Laughter

Can Laughter Yoga Improve Your Relationships?

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Yes, it can! Hello again and can you believe we are a quarter of the way into 2025? There is not time to waste in our lives, being lazy, selfish or self-centred. It is likely that we can all improve our relationships and learn to communicate better. Can we keep learning, forever and until we cease to live? We most certainly can! What is more, whenever we begin, or return to having the attitude of doing our best and making our life count, it will be perfect timing. My ‘Never ever, ever give up’ motto originated from the content of Winston Churchill’s speech in 1941, which was the year before I was born. I believe it applies to everything we are drawn to in our lives.

Life can be so complicated and yet from my experience, human beings generally complicate their own lives. We can have a useful attitude to co-create our life with God, the Universe, Energy (insert here what you believe in), instead of being a victim to life, rather it being a co-creation with the Universe. We view through our own filters, put there by experiences and life’s conditioning ways. Our needs, desires, ambitions, yearnings, patterns and beliefs create an overall experience.

Most of us go to work for a time and perhaps reach a stage of seeing our unnecessary busy-ness, when we may have felt like life was happening to us, rather than our contribution in it all. We may make a decision about turning our life around, developing a more peaceful, harmonious life, connected with nature, holding greater meaning and purpose.

This can be like entering a new stage, that of decluttering on every level, heading towards living our life as simply as we possibly can, depending on our circumstances and involvement. I often write about decluttering and that too, will take its own never-ending journey, bringing to our lives, enrichment and long-lost meaning.

Laughter yoga has a place in all of this, the journey, self-discovery, empowerment, connections with ourselves and others. The prime reason for this is within the power of laughter and as well, connecting deep within our own sense of self and others. Laughter yoga particularly assists us in overall feelings of wellness in all of our bodies, emotional, mental, physical and spiritual. Our social connections are enhanced when we laugh together with people, especially in a group setting, as we do during laughter sessions.

If you are a regular reader of my blogs, you will have heard me say how things may happen slowly, organically, minimally, as evolution is designed to be that way. We can also hold a keen focus, like tunnel vision, for change to take place quicker. Our body is complex and operates on many levels, subtle as well as what was mentioned in the previous paragraph. Subtle in so far as our feelings are a sum of everything, including our soul and higher spiritual bodies (some people will relate to that).

Therefore, our relationships do in fact improve if we are involved in laughter yoga group activities and even to a lesser degree, laughing together with people in our daily lives.

There are ways to laugh alone also and feel free to email, phone or message me, if you want to find out about doing that. For example, various YouTube channels where laughter leaders have innumerable videos available. One by the laughter yoga guru, Dr Madan Kataria, in particular has a simple one, focusing on the breath and very little movement. It need not be complicated at all, and you can easily incorporate it into your life, if you but choose. And I will add, feel better for implementing regular laughter into your life.

How laughter yoga improves our relationships is therefore first and foremost, to belong to a laughter club, otherwise to practice it alone and develop your physical body awareness.

From my awareness and understanding, how it helps is the impact it has on our feeling of overall wellness, because the body benefits from laughing in a plethora of ways. Our relationships with others in our lives may possibly improve from some of the following.

We benefit from having improved communication and part of this is in this social group situation, we generally share by chatting together over a cuppa afterwards at Rapture café, in Ferntree Gully. This offers opportunities to find out things we have in common, lending a natural and loving support to others. Many people who come along live either actively involved or sedentary, lonely lives. Talking is important to feel we belong and have shared realities with others. Humans have a need to belong, to find our ‘tribe’ as it is often called. It is such a small world. One gentleman member grew up in the town I was born into and knew my two brothers. We have many affinities and people always find this to be the case.

Seeing the gifts in other people is a pastime I like to be involved in, as everyone has something special about them. No doubt many people love to do that as well, meeting with and finding mutual strengths and interests. But if we are too busy transmitting, needing to talk, blah blah blah, we will not be in a receptive, listening space and we will miss this people person richness. It is something I have been working on, being receptive and less needing to transmit. Although I’m very outgoing by nature, it feels important to balance that with being quiet, which develops an attitude which is more in harmony and balance with life, people, interests and relationships.

Conversations take on a life of their own as we discover how to truly listen to others. During laughter club, we practice being present, breathing, watching, listening, laughing and this simple formula assists in improving our ability to relate with other people. This all takes place very naturally and we may not even be aware of it.

Essentially, and summing up, laughter yoga is a great physical exercise which makes us feel better. Our communication and listening skills improve. It is a rich experience. Everyone benefits.

Yet again, I encourage and invite you to come to a laughter session in the park, or inside the Ferntree Gully and Boronia Libraries. It is never too late, and people have taken fifteen years or longer to do just that!

The Ferntree Gully Laughter Club meets at 11am on the 2nd & 4th Sunday of the month for half an hour and afterwards, we head to Rapture Cafe, for a hot cuppa and chat. Belonging to the laughter club is quite a social activity and we behave like lifelong friends, sharing together when given the chance to do so. Do you feel like coming along and being part of our small group (usually 6-8 of us each time). 

Knox Library Laughter Yoga Sessions

We are at the Ferntree Gully Library 2pm on the 4th Tuesday of the month and the Boronia Library 11am the 3rd Saturday of the month and I expect not to be able to run it in June.

First timers, please contact me, Lynette in case of a meeting change.

You may like to receive an email newsletter or a free discovery call/chat. Please contact me to arrange a time for either. Additionally, I send out a reminder email on the Friday before the laughter club meets and there is a Facebook group which you can join, so as to stay  in touch.

Cheerio for now and be kind to yourself.

Lots of Love and Laughter. Lynette Mitchell.

Phone:          0425 799 258
Email:            lynette@laughterforliving.com.au

How Does Mindfulness Compliment Laughter Club Activities?

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Hello Everyone

What two wonderful topics, Mindfulness and Laughter Yoga! Today I will share about mindfulness, which is a huge topic. Essentially, when you attend a laughter club session, you are way more present and, in the moment, practicing mindfulness without even knowing it! When we laugh, we have eye contact and simultaneously, have heart connections with each other. It is very uplifting and energising. There are huge health and social benefits that come naturally when we laugh together.

You will very likely agree that our lives are richer when we are conscious, feeling ourselves present, fully connected with life and our activities. The alternative to this is racing ahead or living in the past, going unconscious, operating our bodies on auto pilot. Our minds may be racing and our emotions in upheaval, as we live stressful, busy lives.

When our awareness of the present moment is lessened, problems arise through our unconscious and automatic programming, that is when we are not consciously choosing what we are up to in our lives. Problems may increase if we aren’t aware of them, which is like going down a slippery slope, as they increase and become larger problems. We may lose self-confidence and doubt ourselves, others and the purpose of life and do not embrace living our life to its utmost fullness.

