wrong to be angry.

Well, no! It’s far from bad. In fact, it’s good. What isn’t is the way it’s sometimes expressed. When it ends up in violent gestures. People then express their angry emotions in the wrong way.

I found an illustrated series on the web a few days ago and these innocent little drawings really spoke to me. I felt moved as I unrolled the screen. It’s so true! You can’t repress a desire to drink. So why should we repress a feeling?

When we wrote our book The Yoga of Laughter, Corinne Cosseron and I were determined to include a section on emotions. Laughing is good (very, very good indeed!), but just because we laugh doesn’t mean we should ignore our emotions! They speak to us, telling us that something isn’t right. And we have to let them speak.

When I give talks to certain groups of people who work in a profession where we have to remain neutral – I’m thinking here of police officers, for example – I tell them that it’s very important to reserve a space for ourselves where our emotions can continue to tell us things. These people can’t really let themselves be overwhelmed by them because of the neutral role they play in society, but it’s important not to continually ignore them. They won’t disappear, but they will be repressed… and what pushes its way out, ends up coming out in ways that aren’t always acceptable or healthy.

People sometimes think I laugh all the time. Because that’s what I teach, I should laugh all the time? Pffffff… make me laugh! I feel my share of emotions, just like any normal, well-balanced human being. I experience anger, sadness and joy. The whole gamut! I’m not always attentive to what my emotions are telling me. I’m learning too!

But when I feel anger building up, I take the time to ask myself what’s going on and why I’m feeling this emotion. If I’m in the car and stressed by traffic or road conditions, I welcome that anger and thank it… When I feel sad, I listen to what that little voice is telling me… and I take the time to “rock myself”, to comfort myself, to say words of love to myself.

I’m not trying to cheer myself up at all costs! No. If that’s what’s coming up, then I listen. And, by not ignoring what’s going on inside me, I somehow make peace with life… and then I can move on with more serenity.

There’s nothing to do! We’re all human. Creatures with human experiences. Not always pleasant. Not always fair. Simply human!

Do these illustrations speak to you too? Let me know what you think.

Laughter, joy and health

Linda

n.b. These lovely illustrations are by Fanny, Wellness Artist.