The Power of Laughter

Laughter is the catalyst for bringing forward a wide range of emotions that enables our soul to fully engage in its evolution…

“LAUGHTER IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL. ” LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE.”

We have all heard these expressions, right?  So, how exactly does laughing affect our soul, and how can it help what ails us?  We know that all of life and everything in it has a level of energy that manifests into many forms.  Laughter carries within it a high frequency of energy because it greatly affects our moods, emotions, mental states, physical health, and our sense of spiritual connection.  We all love to be around people who make us laugh, don’t we?  The joy that emanates from their sense of humor has a way of touching our souls at a deep level.  Some of these people have the innate ability to change the energy around any situation so that everyone feels lighter and more at ease.  And that is what it boils down to doesn’t it?  Isn’t the ultimate goal in life to be joyful and happy?

Is this to say that these people are always happy?  Perhaps yes, perhaps no.  Remember, happiness is a choice.  And choosing to be a happy does not necessarily mean we will be free of challenges.  How we manage to maintain our joy even through the rough times is the key.  Choosing to respond  in positive ways changes the energy around any situation for the better.  And laughter is one  way that can help us to do just that.  One of the most healing things we can do for ourselves is to not only choose to feel better, but look for ways in which we can create the kind of joy that triggers laughter and uplifts our spirit.  How can we go about this?

First of all, learning to love and embrace ourselves for exactly who we are is a great foundation for joy and happiness to play an active role in our daily lives.  It goes without saying that surrounding ourselves with people who lift our spirit is a great way to stay in our joy as well.  Carefully choosing our entertainment  is also very important in keeping our energy at the level of joy.  We may want to choose movies and television programs that make us feel good and brings out the best in us.  Have you ever noticed your body’s reaction, as well as your overall feeling  by what you may be seeing, hearing and experiencing while watching a  movie for instance?  What emotions are being triggered? Are you laughing?  Does it make you feel happy?  Sad? Let us choose wisely.  It can make all the difference in our overall feeling of joy from which laughter emanates.

There are many forms of entertainment that encourage laughter.  Many of them encourage us to laugh at ourselves, which helps us in not taking ourselves too seriously.  It is however, important for us to distinguish the difference between that which is meant to be funny, and those things that are shared with laughter as a means to diminish or make fun of individuals or groups of people.  There is a fine line between what is funny and what has the appearance of humor.  Listening to our intuition, paying attention to the direction of our thoughts,  and how our bodies react to various types of humor will help us to determine what truly resonates with our  sensibilities.  Just something to consider.

Laughter has tremendous power, a kind of energy that encompasses many emotions, feelings and physical responses as mentioned earlier.  While laughing triggers joy and happiness, it can also be used to cover up what we are truly feeling.  We may incite laughter from a subconscious level  to help us overcome nervousness or to create a diversion when we feel uneasy.  Whatever the reason, for which there is no right or wrong, laughter can help us deal with any situation…hence its power.  And when we learn to live more in alignment with our authentic nature, we will be gently guided to move through those things that may be standing in the way of our true joy.  In essence, laughter is a graceful way in which our soul can evolve in all its magnificence as us because it opens up the channels for healing.

While laughter is very healing, so is crying.  It is interesting to note that laughing and crying are very closely related.  In fact, they are opposites of the same thing…joy. Have you ever started out laughing and ended up really crying?  Our laughter in this case, could have triggered the emotional pain we may be holding onto at a deep level from either a subconscious level or something we are moving through in the present.  And because crying touches the opposite side of laughing, our tears will flow naturally.  Likened to laughing, crying also serves as a healing mechanism because they both help to relieve or release the pain.  And both responses can bring us back into our joy.   There are also those occasions when we laugh and cry uncontrollably at the same time in response to something we felt was hilarious.  This again, is because we are moved at a very deep level by whatever triggered our emotions of joy…or sorrow.  Kahlil Gibran, in his book, “The Prophet” (pg. 29), shares with us his profound wisdom by stating in part that, “Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.  And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears. The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.”  Something to think about isn’t it?  From a physical standpoint, laughing and crying helps to relieve the stress and tension we may be carrying  in our bodies, and simply makes us feel better and more relaxed.

So, why does laughing in itself make us feel so good?   When we laugh, the body releases endorphins which are the chemicals that make us feel good.  Laughter promotes balance in our lives because it invokes a sense of well-being within our heart, mind, spirit, and soul.  Again, this is because laughing helps us to let go of emotional, mental, and physical pain.  Have you ever laughed so much that you forgot what you were upset about…even temporarily?  And when you stopped laughing, weren’t you in a better frame of mind and able to handle things from a different perspective?   Didn’t you feel lighter?

We are given many opportunities to laugh along our journey when we are open to it.  We may even consider cultivating a sense of humor ourselves.  Why wait for others to make us laugh?  Sharing our joy through laughter makes us feel more connected to each other, because it is a beautiful form of communication.  Most of us are so busy in our lives with all the serious stuff that has our attention.  Let us not forget to take care of our inner child by doing things that are fun and promote our sense of lightheartedness.  Let us give ourselves permission to laugh more.

A very dear friend made her transition only a few days ago.  Writing this post on laughter turned out to be very timely.  She was a magnificent example of how joy radiated through her sparkling eyes, and the ability she had to make everyone around her laugh with delight.  I can still hear her singing that silly song on her voice mail message which included her laughing at the end of it.  It makes me smile just thinking about it.  In preparing for her Celebration of Life Service, I found myself laughing out loud at all her antics.  The truth is, I also found myself crying in almost the same breath that followed my laughter.  She was and will continue to be an inspiration to all who knew her because of the joy she shared with us in spite of her challenges.  Wouldn’t it be great if we could all be remembered for our joy, our laughter and how we made others feel because of our lightheartedness?  Laughter can definitely keep us out of our heads and into our hearts.  Thank you angel for sharing your love, light, and laughter with us while you were here.  Your beautiful spirit will always be a source of joy throughout eternity.

What about smiling?  How does that relate to the power of laughter?  Smiling is a radiant prelude to laughter.  Wearing a smile sends a powerful message  into the Universe that we are open to the joys of life.  Heartfelt smiling like laughing, is positive energy, and influences the way we touch others and ultimately experience our lives.  So, let us smile and laugh wholeheartedly together in divine harmony with the understanding that doing so affects greatly our own and collective well-being.  Let us be spontaneous in our joy.  Did you know that sharing our joy raises the vibration of the love within us all?   And by the way, when was the last time you really laughed…out loud?

Thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts with you.  Namaste’.

In Love, Light and Divine Inspiration,

 

 

 

 

Dr. Regina J. Dekker, MscD.