I believe a lot of what we do is to learn to live our life in a mindful way, without even realising it. It is about being in the present, learning to live with less anxiety, being aware of our surroundings, meditation, breathing. In fact, many things we do are about working to improve our quality of life in a holistic way. I do not mean to be free to indulge our egos in eating, drinking, entertainment, although that all does have a place within reason. It is not meant to be our driving force.

There are several aspects of mindfulness, which you can practice anywhere, at any time, making it a promising habit. This roots you more strongly into the present moment, which gives a grounded connection into Mother Earth. The alternative to mindfulness is forgetfulness, when our mind is caught up in worry, fear, anger, and regrets. It is definitely not helpful to be reliving the past, as it is unwise to be living out of the present moment or imagining the future. This creates anxiety, depression, fear of survival and ill health.

Mindful Meditation

There are many ways that you can practice mindfulness. There is mindful meditation, which involves focusing on your breath so as to become calm and slow your whole body down to be nice and still. This relaxes the mind and emotions, releasing stress and worry about things that may never happen. It allows you to be proactive in your life, to be solution focused, taking steps to resolve things, which is empowering. Many of us are fearful of making the wrong decision. I encourage you to make one and experience the consequences, when you are stuck to the point which is harmful to your wellbeing and future.

To do a mindful meditation, here are two slightly different methods. One way is to say to yourself ‘I am breathing in, I am breathing out’ and let go of thoughts as they arise, keep bringing your mind back to the awareness of the breath. A second way is to breathe in to a count of what is comfortable, say between 4 to 8, pause for a count of 2, then breathe out for the same length of the in breath, followed by a slight pause. You may find the count becoming longer as you become more relaxed. If you prefer you may breathe out through the mouth, which gives you a different, nice experience.

Walking Meditation

Another way of practicing mindfulness is walking meditation, to walk being totally aware of your body. To do so, find a quiet space where you can be focused and undisturbed. Choose a comfortable distance or time that you will do it, say between 4 metres and 10 metres, or for 5 or 10 minutes. Walk slowly, focusing on the experience of walking, being aware of every step, the way your foot connects to the ground, all of the sensations in your body, your breath, expanding your awareness further out, feeling your body to be connected to earth, life and nature. After you practice it for the allotted time, continue walking, still holding the awareness of walking with awareness of your bodily sensations. It is a radically different experience to what we tend to do, which is also not appreciating every moment that we have available to us.

Body Scan

Another recognised way to be mindful is to sit or lay down and do a full body scan. Become aware of all of your body, focusing slowly and deliberately on every part of your body, from toe to head or head to toe. You may become aware of emotions or feelings associated with various parts or organs of the body. At the end you may like to allow yourself to experience savasana, the yogic corpse pose, for a deep relaxation. I find it highly beneficial to do this before hopping into bed and have done so for most of my life, as it helps to unwind and allows me to sleep deeper. It is simple, from feet to the crown, as you think of each part of the body, which may also be on the in breath, say or feel to yourself as you draw your attention to each part of the body ‘relax the toes, relax the toes’ etc.

Just Breathe

I am gradually reprogramming myself to live each day mindfully, becoming more aware and in the present moment. I will share the simplest tip which I do, which is to say to myself ‘just breathe’. This is simply to be still, like in between moments, or waiting for an appointment or other thing, and focus on your breath. If you are anything like me, an alternative is to fill up your day with activities, with no time or space between them. Once it seemed to be a waste of time not to be busy doing something. Now I enjoy space in between activities which allows me to be in the moment, aware of my body and what is around me. Such as nature, the breeze, especially sunsets, clouds and trees. Mindfulness is such a simple exercise which allows us to appreciate life and all that it brings to us.

How Laughter Yoga becomes a Mindful Exercise

My husband John jointly leads the laughter club sessions, and he often says to new people, “You get out of it what you put into it”. This is one way what we do becomes a mindful exercise, people come together and although at times may be distracted, the accepted intention is to throw themselves wholeheartedly into every session. That means being right there in the moment, going along with all the silly antics that we do, thrown in with a lot of deep breathing and singing. The breathing is inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. Laughing is a wholehearted way of embracing life, bringing oneself to life and the living!

Get in Touch?

Cheerio for now from John and myself and we look forward to meeting with you soon. If you wish to receive an email to receive my newsletter or a reminder when we are laughing, then let me know.
Daily Mindfulness Tips
If you would like me to you a document Daily Mindfulness Tips, then get in touch with me by email or phone and I will send it out to you. There are many things we can do to continually bring ourselves into being fully present, aware and feeling connected with life. Ideally aim to live this way and never, ever, ever give up! Thank you.
Lots of Love and Laughter. Lynette Mitchell.

We meet as follows each month:

Ferntree Gully Laughter Club  11am 2nd & 4th Sunday

Boronia Library  11am 1st Saturday

Rowville Library  11am 3rd Saturday

Ferntree Gully Library  2pm 4th Tuesday

First timers, please contact Lynette to confirm, in case of a meeting change.

Phone:         0425 799 258

Email:          lynette@laughterforliving.com.au

Loneliness Prevention Using Laughter Club Involvement and More

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Hello Everyone

I feel you will agree that we and people generally, have changed significantly in the last few years, as a result of the trauma, sickness, and isolation due to the Covid-19 virus. Many of us live fearfully, in more isolation and feeling alone nowadays. Especially as the Covid virus is still prevalent and I know of people who have caught it either again, or for the first time, as well as others who live in fear of catching the virus.

We must march on and use these negative opportunities looming down upon us to reach out to one another in support and comradeship. This is exactly what many social groups are about, in particular this one, the Ferntree Gully Laughter Club.

Human Beings are social creatures, not meant to be locked up, isolated, alone, apart from family, friends, workmates, or social groups. We can use ‘bad things’ that happen to us to grow, to evolve, to be more connected with positive energy, spirit, or whatever belief resonates with our good self.

In Brief, Five Major Benefits of Laughing

1 – Reduces Stress Laughter is an effective stress management tool and is the fastest way to reduce stress, whether it be physical, emotional, or mental stress.

2 – Mood Elevator Laughter releases feel-good endorphins of serotonin and dopamine. Our perception shifts, making one’s life feel better, as well as energising us more.

3 – Health Benefits Laughter is a cardiovascular exercise that promotes physical wellness on all levels.

4 – Social Connector Laughter connects us. In particular, here I am referring to attending a free laughter club. Laughers feel like family.

5 – Laughing Through Challenges We can all laugh in good times, but laughter yoga teaches people to laugh unconditionally even in hard times. It provides strength in adversity and is a coping mechanism that may help us be able to feel mentally positive, regardless of the circumstances.

In particular, this article addresses loneliness and point 4 – Social Connector, suggesting it is highly important that we have various social networks, to avoid that horrible loneliness feeling.

Social or Learning Groups and Activities

A laughter club may not be your cup of tea. If you care to look around, there are innumerable social groups, many of which you may feel comfortable joining. Councils and libraries could be a place to start, as there is a huge support for people not only in learning new skills but also speakers from various groups introducing themselves and their group. The University of the Third Age, or U3A as it is known, is remarkable and people who join up at the start of each year can easily book into many classes, becoming busy with a variety of activities. Have you checked your local U3A out? 

