Tag Archive for: laugh

April 14 – International MOMENT TO LAUGH Day!

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Tuesday April 14 is International MOMENT TO LAUGH Day – a day to remind us all of the importance of laughing out loud.

And I’m giving you a REAL challenge.

💛 Quick challenge: MOMENT OF LAUGHTER

Today (or tomorrow 😉 ), take…

⏰ 2 minutes

Yes, just 2 minutes to LAUGH OUT LOUD.

Taking a moment to deliberately laugh out loud may seem a little ridiculous.

But we need it.

📊 More than a third of the 1,000 employees surveyed by Monster.com
say their workplace has become more serious in the past year.

We see this in our daily lives. At work or at home.

And guess what?

This is not good news. (You can feel it!)

😔 Less laughter = more stress
😔 Less levity = more burnout

On the contrary…

😄 An environment where we laugh
💛 is often a space where we feel good
🤝 safe
🌿 and connected to others

And it’s not “just in your head”.

The body, too, is on board.

✨ Simply anticipating laughter reduces cortisol (stress hormone) by 39% and epinephrine by 70%.

Yes… just think about it.

And that’s not all 😄

Laughter:

💓 lowers blood pressure
💪 releases muscle tension
🧠 increases oxygen to the brain (highly recommended by doctors!)
🌿 relaxes the body faster than Valium or vodka (two things you definitely shouldn’t bring to the office!)
🔥 and even burns a few calories (yes yes! I have a friend who goes to his local gym and just laughs at people working out).

A moment of laughter can help us stay humble and human.

And between us…

👉 It’s sugar-free
👉 cholesterol-free
👉 gluten-free
👉 alcohol-free
👉 and calorie-free 😉

But beyond all these benefits…

Laughter brings us back to something simple and precious:

💛 our humanity
💛 our lightness
💛 our ability not to take everything too seriously

(How about giving ourselves permission… a little more often?)

🌀 Mission for the day: A time to laugh

On the occasion of the International Day of the Laughing Moment,
I suggest something simple… and powerful:

👉 Plan a real laugh.

Yes, plan it.
Like an important appointment.

⏰ Choose a moment in your day
(even 2 to 5 minutes is enough)

Then…

😄 start laughing – on purpose
😂 let the laughter grow
🤣 let your body get on board

RIS FORT! A real laugh riot. For a little while.

🎯 F or that little something extra that makes the world more beautiful :

👉 Do it with someone
👉 Or send a laugh as a voicemail
👉 Or look in the mirror and laugh (yes yes 😄)

💡 Remember:

You don’t have to wait until you want to laugh.
You can choose to laugh.

And this simple choice
can completely transform your state.

With affection (and a smile!)

Linda

p.s. I promise to laugh in public today! Here’s the proof!

A peacock is beautiful

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I was thinking about the beauty of the peacock.

While packing boxes at my parents’ house, I came across four peacock feathers.

Four magnificent feathers in shimmering, graceful hues.

And I thought, “What a beautiful peacock!”

I admired the colors and saw in my mind’s eye the majesty of this big bird’s plumage as it stretched out its tail to strut its stuff.

What a magnificent creature.

Really beautiful…

But it sings really badly!

The same goes for a blue jay! It’s flamboyant , but for talent, we can do better!

What plumage, but not for the beauty of the voice.

What others think

Do you think they care about our opinion? That they’d rather remain silent than make a horrible mistake? I doubt it.

They make themselves heard joyfully because that’s their nature. And that’s just fine.

They don’t care if humans think their singing is awful! They sing and they are. That’s all there is to it.

Are you laughing?

So if you’re one of those people who think they’re “laughing wrong”, that the sound of their laughter is too weird, too loud, too “all sorts of things”, then remember the peacock and the blue jay who amaze us with their beauty – even if their voice is what it is!

Your laughter, no matter what it’s like, is important for many reasons.

  1. It does YOU good
  2. It might encourage someone to laugh along with you.
  3. It will give off a tremendous amount of positive energy in and around you.
  4. You may be remembered for that “different” laugh!
  5. It belongs to you.

And I love you even more for letting yourself laugh more openly!

Here ‘s some reinforcements!

HAHAmaste

Your HAHA Sister, Linda

 

On grief… losing a friend

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Losing a friend…

Last month, I recorded a rather unusual video. Very vulnerable and open. Without make-up or lipstick.

Why did I want to make this video?

