Laughter

A few days after I launched my book “Free and Laughing: Spiritual Insights in Everyday Moments” in December last year, a friend called me and said “Marguerite, you have got to meet my cousin Winnie. She is into laughter”. I immediately invited them both to have breakfast with me a week later, noting to myself that the Law of Attraction was truly in action – I had just put myself out there as being “Free and Laughing” – and what do I attract? A laughter specialist of course!

Life has been a joyous, laughter-infused ride since that balmy December morning on my back patio. Led by Winnie, I have been introduced to Laughter Yoga (www.laughteryoga.org) and become a certified Laughter Yoga Leader along with eight other laughers (including my sister). Winnie and I have laughed on radio programmes, we have celebrated World Laughter Day and we have led Laughter Yoga sessions. Yesterday, we laughed for the filming of a television show on laughter. One look at each other and we … LAUGH!

There are numerous reasons to laugh – but we choose to laugh for no reason except for the joy of it. Winnie always says “You don’t laugh because you are happy; you are happy because you laugh”. Indeed, a 15-minute laughter session proves this. No matter your mood at the beginning, you are BOUND to feel a lot better by the end (actually, within just a few minutes). The producer of yesterday’s filming shared with me that the film crew on their way to film us, they had planned that whatever they did, they would not laugh. It was quite a sight to see them all cracking up, while trying to hold cameras and microphones steady! They just couldn’t help themselves, for laughter is so contagious! And they were still laughing on their way back to the studio and singing our little laughter ditty!

What a joy it is to be a part of this virus called laughter! It is a simple, easy thing that we all can do to change the entire world and our own world, one laugh at a time.