Laughter Club During Covid

Members and even international laughter club people came together, with great gusto and camaraderie. We met weekly on Zoom, which was excellent for several members, some of whom lived alone. Belonging to this laughter family sets a lovely pattern and awareness of the importance of involving ourselves in life.

This may mean perhaps holding a more outward attention and awareness of what we are involved in, besides coming to laugh, it assists us in addressing and monitoring that.

I feel it is important to live in harmony with ourselves, in the community, with family, also extending out into the world and everything we do and are involved in. We live in a duality on earth, which is always changing. You know, we can be too introverted, staying at home alone, happy in that for a while and we can then do the opposite when we realise that it has gone the other way, and we feel secluded.

Self-Care and Balance

Check in with how your self-care is currently and make the appropriate changes. We need to look after our bodies, which work hard and could probably do with better care, food, and attention than we provide for them.

I encourage you to look for and find that balance in your life. Enjoy life! Do what you love to do. Make time for some fun things, get outside in the fresh air, with nature, in the garden, whatever rocks your world. Life can be and has been difficult, and depressing, apparently going in a direction we cannot possibly fathom with our finite mind. Writing this reminds me of Desiderata, by Max Ehrmann, the words ”With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.”

When and Where?

Great news to share, John and I are both excited and grateful to bring you more opportunities to laugh, which is doing some laughter yoga and meditation sessions inside three local libraries. And one on 13th March at the Mount Waverley Community Centre.

Ferntree Gully Laughter Club – we meet behind the Ferntree Gully Library at 11am Sunday, on the 2nd 4th and 5th Sunday of the month.
Boronia Library – 11am 1st Saturday of the month
Ferntree Gully Library – 2pm 4th Tuesday of the month
Rowville Library – 11am on 3rd Saturday of the month.

For first-timers for the Ferntree Gully Laughter Club, please contact Lynette in case there is a meeting change.

Cheerio for now and all of us at the laughter club are looking forward to seeing you some time!

Lots of Love and Laughter. Lynette Mitchell.

Click Here for Ferntree Gully Laughter Club page

Minimalising and Laughter Yoga 101 in 2023

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Hello Everyone

I feel to touch on decluttering again and bring up minimalising, as they can be expressions of our personality, because our habits are ingrained in our daily lives. A high percentage of people hoard and buy stuff, or even live in a way where they are being busy being busy, because of low self esteem. It may well be unconscious too, as we can put on a bravado attitude, which covers it up with others and we can be led to believe our strong bravado, outgoing way is a ‘good’ thing, when in fact it covers up how we actually feel about ourselves. Ha. It is all very complex, isn’t it?

Attending a laughter club may help us to change for the better, as we let go of rigidity, which can improve the way we conceive of ourself in a natural and spontaneous way. My last blog on decluttering struck a cord in many people and there was positive feedback, as it really struck a cord, as we have in general, grown up in a material world, where we can look outside of ourselves, getting more and more away from nature and what matters the most. 

Many of us are aware of the value of releasing the hold that material possessions have on us for various reasons. I am doing well with letting go of possessions and enjoying a life where I feel more expansive, especially when I manage to create more space in our home. It has a beneficial affect physically on my life. There is also an awareness to review what I do, as many things have become, or have always been, unconscious ones which can make me feel flat. What we need is to wake up each morning with unbounded enthusiasm and positive self-talk, which releases positive endorphins into our brain and the more we do that, the better we feel, which is part of maintaining good brain health. 

If you listen to podcasts, Mel Robbins on Spotify interviews psychiatrist Dr Daniel Amen on 7th August, entitled ‘Optimize Your Brain: 3 Important Habits for Productivity….. (based on 2000,000 Brain Scans).  I hadn’t heard about brain health before, have you? It was extremely interesting to listen to.

We saw Peter Walsh from his TV show Space Invaders last week, as he was the guest speaker for Ryman Healthcare. I loved his presentation on downsizing, finding Peter most entertaining, informative and engaging. Peter spoke of two main reasons we hold onto so much material stuff, one is often out of duty, sentimentality and the other one we keep looking for fulfilment, instead of looking within and filling ourselves up. Peter’s third series is on TV now and he had been working 16 hour days filming it in Sydney, was obviously tired. I am looking forward to watching his show again, it is one of my favourites. Peter spoke of how we reach a stage that our possessions own us, we are so tied down by them, that we can feel suffocated and not have time to do things in our life that we would much prefer to do. 

Minimalisation

This, I feel is a softer feel to implement to the somewhat heady method decluttering. It is developing a sense of what is essential in our lives, which means we have more inspiration and energy to live a full and meaningful life. I found myself doing this and it is not rigid about getting rid of stuff, some advice is about experimentation of what we need and what would be better to release. Every possession has a drain on our energy and time. We can become lost in the humdrum of life when we keep on going the same way.

Books by Joshua Becker, a famous decluttering and minimalising genius from the U.S.A. have had a positive impact on me, in my journey of letting go of stuff that I have accumulated over 81 years. It is an ongoing journey for me. Joshua shares that everything we own takes up our energy. We have outlaid the money, things take time to look after, we need to create more open space, which gives us a feeling of being able to breathe, as we can feel so claustrophobic. Joshua has written several books, one being The More of Less. One of his famous quotes and portrays his philosophy is “The first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t. Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from it. Owning less is better than organizing more.” I feel to share a YouTube video for you to connect you with who Joshua is. Click here to see it. 

Laughter Yoga

Laughter Yoga, is what we do at the laughter club, laughing and deep breathing. This helps us somehow to be more alert, conscious, aware, present and connected to life. It is such a great way to come together in a gentle, loving, kind, caring community. We have childlike, playful fun together as we move about, creating new brainwaves by singing, dancing and laughing, as we do in our version of improv theatre. It energies and instils light-heartedness in all of us. We do not tell jokes; rather we focus on spontaneity, being present in the moment which is just as well, as if we aren’t good joke tellers, it would be a very flat laughter session.

Laughter really is a fantastic exercise, where we laugh together followed by a cuppa afterwards, simply chat and share what we have been up to, everyday news and happenings in general.

Get in Touch?

Find out more on this website, which includes information on self-help classes, the laughter club and more. Feel free to connect with me if you need support or to find out more about laughter yoga. classes etcetera.

Cheerio for now and all of us at laughter club are looking forwarding to seeing you sometime!

Lots of Love and Laughter. Lynette Mitchell.

Click Here for Ferntree Gully Laughter Club page

It is Never Too Late For New Things – You CAN Teach an Old Dog New Tricks!

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You can teach an old dog new tricks
You can teach an old dog new tricks

The Ferntree Gully Library regularly hosts Laughter Yoga for the Ferntree Gully Laughter Club. It believes in providing the community a taste of what activities, groups, interests are available for them to be part of.

