Laugh With Health

I have an old book called “Laugh With Health” by Manfred Urs Koch, that we often used as a reference when my kids were in school and they needed information on nutrition; especially what certain elements and vitamins did for the body. At the time it seemed an oddly titled book, nothing funny about it. I’ve since learned that it is a big seller from Australia, is all about nutrition, and it has been kept updated over the years. Still, the title doesn’t really explain what it is all about. Not unless you have been learning, as I have, all about laughter and the important role it plays in our health.

Through laughter yoga and laughter wellness training, I’ve felt first-hand the release of endorphins that comes with laughing. I’ve experienced the relaxing effects as laughter works both sides of my brain at the same time and pushes stress and anxiety to the side.  I’ve saved piles and piles of written material and research about healing humor and laughter. In a theoretical way, I have come to understand what it means to “laugh with health.”

This year, that understanding became even more personal and experiential. Since January, I have been on a health journey that, at for a time, robbed me of my laughter. At first I was unaware, thinking that I was just moving along, the same person I had always been. It wasn’t until my issues started to get better did I realize that I had not exactly been “myself.”  Recently, I’ve been told by some “you seem more like yourself lately.” The LOML and I have even been making note of the return of laughter to our daily discourse.

Most significant has been how I have noticed how much I get out of leading a laughter wellness session. This is something I took for granted in the past. Now, I stop and notice how pain-free I feel. I breathe deep and revel in the absence of anxiety and fear. I feel more like “me.” Suddenly, I know, on a deep physical, emotional and spiritual level, what it is to “Laugh with Health.” My goal now is to consciously keep laughter present in my life, whether it is a full laughter wellness workout, or a smile at today’s cartoons. I will not expect laughter or happiness to just fall on me from the universe, I will actively pursue it.

What are you doing to keep laughter present in your life?