Laughter Yoga is said to be good for you because it exercises both the body and the mind. The mind is exercised through the meditation techniques preformed before the laughter is begun. Those who have participated in his laugh classes say that it leaves them with a sense of warmth, hope and joy.
Scientist at the University of California have proven that laughter, while exercising your cardiovascular, also, lowers key stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenalin. In addition, laughter boast the body's natural killer cells that go after tumor cell and virally infected cells.
You don't have to wait until World Laughter day, which takes place on the first Sunday in May. If it is indeed true that laughter is the best medicine, then you can mail your checks to me immediately. This is one of the funniest music videos I have ever seen. Any time I need a pick me up, I play this video. It is funny every time.
The performance is excellent every time!
Fall colors stand out against the evening sky. On this autumn evening in October, I snapped a shot of a tree holding on to the last rays of the setting sun.
Is it 'Nesse', the Loch Ness Monster? It certainly gives the illusion of Ole Nesse. But it is a tree stretching its imaginary neck into the evening sky.
This picture of the sun rising is beautiful and yet, complex. While I marveled at the beauty of the morning sky, I knew that these blue, orange, golden yellow, wisp of white and black clouds meant a dramatic change in the weather was on its way.
It is a lot like a vast number of people suffering with a chronic illness. Looks are deceiving. The inside can be in constant pain and the mind in disarray, while looking good on the outside.This has to be the number one complaint of people who suffer with a chronic illness; "My family dismiss my claims of fatigue, pain and depression because they believe I look too good to be sick.".
You cannot fix their problems and they are aware of that. However, you hold the answer to the end of a lot of stress and depression. Validity. Validating that you know they may not feel well today, is a major key to easing a lot of tension in your relationship with the chronically ill. "Go ahead, make their day." A dramatic change could be on the way!
It is hard not to smile when you look out your window and see this pink verbena being visited by a beautiful Swallowtail butterfly.
If you have been chronically ill for an extended period, it may be time to examine your thoughts about your illness and your life in general.
As if with some predetermined purpose, several years ago, a tree began to grow in my yard. Living in a wooded area, a new tree was not a novelty. I did not particularly like where it was growing. However, I had stopped performing my own yard work and had a lot more pressing issues than a new tree in my yard.
Still, the tree had one quality that I just loath. Each fall, it produced these large green balls. They seemed to have no useful qualities. The dogs would not even play with them. By inadvertently stepping on one, I had lost my footing. In addition, on more than one occasion, I had been conked on the head by one of these unwanted visitors as it made it's descend to earth.
I had literally cursed the tree and had marked it for future firewood. I had grown to hate the tree.
One bright autumn Saturday morning, a friend called to invite me to lunch. We had not seen each other in a while and I quickly took her up on her offer. Like many who take multiple medications, no longer having the luxury of driving available, we are at the mercy of those who do. She told me the time she would pick me up and I was ready and waiting.
We have been friends since childhood. Therefore, lunch together is a talkfest. It was wonderful. We immediately turn into nine year olds again. We sat in the restaurant completely oblivious to others around us while still soaking in the accommodating ambiance of the restaurant.
When we returned to my home, I invited her to visit the recent changes in the garden. Each season is a change in the garden for with nature that is the rule, nothing stays the same. As we walked, I described what each tree, bush, and plant did. We collaborated on the best way to grow the ones we had in common.
As we headed back toward the house, she asked me about the dreaded tree. "I don't know what that is." I declared. It just started growing. I have grown to hate it. It drops those green balls on the ground. I grudgingly stated; "The dogs won't even play with them." 
She bent down, picked one up, and said; "If this is what I think it is," then she abruptly stopped.
"What do you think it is?" I asked.
"I'll show you in a minute." She said.
We walked to a concrete block. She laid it on the concrete block and asked for something to smash it. I quickly obliged by handing her a brick. With one crunch, she stood up and started to smile.
What is it? I asked again. This time a little more impatiently.
Here! I could smell it before I saw it. "It's a walnut!" I said, answering my own question. "Yes!" She replied. Walnuts! We both started to laugh. All those years I had a FREE walnut tree in my yard and did not know it.
Of course, I had help in the cover up. The squirrels did know the value and they were busy taking care of their interest.
As with our health, I had not investigated deeply enough to learn the value of the tree. Often when introduced to techniques or procedures previously unknown or foreign to us, without even investigating the possibilities of the veiled results, we tune out or shout down.
If our doctor or therapist did not suggest it, we are afraid to try it. We are even afraid to discuss it with our medical professionals. The fear of hearing we are wrong or that is just "mom bow jumbo", keeps some of us needlessly tied to our illness. Could it be that we remain chronically ill, to some degree, as much a part of fear of the unknown as the illness its' self?
The easier or less expensive the technique, the harder to believe it could possible work. We would rather curse the technique or procedure than give it an opportunity to work.
The walnut tree was free. Not one day did it require me to water, mulch or fertilize it for it to grow into the fruit-bearing tree it is today. And, subsequently, it is the same with some illness we experience with our body. We could very possibly stop the pain or end the illness, if we would just delve a little deeper into what is really causing the malady.
An injury we understand. We know that, with time, a simple injury will heal on its own-just as the tree grew on its own. However, what about a disease, can it be that easy? Can it be the body's dis-ease? Once we understand it, by mentally putting the body at ease, cure the illness?
Emotion Free Technique (EFT) suggested that it is. Following a post earlier this month, several people agreed that it is just that simple. To give it a chance to work in our own chronic pain-filled lives, would mean that we would have to change the way we think about ourselves as we relate to the rest of the world. We might even have to admit our own preconceived believes and uneducated decisions determine our poor health.
As with the walnut tree, I made decisions concerning the tree based on my limited knowledge of the tree. I had never taken the time to explore a little deeper into what the green balls were. All I knew was come spring they were gone.
I personally like Emotion Free Technique (EFT). However,
EFT is not the only technique that can help stop our pain and/or cure an illness that medicine alone cannot reach. Others diverse treatments include Integrated Medicine (ATTITUDE), Reiki Life, Natural Health, Super Brain Therapy, etc.
You have to know that the squirrels were benefiting from my ignorance about my walnut tree. Who is benefiting from your ignorance about your illness?
After reading my previous post on the devastation chronic pain has on one's life, several weeks ago, Valerie at CureDepression With Umbrellas (Don't you just love the title of her blog site?), sent me an email concerning the possibility of Pranic Healing helping with my chronic pain.
CBS PRANIC HEALING VIDEOS
Posts
All Comments