One said that she had spontaneous light-hearted laughter afterwards, which continued for a couple of days and she planned to join us on a regular basis. And so she did, together with a friend, who participated and enjoyed it as well. As a result of this occurrence, two ladies have joined us as regular members/attendees, both as a result, also bringing a friend along.

Another new club member loved it, deciding at the end of the library session to join us and stop procrastinating. She has been aware of our existence for a very long time, perhaps not quite eighteen years since we first began, however for a very long time. She was not going to put it off any longer!

Following the laughter club session, she kindly shared her experience. “I thought that I would be self-conscious with new people and others walking past us in the park. But it was so much fun, everyone was great, and I was surprised how easy it was to join in wholeheartedly too.”

Her experience inspired me to do a blog about it never being too late to begin something new. “You can teach an old dog new tricks”.

Her turning up after so long, was a reminder I felt for all of us, that it is never too late to start something new. How often do we fall into a way of thinking that it is too late to start something else in our lives?

I do not concur with that! In fact, I totally disagree and feel we need to continue to get out of our comfort zones and extend ourselves, in a healthy, gently stretching way. Hubby John frequently shares that, “get out of your comfort zone”.

The same lady shared over a hot cuppa at the café following laughter club her feelings. Which are, similar to others to whom I have spoken, become more involved in life once again. Covid restrictions were psychologically damaging, and she makes it a priority to keep busy, joining social and interest groups, resolving to live life fully, with vim and vigour.

This ties in with Neuroplasticity, which I frequently touch on, that we need stimulation and new whatever’s, for our brain and general wellbeing.

Would you agree, to be active and that it is beneficial to learn something new? When we are doing our ‘old’ interests and hobbies, we may be unaware of ourselves becoming less engrossed. So often we have a ‘good’ habit and lo and behold, without realising it, what we are doing for fun, service, hobbies, physical activities etcetera, loses its sparkle. It might be time to stop and review what we spend our time and energy on.

There is the risk of becoming stale in our interests, even bored, when we do not stop to take stock to check and see how we are going. It may be time to bring in something new to switch things around somehow. I am not suggesting stopping something for the sake of it, rather to check in, review our life, our habits to consider what we are spending our time on, as usually with the rhythms of life it can be beneficial to swap something over, let it go to make space for new stuff.

I reckon that laughter club is pretty good for helping in this, because of the spontaneity involved with what we do. It helps us be in the moment and generally feels fresh every time we meet, even though it’s usually the same regular people, it feels fresh and energises us. There may be different people walking past, picnics happening, changing weather; it adds to the freshness and enhances our laughter creativity. We get ideas and run with it, adults playing, like back in the days when we were kids. Remember those times?

We would love to see you come too and give it a go. Don’t be shy. Would you agree with my views, to bring in something new? As time goes on, we can be influenced by the media, people’s opinions, what is expected of us and especially due to our age, interests, abilities and being either male or female. It can be a struggle to step out of the box of other people’s expectations and to take opportunities as they arise.

There are a multitude of health benefits from the simple matter of laughing more. A simple benefit is that it renews our ability to be light-hearted, to update our sense of humour and play. Adults frequently say they forget to laugh, becoming serious over time, weighed down by the worries of health, family and world affairs. Watching the news on television is something many people choose to stop doing, because it can be depressing, the ‘bad news’ so outweighs the news that is more positive.

Also we can take on and believe what we see on television, which may be influenced by things other than sharing truthful situations and events. How uplifting, how refreshing, it is to watch a hopeful news story, especially with a good outcome.

I trust that you are finding some fun and joy in life, as together we have all been through a very hard time for a few years and are emerging from it like a butterfly, with new growth. There are very likely new opportunities coming your way.

Does this inspire you to join us someday soon, or check in with consideration what you are up to? I sincerely hope so and invite your phone call if you feel to share a chat together before you first come.

Finally, a huge thank you to the Ferntree Gully Library for hosting laughter sessions, which gives people a taste of many things out there, beyond our awareness. If you are interested in attending the Rowville Library to join us for the next laughter session, it is at 11am on Saturday 12th August. Book with them on 9800 6443 or to book online, log in with your library details.

Lynette and John lead the free Community Ferntree Gully Laughter Club on Sundays, at 11am on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month, behind the library. First timers, please contact Lynette in case there’s any alteration to that.

We also express our heartfelt gratitude to Janet Claringbold at the Studfield Wantirna Community News for including an article and Ferntree Gully Laughter Club information for over 8 years. Thank You!

Lots of Love and Laughter,
Lynette Mitchell.

Phone: 0425 799 258 - Email: lynette@laughterforliving.com.au

How Laughter Affects our Judgment and Self-Acceptance

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Release the Judgment with Laughter Yoga

Did you know that Laughter Yoga can help us feel better about ourselves? Gently, gradually, with regular connecting at laughter club, we can become more self accepting and a less judgment person. We develop a tolerance as we accept other people, situations and things in our life and at the same time, lose self-judgment.

Many of us humans are full of crippling self-judgment, lacking in self-love and self-acceptance and the great news is that laughter helps lose that pattern. Our habits are developed from a very young age as a survival mechanism, even from a baby, we instinctively and unconsciously develop ways to have our needs fulfilled, even when so tiny and unable to express ourselves clearly.

Habits develop as we grow and for those like me who believe in reincarnation, habits are on board when we are born, where we pick up where we left off in our previous life. Our habits, strengths, tendencies and abilities make up our self-expression and it is a humungous subject.

As we learn, we are drawn to having pleasure and avoiding pain. In fact, it is said we learn best through painful times, which by far motivates us towards growth, rather than when things are going well. Most of us can attest to that.

Parents generally judge their kids, some lucky kids have kind, loving parents, but parents are frequently judgmental, although they want the best for their children. Parents often toughen us up with cryptic remarks, thinking it is in our best interest. However, it can also create the system where we learn to judge ourselves which can develop into us being quite judgmental. To cope, children develop the attitude of being self-judgmental.

Words can hurt and we cope the best we can, which may be to have a warped sense of humour as it may help us get through life. Of course, we may also learn to supress our feelings. Life coaching teaches us that we do things in order to feel free of painful memories or situations and can feel safer when we are not criticised. We can learn the habit of self-criticism, because subconsciously, we feel criticism outside ourself cannot then hurt us.

When we are moulded by feelings of being judged, we can feel that we are wrong and others are right, they are ok and we are not ok, and feel lost. It can be felt like a background whisper and we can feel isolated. We have taken it on board and our lives are filled with the taste of criticising ourselves and others and somehow, we do not feel okay within. We experience a harmful stress, (beneficial stress can actually be necessary at times, in order to fulfil a goal) a need to please, the list goes on.

The good news is that once we become aware of something not being ‘right’, we can begin to do something about it. Ideally we will work towards living in harmony with ourself and others once we do become aware that there is a better way. As we realise unhealthy habits, we can work on them and live a happier, more purposeful, fulfilling life.

