Let there be laughter and peace on earth

Amid the myriad challenging situations taking place in our country and in practically all parts of the world, we do need a great dose of laughter. Propitously, the mission of Laughter Yoga, founded in 1995 by Dr. Madan Kataria, is to promote world peace through laughter! Because as one laughs, feel-good hormones called endorphins that make a person happy are released. When a person is happy, his outlook in life becomes positive, and his well-being is considerably improved. The toxic negative thoughts and ill-feelings dissipate, ridding the mind of things that will hurt people and harm the environment. To quote Dr. Kataria, “When you laugh, you change; when you change, the world around you changes, too.”

Mindful of Laughter Yoga’s mission, I wrote this prayer in 2008, when I was just starting to share Laughter Yoga with our kababayans.  It is my fervent hope that in our lifetime, the elusive peace we fervently hope for, and the prosperity enjoyed by just a minority, shall be enjoyed by all on this universe. 

Prayer

Thank you, Lord, for this most relaxing Laughter Yoga session. We thank you, too,  for blessing and helping us all, especially our families, our loved ones, our countrymen, and all your people throughout the world — especially your struggling,

suffering, sick, and  hungry people,

victims of natural calamities and

of man’s cruelty and greed.

Thank you for granting us all with peace that is lasting, and prosperity that is shared by all.  Amen.

The distinct advantage of Laughter Yoga is that one can do it alone, in a small or big group, no props or special clothing needed, no skills to learn.  Moreover, LYoga can be done while sitting down, lying down, standing up.  As some participants have commented after an LYoga session, at first they felt awkward, but as the LYoga session progressed, their laughter became spontaneous and natural, stemming from the heart and the belly.  Even surprised at themselves, they could laugh so heartily like they had never laughed before in their lives.

I am often asked, on and off my LYoga sessions, if I ever get stressed, sad, or depressed.  My reply was, “Always!” I also go through a plethora of emotions just like everyone.  However, having founded and brought Laughter Yoga to our country, it has become my not-too-secret magic formula. When I start feeling nostalgic and sad, I immediately I resort to laughter and deep breathing.  I do the same when stressed and tense, for laughter is a blessing available to each one of us.  So, why not avail of it, as often as we can?  It is free, God’s gift for us to balance things out when the going gets rough.”      

Mention stress, and I am reminded of Dr. Otto Warburg, a German medical doctor, who won the Nobel Prize twice in the field of medicine. He made the correlation between oxygenation (air) and the cells in the major organs of the body.  According to him, people get sick because of stress, as it deprives the cells in the body of the much-needed oxygen.  Remember, “a merry heart doeth good like a good medicine.”

Anita Moorjani, who was comatose for 36 hours, said when she recovered, number one on her list was to laugh at one’s self every single day.  “This would be hands down over any form of prayer, meditation, chanting or diet reform.  Day-to-day problems never seem as big when viewed through a veil of humor and love,” says Moorjani.

As we begin and end our day with prayer, let us laugh, too, as often as we can, “for a day without laughter is a wasted day.” 

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Let’s keep laughing for a healthy, happy, positive us.  For more of Laughter Yoga, visit laughteryogaphils.com.

And to laugh heartily with the participants, log on to lycphohohahaha! E-mail mega_abundant_lv@yahoo.com.