To tell my story. To reveal myself… and to share.

If you’ve ever attended one of my lectures or workshops, you’ve heard me tell the story of how laughter yoga came into my life. Following a car accident – a “badly wrapped” gift, as I like to say.

You’ve also heard me talk about my friend Manon, with whom I stayed during my weekend training as a laughter yoga facilitator in Montreal. My “dignified” and smiling psychologist friend, a serious and responsible manager. She was the same one who watched me laugh as I showed her how to do the welcoming laugh, and who replied that “you had to be there”!

She didn’t understand the idea of intentional laughter at all, but was nonetheless amused to see me so enthusiastic and bubbly as I explained what we’d done and what I’d experienced on that first day of training.

My beautiful friend Manon died suddenly in her bed at home a few days ago. In secret…

With no response to my calls or texts, I decided to call her cousin to ask if I could leave her something for my friend. And it was she who told me the sad news…

Not only had Manon passed away, but none of her immediate family had access to her contacts, so I didn’t find out until after the funeral.

Phew!

The next day, I had to go to Val David to record a podcast episode with two wonderful people, Laura and William from DoshayogaCommunity.

Laura was concerned about my state of mind and my morale – the news upset me enormously – and suggested postponing the meeting. But knowing that I wouldn’t be available later, I decided to go ahead. In spite of everything.

Now you’ll understand why.

Why did I go?

I’m the one who talks about joy, laughter and good humor.

I share with you some tips to take things with more lightness, benevolence and sparkle!

But grief, mourning and hard knocks are also part of life. For me, as for you, it’s part of my life.

Many people are tempted to put off their emotions for fear of judgment, for fear of not being able to “get back on track”, to get out of the “hole”. When it’s too sad, too difficult, we try to apply a temporary balm so as not to suffer. Some drink, some take pills. Anyway, you know what I mean.

As my university professor used to say… What we resist persists.

I didn’t want to force things and laugh at all costs. No. Instead, I chose to show that it’s possible to keep a cheerful heart despite grief and life’s difficult moments.

While I laughed softly with them, I didn’t think about my great sorrow. I was simply living. And I remembered the joy of having had such a wonderful woman in my life. I would almost say that I felt her presence by my side during those moments in that magical place.

I don’t laugh ALL the time! This week, I’ve been experimenting with tears a lot. And that’s OK! I KNOW my laughter is there… right next to it.

What happened

A few days ago, I suggested an exercise to subscribers to the École newsletter. The blackhead exercise.

As I mourned the loss of this precious friend, someone unknowingly taught me a tremendous lesson.

In her comment to my FB post, she reminded me to think about all that remains, all that is. Not to dwell on what’s missing, what’s gone. I was forgetting her. (Yes! Even I forget sometimes!)

Another did me a lot of good when she said that “the pain of mourning is love that doesn’t know where to go“. As I read it, I began to direct all that love towards her, towards my friend, towards the sky, towards the birds, towards the flowers, towards my family… what’s left. And I felt better.

Tears and laughter

Tears are laughter’s little cousins. They’re very close sometimes! And they’re also part of life.

I’m just like you. I experience challenges, mourning, not-so-easy times. But I know that the sun shines above the clouds and I focus on what is and what remains.

Let’s raise our heads. Let’s look to the sky. Smile lightly. Celebrate what has been and what remains.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, my beautiful Manon d’amour. Thank you for the beautiful trace you leave in my life and in our hearts.

Laughter, joy and health

Linda

If I had known what I know now

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We often hear this phrase. If I had known what I know now…

I confess, when I realized the impact of stress on the brain and how it absolutely cannot work in the same way at that moment, I thought “this explains it”! If I had known what I know now, I would certainly have taken steps to relax before my exams at school (from high school to university)!

“Stress eventually becomes harmful. Over time, high cortisol levels degrade the brain and other body systems. This kind of brain damage is associated with a number of health problems, including depressive and anxiety disorders, as well as memory loss and dementia.” Let’s talk science

Imagine this scene.

You’re in a large auditorium – at the theater or elsewhere – and suddenly the power goes out. What happens?

The lights go out and those that come on are just the little beacons to indicate emergency exits.

In a way, this is the same phenomenon that occurs in the brain when we’re under stress. The lights go out – the circuits that aren’t ESSENTIAL to our survival shut down – and all that’s left are tiny spotlights that shine dimly to show us which way to go.

What are “non-essential” circuits?