How Laughter Can Help Us

Being in a group of laughter club people can make a huge difference in our life and how we feel about ourself. We can let go of anxiety tied in with self-judgment as we practice accepting each other and they of us. We acknowledge and honour everyone’s uniqueness, contributions and belonging in the group. We listen, we care and have drawn to us lovely people, who appreciate one another. Gradually, coming from feelings of being ‘not quite right’, needing to change to feel loved and fit in, we discover that we are, in fact, very ok!

Self-consciousness certainly effects our sense of purpose, our wellbeing, of feeling okay within ourself and laughing out loud can be a hurdle to overcome when experienced for the first time, especially in a group, to the full extent. When people first attend laughter club, they feel uncomfortable to some extent. Even I remember feeling self-conscious, despite embracing the new experience wholeheartedly.

My husband John frequently suggests to people new to the concept of laughing together as a healthy practice, “It will get you out of your comfort zone”. Which it does, gradually and gracefully. What happens is that at first most people will feel uncomfortable and choose to join in and experience it firsthand. Over time, people settle into the pattern and how the session is run, which is spontaneous and interactive with one another. Self-limiting inhibitions are removed and in its place is generally a self-acceptance from all the frivolity and role playing that we do.

Laughter Club is very social, we are a small number of people, about six or eight as a rule and like many other social clubs, there develops a sense of camaraderie and total acceptance of each other. I believe this helps us to accept ourself, to feel safe, nurtured and to feel we belong.

I am not saying that we will radically change into a completely different, non-judgemental person, full of self-love. I am saying it all helps in that right direction and being involved in laughter yoga provides the ability to let go of some things and feel greater inner peace and purpose. Some of us do not have connections with people other than one’s immediate family, neither go out for lunch or see a show or movie. In this way our club serves a purpose, after we meet, we generally have a cuppa at a café. Most of us come together in a social environment, which may be to see a non-professional theatre show, or go to Morning Melodies and have lunch. There is great friendship and some even meet up for a coffee at random times. These may include past members who are always welcome, held close in our hearts as we stay in touch.

Overall belonging to a laughter club enhances our lives, as we bear in mind the founder’s motto of ‘World Peace Through Laughter’. We would love to see you at a meeting and you are very welcome to join us and try it for yourself.

Summing Up

The Ferntree Gully Laughter Club is having its 18th Birthday in April and if you were to come along on a regular basis, I am confident to say that you could expect judgmental and low self-esteem issues to radically improve. Give it a try this 2023. What a momentous year it will be in many ways, if you embrace, flow and run with it.

Click Here for Ferntree Gully Laughter Club page

Birthdays, Anniversaries, Celebrations, Grief and Loss.

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Christmas, Birthdays, Celebrations, Grief, Loss

Do you love having birthdays? At laughter club, we do and celebrate member’s birthdays with a cake. It is an opportunity for people to feel accepted, loved, have a sense of belonging and sometimes, to get over self consciousness.

I feel to talk about the elephant in the room, because at this time of the year, coming up to Christmas, many of us will find the festive season very difficult. It is all right to be as we are, to take our time with healing and very likely, there will always be a hole, albeit a place of wounding in our heart.

You will no doubt agree that nothing will ever be the same since Covid struck us. I hope you find this piece of writing to be of some comfort and encouragement in your life. My sincere apologies if I miss the mark. I welcome you to contact me also if you need to talk and receive support.

My view is that life is about experiencing living to the fullest, growth, evolution, to be of service to ourselves and to all of life as we meet everyday things. We need to move on and feel as we feel, which is not go to into self-pity, instead to find joy in small everyday things.

Gratitude is another key, as we can be grateful for way more than we may imagine. Joy and gratitude open our hearts, allow us to feel a connection with our spirit, nature, and God, however you conceive God’s energy to be. We sometimes need to regain lost faith in life, after losses in our lives. The losses may be personal or the closing of a chapter, unrequited desires or work things going awry.

Okay so that is enough of the doom and gloom. I might add here that I speak from personal experience, as our son died three years ago. He was not sick very long and we all know that one’s kids are not supposed to predecease us, yet they do. We also in the last three years had a brother, sister and two brothers-in-law die. Losing one’s pets can also be the most devastating time for animal lovers. Who would disagree with that?

There is a gift in every situation and my understanding is that our hearts need to break, to expand them with deeper love and compassion. Another aspect is the opportunity to reflect on our life and relationships.

Now some cheerful stuff. We can choose how we feel, be self-determining and look to life in a positive way, no matter what we have been through. We can gradually work through healing and integrating our losses, looking forward with hope and understanding. We acknowledge what or who is missing in our life, incorporating new opportunities and a growing awareness of looking after oneself.

We are loved and supported by the Energies of life and can become stronger, more resourceful, after the most difficult times. In fact, I have heard and believe our spirit draws closer when we are in the deepest trough, which are our most incomprehensively difficult periods in our lives. I am not sure why that is. We can treat it like a working hypothesis, that there is great learning to be had each day. We have the opportunity to get up, start again, do better and be a loving, supporting, human being. I believe in you!

Looking After Yourself

You need to look after yourself first and foremost, as you are no good to anyone or anything else if you are not at your best. This includes having a healthy diet, enough sleep, taking time out for hobbies, meditation if you choose to, and in general, to understand that your body is important. It is a privilege and a gift from Gaia, our earth mother, and we must honour and respect it. It is normal to slip up and want to be lazy. Ask yourself if you are doing your best each day and if you like at the end of the day, sit quietly, review your day, and learn from it for the next day.

Part of self-nurture is about Neuroplasticity, to create new brain neurons, through having experiences in your life. Topmost I feel is the value of adding laughter to it daily. We need to interact with others, to hug, if it is appropriate, to be involved in art, singing, exercise. The following things are beneficial to rewire the brain.

Being artistic, which can take many forms. Laughing, singing, dancing, gym, or other exercise. Learning a new skill, a musical instrument, or innumerable things. The stimulation that travel can provide, also reading and even fasting, it is beneficial to rest your body and fast for 18 hours. Expanding your vocabulary and sleeping sufficiently. There are many things that will keep your body healthier and allay the effects of aging. I suggest we be vigilant and make every effort to remain involved in the process of living. Good luck to you! Thank you for your interest.

Ferntree Gully Laughter Club

Laughter club returns on Sunday 22nd January at 11am. First timers, please message, email or ring Lynette before you first come. Here is a link to the laughter club page.

Lots of Love and Laughter,

Lynette Mitchell. xo

Energy Field Clearing and Laughter Club Meetings

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This blog shares how clearing your energy field ties in with the laughter we do together. At the end of laughter meetings and other public sessions, I lead a short harmonising energy meditation because it is something I personally practice and believe it to be most valuable. It is called ‘Basic Energetic Hygiene Resource’ and is an important part of my weekly personal growth/energetic hygiene classes. You can also engage in this regularly in your everyday life.

