Predictions for 2007

Chuckling Your Way to Enlightenment

Nope.  There's No Death

Ever been to a gathering with earnest people meditating? It looks like the group is in some kind of collective pain. Furrowed foreheads, scrunched up faces, folks intent on doing a darned fine job meditating. They are bound and determined to gain enlightenment, if it’s the last thing they do!

Please! People!

Enlightenment doesn’t have to hurt. Meditation is a good thing, and, if you ask me, it should be taught in school and everyone should do it. However, let us be open to yet another excellent relaxation device and path to personal evolution.

This is not about ecstatic dance, isolation tanks, labyrinth walks, fasting, peyote, or Levitating to the Mother Ship. This is about laughter. Yep, yuck it up and find your higher self.
This idea is so cutting edge, so far ahead of the curve, our culture doesn’t yet have any temples dedicated to laughter. There are no big workshops, Depak hasn’t done a public broadcasting special about it. You’re here at the very beginning of this new era of spiritual evolution and revolution! Wooo hooo!
Laughter is not always from a place of joy, nor is it necessarily about funny-humorous or funny-weird. Laughter is also about finding neutrality and blessed release. Laughter is a nice, big connection to your very own divine self.

When you find yourself in the midst of something large — large joy, large surprise, large sorrow — this is the time to find the laughter in your heart. When you’re in an extreme situation, you can tense up, stop breathing, grab some sort of anxiety, like, oh, let’s say, Fear, and hold it tight in your body. Or, you can choose to view the moment as some wacky bit of ridiculousness, and neutralize that pesky fear by laughing. Talk about your endorphins!

In meditation, you may enjoy spending hours in quiet contemplation. Whack your gong, feel the vibrations, stare down a candle, meditate up a storm, gracefully move yourself one more step on your personal journey. Or, maybe, just a moment ago, you gave a low level groan of guilt because “Meditate” never seems to get checked off your daily things to do list. Are you pretty sure meditation won’t happen next week, either?

Which ever situation describes you, what could you lose by adding laughter to your daily life? Zip. That’s what. Absolutely nothing.

What could you gain? Well, to begin with, your eyes will twinkle. Everyone looks better when they laugh. Besides that, laughter will fill your body with oxygen, relax your muscles, counteract anxiety, and massage those hard to reach organs. You’ll let go. Just as meditation helps you snip those ties and goobery webs which hold you back, laughing cuts those same yucky bungee cords. To connect with your higher self, go find things which make you laugh.

Laughter is like the smoke from a smudge stick or incense in a ceremony. Smoke is of this world and travels to the next. It cleanses. It releases. Smoke transports prayers and intentions, as well as making almost any food taste better. Laughter is like smoke. It is connected with the physical body, and, it dissipates into the beyond. Laughter also makes even the most meager meal a festive experience.

My friend, Gilda says, “You think enlightenment comes easily? No! You‘ve got to make some choices. You have to choose to have a good time even on the bad days.”

Use laughter to neutralize the hurt and frustration of the human condition. Employ whatever laugh fits the moment, anything from a little chuckle for defusing a bad situation, up to the thigh slapping guffaw of delight and deliverance.

Use laughter to alleviate aggravations. Don’t pound the dashboard yelling, “Not another freaking red light! I’ll never get there. Poopity poop poop, I’m so late!” Instead, try to laugh and say to yourself, “Well, how about that, the clock is ahead of me. Darn, I’m still human and haven’t figured out that cool bi-location thing. Gotta get home early tonight and work on that time machine design.”

Save the drama and consider the situation. Ask yourself, “What would the dolphins do?” Do you think when dolphins are running a little late, they create wrinkles from frowning and slap their fins in self loathing? No. They say, “Ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee,” (which sounds a lot like “Hee-hee-hee,” to me) and then they have themselves some sushi.

Laugh because the sun showed up again. Take a moment to be amazed that we live on a rotating planet. Laugh when you find pleasure or disgust with the scent of a new fragrance. Laugh at toddlers, kittens, puppies, baby anythings; enjoy their antics and appreciate that innocence from which we all come.
When you find yourself in an unknown neighborhood and you are so stinking lost you don’t know what to do next; laugh about it. Laugh at the absurdity because it’s not the end of the world, and, because the laughter invigorates those important organs, that extra oxygen to the brain helps you figure out where the heck you are so you can get yourself home.
When you find a beloved has passed on, laugh between your tears because he slipped beyond the pain.

Laugh in gratitude. When I think about my life, I giggle, “Oh, I’m a lucky gal,” even when family realities pull at my heartstrings or my bank balance is waving a little white surrender flag.
Let a throaty chuckle escape your lips when you encounter sensual joys like a sky-on-fire-sunset, the softest underwear you’ve ever touched, really tasty food, or music so good that you have to move your body. It doesn’t hurt that throaty chuckles are so sexy.

Pay attention to what’s around you and laugh when it’s really good. Go ahead and laugh when it’s really bad, too. If that’s the worst bite of macaroni and cheese you’ve ever had in your life, stop eating and start laughing. If you’re caught in the rain, consider, at some point you can’t get any more wet, so simply shake your head and chuckle.

Just in case you think this is all fun and games, let’s remember: Safety First. Don’t laugh inappropriately. You could get yourself smacked in the kisser. If you’re in a situation reeking with absurdity, and the people around you have not been introduced to this laughter business… keep your chuckles to yourself. Maybe you can look like you’re stifling a cough or weeping, rather than shaking through a debilitating silent laugh attack. If you look like you’re in some kind of distress, you can make a beeline to the bathroom, get yourself out of sight and earshot, and let go. You might have to wait until you’re in the shower, or chopping the dinner vegetables. Rethink those moments of challenge and society’s generally outlandish behavior, and choose to find the absurdity. You might not muster a full on thigh slap, but maybe you can find a bemused grin and chortle.

Sometimes, things are very very scary; then it’s time to rally the dark side of your humor. When you generate a disbelieving chuckle in the most horrible situations, you’ll neutralize the terror and find clarity. Move into compassion and maybe you can help others with their shock and grief.

Should you find yourself a trouble so significant it leads you to think that the worse thing that can happen is dying, I’ve got some friends in the know who say, “No need to fear death, it’s just an extreme makeover.” So everybody lighten up a little bit, okay?

~ Tonina B, Iowa

Subscribe Now to Receive News and Advice from Team Ruby: