APRIL 2021: Humour is Healing

What makes you laugh out loud? We’re unique. It’s specific to each of us.

I like a pun or play on words, a dry wit or a bawdy humour. All those aspects can be tied up in one stanza of a limerick, which my father loved to write! Word play was popular in my family. Scrabble was revered. My mother was quite witty and had a beautiful laugh and people liked to laugh with her.

A ton of sarcasm was also used in my family home. This works well if everyone’s on board, but it’s not for mixed groups. I’ve had to re-train my brain to not think sarcastic comments and if I do, don’t say them out loud. They hurt others and that’s never my intent. If I’ve had two drinks at a party and someone uses sarcasm in a group, a retort can come out of my brain so quick, it bypasses my filter and is in the air, before I hear it. Then, someone says “Ohhh, that hurt” and I realize that I’ve fallen into the trap, again. I stuff my sarcasm away, again. It’s a weapon that should not be used.  

Humour can lighten the most stressful of situations. That’s why there’s often laughter at funerals and in hospital recovery rooms. We understand that we need to laugh to get out of there alive. 

I prefer to share funny stories and offer the gift of my story to let others know that they’re going to be alright. We can each be empowered by the stories of other peoples’ experiences. We are reminded that we do have choices on which path to choose.

When I was in the middle of a tough transition, I trained as a Yoga Laughter Trainer. I got together with a small group of adults for the weekend and we learned that our bodies actually don’t know the difference between genuine or intentional laughter. Either way, our bodies release endorphins that reduce stress hormones.

At the training, we were taught patterns of laughter to increase our immune systems and strengthened our tummy muscles. It helps our lungs, burns calories and lightens a heavy heart. Fake laughs offer real health benefits!

We were practicing laughter patterns and then we started laughing at things we found funny. I felt fantastic by the end of the weekend. My life started on a new path. I lived alone and started to practice “laughter yoga” in the shower, when I did the dishes or washed my hands. It helped me maintain a lighter self. I could even catch a glimpse of my future self.

I think Norman Cousins said it best. “Laughter is a form of internal jogging. It moves your internal organs around. It enhances respiration. It is an igniter of great expectations.”

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