As it is an important topic, it felt timely to tell you about it, as you may be unfamiliar with the concept of energetic clearing and it may be of interest to you.

Here is its introduction, as displayed on the Laughter For Living website. “How would you expect to feel if you carried around years’ worth of accumulated debris and toxins? Probably pretty terrible. Without our being aware of it our auric field (which consists of the physical body, emotional body, mental body and spiritual body) collects and stores all kinds of things: mental debris, emotional residue, negative energy, pollutants, accumulations of old energy that has never been cleared, energy from others and stagnant energy etc. Just as we shower and bathe our physical bodies to keep them clean, so we need to do the same for our energetic bodies. It is essential that we regularly cleanse and clear our system.”

How Energy and Laughter Work Together

Everything is energy which is vibrating at different frequencies or speeds. Understanding this, can you think of anything that is not energy? Energy can be heavy, coarse, solid, slow moving and it may feel lighter, more refined, even ethereal. Examples are molecules moving in walls or wood, even concrete, at miniscule rates. Then there is faster energy vibrating within us, in nature, the animal kingdom and everything that exists here on planet earth.

Faster moving vibrations of energy can be termed positive and slower vibrations called negative energy. flat. We do our best at laughter club making a point to be upbeat, positive and cheerful. Individually we may begin feeling a little flat, which quickly goes once we start laughing.

Whatever we do when we gather to laugh together is carried out for the purpose of uplifting ourselves and each other, which we then take away with us when we leave that day. Laughter exercises the body, mind, emotions, and spirit, individually and collectively. Laughter is uplifting and raises your frequency vibration to be positive, somewhat similar to the energetic hygiene clearing that I conduct in class. Laughter potentially can be life-changing; as we change, naturally and spontaneously, we automatically assist others, which rolls out energetically around the world. Yes! Our influence is far reaching and does make a difference.

Are we Victims or Are we Responsible for our Energy?

No! We are not victims, although we often feel like everything is happening to us and in particular, growing up, learning about life, are possibly viewing life in that manner. The fact is that we are all responsible for our energy and what we set forth in motion. When we are aware of this, we can feel responsible for what we do, such as how we speak to others. 

The Ferntree Gully Laughter Club member understand that we have to energetically and enthusiastically throw ourselves into the laughter exercises. We deliberately laugh and spend time together as adults, in playful, childlike fun. We allow ourselves to be involved in child-like fun, to act silly, sing songs, breathe deeply, clap and laugh. By throwing ourselves into the activity, over time we naturally let go of inhibitions, raise our energy, feel uplifted, joyful and ready to go forth into the world again with hope and positivity.

Also to be aware of, our energy becomes lighter and we release and let go of ‘stuff’ that is dragging us down. This partly clears our energy fields, although in a different manner to when using the Basic Energetic Hygiene Resource. I trust you can see the value in both activities, i.e. laughter yoga and the energetic hygiene resource. 

If you want to learn more about this free Basic Energetic Hygiene resource, contact me and if you mention this blog, you are entitled to book a complementary class or one-off session.

Please take advantage of the opportunity to arrange for a chat if you feel to, with any questions that you might have regarding either the laughter club or energetic hygiene classes I run, online and in person.

New people are ALWAYS WELCOME! It does not matter what age or anything else that you can imagine. 

Lots of Love and Laughter, Lynette Mitchell.

Click Here for Ferntree Gully Laughter Club page

Laughter Yoga 101 – in Other Words, Basic Info.

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Laughter clubs run on the premise that we laugh together for fun and fitness. There are many things we can do for fun and fitness, but none as simple as choosing to laugh and consciously do deep breathing exercises. You do not need any props, just a willingness to make it regular and do it. It is easier to laugh together in a group, that’s why laughing clubs have taken off all around the world.

Deep breathing has many benefits, some are to oxygenate and circulate our blood around our bodies. It also increases our lung capacity, strengthening the muscles around our lungs. We become more aware of how we breathe too and it encourages deep, diaphragmatic breathing, instead of the shallow upper lungs, which becomes automatic to breathe shallowly when we feel stressed or uptight.

Deep belly laughing gives us an aerobic workout, even more than exercising on a rowing machine, which you may find quite surprising? Then we have little, quiet, gentle breathing, which reminds us to calm down, be quiet, still. How beneficial to receive such a reminder?

Following are just a few of these, to give you a feeling of what we do at laughter club. Go to the Ferntree Gully Laughter Page click here.

Exercises:

Deep breathing – breathe deeply through the nose and out the mouth. We frequently do three big breaths and on the third out breath, we laugh loudly and at times, giggle it out.

Slow breath in short bursts – breathe in with short sniffing breaths, which is a type of basic yogic breath, following by a long slow exhalation through the mouth.

Chanting – between the exercises we shout ‘ho ho, ha ha ha’ three times and as well at times throw our arms up in the air and say ‘Very good, very good, yay’ twice.

Singing for health

I often mention we sing a lot, because it helps with establishing brain neurons, known as Neuroplasticity. The songs are often nursery rhymes or very well-known songs – you can do this yourself in the shower! Occasionally we use the song words, however generally we sing the tune with ha ha words, or humming, even he he he, because we mix them up. You can sing the words to remember the tune and switch into non-verbal, because it fires up the right side of the brain, also called the creative side of your brain.

Laughter exercises

We do the laughter exercises as in improvisation theatre, which helps extraordinarily, laughter attendees to tap into their own ingenuity, to be and feel inspirational and you are never the same again!!! Laughter is often referred to as ‘faking it till you make it,’ because you may find it difficult at first, which is rather to be expected than to the contrary. Because the body cannot differentiate between genuine and fake laughter, it relaxes and gets involved, providing the many and varied health benefits of spontaneous laughter.

Examples of laughter exercises

There are traditional, almost old as time, ones that we regularly do, such as

– Greeting – High fives, Namaste with hands in prayer position, shaking hands, other international ones too.

– Unbuttoning Cardigan – say ha, ha, ha, as one undoes each button and with the final button, a big laugh.

– Lion – good for the thyroid gland also – make like a mane with your hands by your ears, poke your tongue out, growl and laugh, clawing your hands around.

– Cup of tea – we jiggle it to ho, ho, ha ha ha, then throw the tea bag over our shoulder, put out our pinkie finger and act superior, pretending to be Mrs Bouquet, or have a Twining’s, or at the Windsor Hotel for high tea.

– Kookaburra – make Kookaburra sounds.

Basically, laughter exercises are both regular ones and with a lot of spontaneity throughout the session as well. When we do a Zoom one, various people from other countries bring the flavour of their country and share their favourite laugh.

Cheerio and do your best to be kind and gentle with yourself, have fun, at the same time exercising a good balance of hope and discipline. Bye for now, until next time, laughter blessings.

Feel free to contact us for a chat as we are friendly and love meeting people, as we are all in this together, this business of living a life. Thank you for your interest in reading this, did you learn something of interest today?