Just think about it. Patience, communication, concentration, a sense of humor… and that’s what will keep me alive. Nervous reflexes, more adrenalin, faster heartbeat, shorter breathing, etc.

Had I known…

I’m sure I’m not the only one to have stood in front of my exam paper and been left completely blank by questions I knew the answers to the night before! When I got to the exam room, I now realize that I was developing a higher level of stress. Hello closed circuits! Impossible to remember anything! My brain didn’t work in the same way at all!

Why am I telling you all this?

Because everyone in exam time (children and adults alike) risks experiencing this “radio silence” if they let themselves be overwhelmed by stress! The circuits won’t work as well BECAUSE OF STRESS!

Once you’re aware of the impact stress has on brain function and know the quickest way to zap stress effectively, you can change things!

You know what medium I’m talking about, don’t you? HAHAHA! YES!!! LAUGH!

So my little 5-cent tip* is to take a few minutes before entering the exam room to breathe slowly and LAUGH. For at least 3 minutes! Laugh and breathe. It’s the best way to calm your nervous system, center yourself and reset your circuits before the stressful activity.

I say it sometimes. If I had known what I know now, I might be a dentist right now! HAHAHAHAHA!

Here’s a little gift to help you.

Laughter, joy and health

Linda

*Do you know Charlie Brown? How about Lucy’s consultation counter where she charges 5 cents for her advice? See? hihihi!

Do you have a healthy lifestyle?

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Big question. Is a healthy lifestyle important to you?

Is your answer yes?

  • You brush your teeth after every meal (or at least twice a day!).
  • You eat well.
  • You drink water.
  • You wash yourself.
  • You sleep 7 hours a night (when everything’s going well!).
  • You exercise a few times a week (even if it’s walking, it counts).
  • You take some time off.
  • You see friends.
  • You’re taking a vacation.
  • You laugh heartily for several minutes a day.

Did you say YES to all of these? Did you say NO to one or more? Then there’s something seriously missing from your healthy lifestyle. And I’m willing to bet that what’s missing is LAUGHTER!

Am I wrong?

When you know all the benefits of a good, energetic laugh (the kind that makes your belly move and sounds good), you wonder why we don’t allow ourselves to do it assiduously and daily!

Why aren’t we laughing more?

Because we adults are in our heads! And our heads are full of worries, responsibilities, performance ideas and so on. And when the head is full of “serious, important things”, there’s no room for a sense of humor.

That’s why I love laughter yoga so much. Because it allows me to maintain a healthy lifestyle and laugh at will even when my grown-up brain is busy dealing with grown-up problems!!! HAHAHA!

An experience

Would you like to experiment with me?

I suggest you do the exercise in this one-minute video with me. Just one minute of your time.

And let me know if you succeed – but to succeed, you have to WANT to laugh!

Let me know how you feel AFTERwards.

Come on. Just a minute. Here we go!

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

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

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

 

Because laughing will help us…

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Why take action to offer online laughter breaks? Because laughing will help us all!

Following in the footsteps of my colleague Corinne Cosseron from theÉcole internationale de rire in France, I’ve put out a call to all instructors trained at the École du yoga du rire so that we can offer mini flash sessions of intentional laughter.

It starts on Monday, March 30, 2020.

All you have to do is consult the the proposed schedule at www.yogadurire.com/urgencerire and choose the times when you’d like to laugh with us. You’ll see a series of “screen” icons at the bottom of the page and, just by clicking on one or the other at the time displayed, you’ll be immediately directed to the “meeting room”. It’s that simple. All you have to do is download ZOOM onto your device. It’s safe and convenient.

We’ll use the following format:

  • People arrive in line and warm up (some presenters will choose physical movements, others sounds).
  • Intentional laughter
  • Breathing and smiling
  • Relaxation
  • Share and farewell

We’ll be online at ZOOM for a few weeks, at various times during the day. During the day and in the evening too. Just until things settle down and we can physically laugh together again!

Until then, it’s the best thing we can do to make ourselves feel better and not give in to panic, fear and discouragement. Let’s keep our hopes up and our spirits high!

Many thanks to Mance, Noémie, Claude, Johanne, Céline, Jacques, Martine, Fanny and Karine for agreeing to be with us! You guys are great!

Come on. At GO, do we let ourselves laugh out loud? Because that’s what makes us feel good!

GO!

Laughter, joy and health

Linda

 

Tag Archive for: laugh