I go to this laughing yoga thing on Mondays now and I am hooked. It’s closed today ‘cause of President’s Day. I mean Obama’s been on the job, what, two weeks and he’s already taking a day off?
Here’s what you do for laughing yoga. You fake it until you make it. The idea is that a faked laugh has the same therapeutic benefit as an honest, serious, no frills, gut-busting laugh.
Smile. It’s the first thing you do. Go on and give it whirl. So easy. Smile. Try this 6 second video.
The tried and true in laffyoga is a standard yogoesque chant of Ho ho, ha ha, hee hee, ho ho, ha ha, hee hee. It’s already funny.
In laugh yoga, you start out by saying you name and laughing at it (with it). Go ahead, say your name aloud and laugh out loud. (pause)
Don’t worry nobody’s watching. Really laugh. (pause)
Now say your name aloud with an alliterative adjective describing who you are or how you are feeling (playful Paul, silly Sarah, pink sock Peter) and then laugh because … because you can.
Yes, it’s ridiculous. Everything is.
Try this one.
Half close your eyes and clench your teeth and give the biggest cocktail brown nose cackle you can muster. (pause)
Now, add a teacup to your hand (dainty: pinky extended) and maybe toss in a British throat quiver. And do it loud. (pause)
Keep the frumpy English chuckle and let everyone know how wealthy you are and how English you are and intelligent you are and how much better you are than they. Top of the food chain laugh.
Now think how ridiculous you look sitting in that room, laughing with that teacup in your hand! Laughing for no good reason other than it feels good is good enough for me.
The great thing about laughing is that when you are laughing your mind is incapable of holding contending realities.
All the Übercritics and mega-egos out there are temporarily suspended. You’re neither good nor bad. When you laugh, all you hear is ha ha, ho, ho, hee, hee!!!
And if that’s still not enough. Try the laughter hotline at 712.432.3900. Access code: 607-1292. Daily at 10AM MST.
7 comments:
Okay - I now know you are serious. And I commend you. I am WAY to self-conscious to even do this alone! How on earth did you decide to do this??
Haha, great exercises. However, my friend, you forgot one important one: the GUFFAW!!
- T.M.C. Broom (testin' this out for using as my author name...does it look legit?)
I can't quit thinking of Burt from Mary Poppins on the ceiling having tea . . . I Love to Laugh . . . .Yyou know the rest--sing along.
I watched the penguin slapdown 14 times.
"Cocktail brown nose cackle" I like it. HIgh pressure weather systems work well for me, but watch out for a Nor'easter!
Hi Paul,
Welcome to the blogosphere. You sure are picking up followers pretty darn fast :)
OMG! My uncle is a certified laughing yoga instructor! Swear! He makes me do some of the exercises and it's so much fun. Fake it till you make it...
;-)
Katie, I'm not stherious; I'm sthilly. And yes, Tyler guffaw was omitted b/c it is sooo 08 and I ththink I would make a good insthructor, Robin'sth uncle if I could just sthop drinking. Th.
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