I’m addicted.  Is this a bad thing? I absolutely MUST get some laughs in every day. Lately, I’ve been enjoying laughs between 11:00 pm and 12:00 pm watching my favorite TV comedy sitcom.  You would think, at this time of day, I would have complete freedom to just sit and have a good laugh.  I can’t believe it when my 18 year old daughter gives me one word answers to my friendly questions during the day (in other words mostly ignores me) then thinks nothing of dropping major bombshells on me during my sacred time of humour.

–         11:10 pm – Mom, I have to have $250 no later than 9:00 am in the morning to pay for the deposit on that course at University. I respond –  Huh? What course are you talking about and when did you tell me about this?

–         11:20 pm – Mom, I have a lump the size of a golf ball on my leg.  It’s been there for months.  My boyfriend’s Mother has a hernia and she has the same symptom and now I’m worried so I’m leaving immediately and I’m going to the hospital emergency department. I respond – WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? – Why didn’t you go to a clinic during the day? Why haven’t I heard about this before?

–         11:30 pm – Mom, my boyfriend just doesn’t understand me and we had a big fight two days ago and now all of our friends are taking his side and no one loves or respects me (tears flowing) – I respond – Mute the TV and while continually glancing at it I try to find some sympathy and understanding for this problem that I have heard so many times over and over during the years

–         11:40 pm – Mom, I’m starting a new diet tomorrow and here is a list of all the foods that I will need starting with breakfast in the morning plus I’m buying a juicer for my diet. It costs $200.  Can you help me pay for it?  I respond – PLEASE can we please talk about this tomorrow?

–         11:50 pm – Mom, I have to have a full length, black evening dress, with sleeves, for my Choir concert on Friday night.  When can we go shopping for it?  Oh, and my car has been making a banging noise for the last week or so.  It’s getting really bad – what should we do about it?  I respond – Why didn’t you tell me these things before, like all day today or yesterday or the day before, when I wasn’t indulging in my very best hobby of humour?

I have read that laughter relaxes the body and reduces problems associated with high blood pressure, strokes, ulcers and even arthritis.   I’ve also read that laughter decreases stress hormones while producing a general sense of well-being.  Remember the saying “laughter is the best medicine”? Humour is one of the most powerful tools that we can use to heal ourselves and reduce tension in our lives while building bonds and creating rapport with others. 

Considering I live with a teenager, humour could be a necessity in my life irrespective of my desire for it.  Do you have a good sense of humour and the ability to laugh at stressful situations? If so, these qualities will go a long way in helping to mitigate the damaging physical effects that distressing emotions may cause.  These days I fight the gray hair, wrinkles and teenage bombshells in whatever way that I can.  This includes good quality supplements, lots of physical activity and, my favorite, a daily dose of laughter.

Tags: humour, laughter therapy

the meditation

With the hectic pace of life in the modern world, it is no wonder why more and more people are dealing with issues of anger, rage, stress, depression and anxiety, as well as many other negative reactions and destructive emotions. With busy lives and packed schedules it is also easy to find yourself going through a day on “auto-pilot” and actually missing some aspects of life. Mindfulness meditations are one way that people are combating these issues.

The concept of mindfulness meditations is to help you to be more aware, or mindful, of the many aspects of your life and of everything you are doing. So many times it is easy to get into a groove or a rut and fail to recognize patterns of behavior, attitudes, emotions and actions that begin to take over. Sometimes, it seems that it is easier to let habit or outside circumstances and influences “push” us through the day, and living starts to take on an aspect of “unconscious existing.”

It has been said that you simply cannot change what you don’t acknowledge or what you are not aware of in your life. When people get into this mode of unconsciously going through the motions of life as opposed to consciously living, mindful meditations can be very helpful.

Taking time on a daily basis for mindful meditation practice is the way to become aware of the patterns that a person has fallen into. Once this awareness is brought about, the person who is meditating can then start to see their life from a different perspective and start to see where they can make changes and improvements. In general, meditation techniques help people to gain a more balanced, realistic and grounded view of their behaviors, attitudes and actions.

As you become more aware of all the different aspects of your life, your unique situation, and the environment you are surrounded by through mindfulness mediations, this in turn helps your body to relax, which also helps the nervous system to relax. As a result, stress can be greatly reduced simply by becoming aware through the meditation process.

Another of the benefits of gaining this increased awareness on many levels through mindfulness meditations is that you can then start to take greater control in your life. Often, one of the most stressful things is the feeling of not being in control of one’s own existence. Meditation techniques can be the first step in breaking the unconscious patterns and habits that have taken charge and shifting the control back to conscious decision-making.

Tags: meditation practice, meditation techniques, meditations, mindfulness, mindfulness meditations, the meditation