We would love to see you sometime, either when we meet in the park or on Zoom. We meet outdoors at 11am on the 2nd, 4th and 5th Sunday and on Zoom the 1st Sunday. You may also join the Meetup group, click the button below.

Lots of Love and Laughter, Lynette Mitchell. xo

Learn more on the laughter club page
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Nuroplasticity and Laughter Yoga

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Laughter Yoga and Our Brain

Laughter Yoga is the name we use when we combine laughter and deep breathing. People trained in laughter yoga consciously practice the art of using laughter yoga to benefit the whole body, whilst understanding laughter helps in creating brain cells (Neuroplasticity).

Our Intelligent Body

Human bodies have amazing abilities to adapt and heal themselves and overall, we are largely ignorant of possibilities that may be achieved. Unaware, not on our radar, ignorant until someone inspires us about what is possible. We express ourselves through our conditioning, our experiences. Much is tied in with our deeply held beliefs, coupled with motives – we may need a strong reason to get out of our own way and go for our goals and ambitions.

Covid grossly lessened our much-needed brain and general sensory stimulation. It brought frustration on many levels, the most post powerful, obvious being the inability to see and be with our family and go out to work. It has reaped havoc in our lives, as well, it brought new situations and chances to be and do differently. It brought new, higher evolved opportunities to experience and embrace. I feel there is a gift in every circumstance and situation waiting for us to embrace it.

Your Plastic Brain

Have you heard the notion that you can change your brain? Scientists have proven that your brain is influenced, restructured and shaped by what you do every day, which is referred to as neural plasticity, or neuroplasticity.

Neuroplasticity can be defined as the ability of the nervous system to change its activity, by reorganising its structure, functions, or connections. New neuron pathways may be produced when required. We can consciously engage in activities which stimulate our brain, such are jigsaw puzzles, learning a new skill, iPad/tablet games, memory games. A different part of the brain can become active to compensate for an injury or inability to function at primal level.

Laughter, singing, dancing, are major contributors to creating new brain neurons, ‘Neuroplasticity’, is only one of many benefits attributed to regular laughing. Thai Nguyen, a write from Brisbane has written an article about it and he has made a list of 10 things, which are beneficial for our wellbeing when we are aware to stimulate our brain: Fasting, travel, mnemonic devices for memory training, learning an instrument, doing non-dominant hand exercises, reading fiction, expand vocabulary, artwork, dancing and sleep.

Positive thinkers change their brain function by focusing on gratitude, meditation, kindness to self, self-awareness, releasing negative thoughts and more. We can weaken old habits and create new habits, which help enforce them into our lives. I find that awesome. Once upon a time, scientists thought that brains stopped developing when people reached adulthood. How inspiring. Think about it. We have the power within us to change our lives positively and answers will unfold to us if we are open to the change. ‘You can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ – so untrue!

Laughter Club Helps Create New Brain Neurons

Members of the laughter club feel invigorated, joyful, fulfilled and with more sense of purpose when they come together. We include a lot of singing, some dancing and laughing, which stimulates the brain, as well as receiving other physical, mental, emotional and spiritual benefits. There is an abundance of stimulation with our imaginations, as we role play the various laughs = grown up playful fun. It is great!!!

And now there is a new rage that Lynette brings to her professional laughter yoga sessions, which is Bollywood Laughter Dancing! You can even find it online and be able to do it yourself at home. What a great combination, for people who love to sing, dance and laugh. People find it a very light-hearted practice to do.

Laughter Club Back in Person and on Zoom

We will meet again in person on the 9th January. Zoom laughter clubs are available worldwide and easy to track down. The laughter family has expanded to be truly worldwide and is a superb community to belong to. We all resonate and have a sense of belonging with each other. Contact Lynette if you wish to join the Ferntree Gully Laughter Club Facebook group. 

Trusting that you are doing as well as possible as things are opening up as we will shortly head into a wonderful new year, filled with unknown possibilities and experiences.

Wishing you the very best Christmas wishes and a safe December, followed by a prosperous 2022. I like that, lots of 2’s. Cheerio for now. Until next time, love and laughter blessings.

The Ferntree Gully Laughter club meet behind the library at 11am on the 2nd and 4th  Sunday of each month. If you wish to come along, please let me know, on the off chance of a time change or necessary cancellation. You may also like to join the reminder email list  that is sent out the Friday before we next meet. 

Phone: 0425 799 258  or you may like to Email: lynette@laughterforliving.com.au

Photo credit: Photo by Hal Gatewood on Unsplash

Click Here for Ferntree Gully Laughter Club page

Can I Incorporate Laughter and Affirmations to be More Mindful?

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Laughter Affirmations Mindful

The good news is that we can reprogram ourselves with more positivity and presentness through combining the power of laughter and positive affirmations. Our mindfulness is enhanced when we combine these together and it can be done either alone or with others.

Think about what it is that you would like to affirm, to improve in your life. It may be a physical material thing, or more obtuse, such as a change in behaviour which raises your joy quotient. Give this suggestion a go, and let it be as simple, short and sweet as you like. I will share here some affirmation ideas with you.

Firstly, I suggest you check in to what your body is telling you and adjust it if needs be. If you are feeling flat and dejected, your body language will reflect this. Observe and maintain an upward, positive manner. You can practice and see how you feel when you do the laughter mindfulness exercise any old how and then see the difference it makes when you choose to be aware and bring all of you into the present time.

Begin by taking a positive stance or sitting position, placing your arms, hands, and feet in strategic positions. An example would be hands together in a prayer position, saying your chosen affirmation, for instance, ‘I am happy, I am healthy, I am abundant’ then laughing out loud.

You could stand tall, with arms outstretched above your head and repeat the affirmation. I like the idea of doing this with my fingers wide open, then closing them into fists, bringing my hands down onto my chest. Even add the word ‘yes’ said with vim and vigour. This option gives a more powerful feeling, that of drawing what you wish to affirm towards yourself, making it stronger. Even more powerful would be to repeat the affirmation three times and then add the words ‘Let the rain of blessings fall!’.

Do you already use affirmations? I have done so on a regular basis for many years and it’s recommended that you say affirmations daily, at about the same time, for a full lunar month, 28 days. They can be done more than that if you feel the need.

Here are some great affirmations for you to try out and no doubt, you can come up with some of your own, or favourite ones-

I am happy, I am healthy, I am abundant.
Laughter and fun come my way when I am being myself.
I create laughter and feelings of happiness and joy wherever I go.
I have lots of ideas, life inspires me.
I am in love with life.
I can do this. (Or if you do it in a group) I, You, We, Can Do this!

Laughter Affirmation Guidelines:

Long term, keep your mind consciously and unconsciously seeking laughter and positivity in your life. Repeat the affirmations three times and then say ‘Let the rain of blessings fall!’ You may imagine being enveloped in a loving, coloured mist. Most likely you will find that fun, being positive minded and laughter take place more effortlessly than before. Endeavour to do them daily for a month.

Your energy and mind will create it for you even when you are occupied with other thoughts and concerns. You are programming your subconscious mind with beneficial energy, to help you manifest and become who you would genuinely love to become. In other words, you are working with the Law of Attraction.

I look forward to hearing how you go with it.

Cheerio for now. Until next time, laughter blessings.

Lots of Love and Laughter, Lynette Mitchell.

Lynette & John Mitchell lead the free Community Ferntree Gully Laughter Club, in person 2nd, 4th & 5th Sundays, Zoom the others.

Phone: 0425 799 258 or John on 0425 798 115

Email: lynette@laughterforliving.com.au

Power and Colour in Your Life

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Power & Colour in your life

Hi there, life is still topsy turvy, which is expected to continue for a very long while. Is that bad? Is that good? Or just as it is? Do you agree, we can make the most of it and take it as an opportunity, not a hindrance? Life has become even more testing and stressful than most of us can recall. Covid restrictions fluctuate, which can (but not necessarily) lead us to feel confused, flat, stressed and more. Can you relate to this, where you feel lacking in vim, vigour, enthusiasm and colour?

With the advent of Covid-19 most of us have been affected in major ways. Our freedom has been withdrawn; we may feel shut in, shut down, trapped etcetera. It has caused us to become flat, colourless, apathetic, in victim consciousness, even angry. We may not be absolutely aware of the plethora of feelings that move through us. The manner we have been affected by the pandemic either positively or negatively, may not have truly registered. Would you agree? 

It feels appropriate to share about colour and power, which go together in our expression. So much of what we do is connected in all aspects of our lives, can we recognise it as being the case, and how there is that wonderful interconnection with everything that we do? Nothing is random.

In this context references to power are positive, such as being inspired by love and to have self-determination. We do not want power for the sake of power, which is based by fear and the negative ego.  

Colour equates to many things besides what we see as we normally relate to colour. It can also be the feelings we hold inside us, whether our life is vibrant, we are enthused, upbeat. Whether or not we usually feel drawn to wear colourful clothes or use it in in our daily expression. For example, our website, cooking, artistic expression, pictures, wall colours – the list could be endless, no doubt you can see that too. With the restrictions most of us have had to curtail our chosen extra activities, which gave us stimulation, learning, interest. Colour is lacking and we feel powerless. Most of us are somewhat affected anyhow, whether we realise the significance of it all, or otherwise.

Power is a huge topic, one aspect being how we frequently self-sabotage ourselves using negative self-talk. This automatically leads us to all sorts of unhelpful behaviour, as when we realise that we are being passive, we may go in the opposite direction which is to be too forceful. From my experience, when we decide to be assertive, it can tip the balance until we come back into the harmonious middle. We are not practiced in positive self-talk, which is best to come from a loving space, instead of forcing us to be and act differently. Change can be gradual. I can share some affirmations with you to help reinstall positive words, removing the negative power that can influence by us constantly worrying, being full of judgment and negativity. We become conditioned by everything around us from birth and on the most part, it goes unnoticed.

How about we deliberately decide to bring more colour and power into our life again? We decide how to go about it, what will work for us. We have power, determination and courage within, although it may be latent, untapped. We can choose to make a difference, to learn from our restrictions and be more. More love, vibrancy, colour, courage, harmonious, assertive power. Little by little, one step at a time, one moment, one day at a time. What can you do today to bring back that spark of joy, to feel uplifted? To begin with, there would be a simple behaviour that you can apply yourself, which will help you to turn the tide. Be open for ideas and inspirations to come to you.

What I suggest you do is become aware of how you are actually feeling and where you wish to be. Even good habits can become dull, we slip into an unconscious routine which may be outworn. Work with me on this, see what you can do to create new habits and let go of the old ones, even for the time being, as an experiment. Humans thrive on stimulation, interaction with each other, having interests, hobbies.  And of course, because I run a free community laughter club with husband John, can offer the suggestion to bring more laughter to yourself, to laugh often would be one fabulous decision to choose as a positive new habit. We meet on Zoom and in person behind the Ferntree Gully Library and we invite you to join us anytime you like.

You can start by doing an everyday habit differently consciously. Stop living as an automotron; bring greater awareness into each day, each hour, each moment. I like the idea of adding colour and that will not resonate with everyone. Many people are not drawn to colour as I am, you may not have many colourful clothes, nor have much colour around you in your home. You may prefer to express yourself in a quieter, more refined way. And yet, we have the power within for anything to change, if we choose it. 

Adding colour to your life implies physically and metaphorically. It can mean to lighten up, be more fun loving, positive, adventurous, different, a risk taker. Think about it, can you do this for yourself, to step out of your rut into something new.

To consider colour and choices in our life, we may like to sit down and do a little review of where we are at right now and our direction. Are our choices and what we do each day going towards what we wish to happen, or moving away from due to lack of focus and direction? 

Let’s refer to ourselves as ‘Colourful Me’. Colourful Me discovers that each day can be a new adventure, that there is always something unseen to uncover and be moved by. It helps to lift ourselves out of a mundane routine and implement something else to experience or experiment with. For example, a new hairstyle, hobby, challenge. 

What would your Colourful Me reach out for? I feel one big thing we can all agree on, is the upliftment when we see a beautiful sunset, which is made even brighter when outside somewhere in nature whilst watching it. Most people have learned in this last year to value the simple things of life and also that there is much to gain by connecting with nature more often, to do outdoorsy things. The garden has become a source of connection with nature in the past year for a lot of people.  

There’s been a renewed appreciation of pet ownership. People are undertaking buying a dog or cat with a loftier understanding of what this really means, that we can work with pets, together, complementing each other. They are not disposable, have even become scarce, leading to them be truly valued and treasured. 

Be careful what you put out for, as it may come back for you to experience the consequences. Are things in our life because they have been put there because of our choice, or for another reason? This is something for us to experiment with, as regards to become increasingly aware whether we are doing something because we have chosen it, or because we have been told by another what to do. Perhaps there’s the aspect of our conditioning, doing things because it is expected in the roles that we live. 

How we live our life may feel like there is no other option, or going back, rewinding. Karmically there may not be an alternative, with no opportunity to get out of a binding situation. Does this sound like you?  

If we can’t change our circumstances right away or at all, there is that saying about being able to change one’s attitude. Even prisoners of war were able to come through their experience when they held hope in their hearts. 

Things to ponder for you. More laughter. Introduce colour, determination and hope. Review your life. Make new choices. Work towards your goals. Increase your focus. Do something different. Laugh more! Take up meditation and work on your personal growth. I have classes you might like to try out.

I hope this stirs up something in you and would love to meet you for some laughter therapy. 

Cheerio for now. 

Until next time, laughter blessings. I look forward to hearing from you.  

Lots of Love and Laughter, Lynette Mitchell. 

Photo courtesy of Milada Vigerova