Reduce Stress

Laughter Yoga and 3 other ways to help you get over Fear.

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Laughter Yoga and 3 other ways to help you get over Fear.

Fear is Debilitating!

Laughter Yoga and other ways to help you get over fear, may be useful to consider and ponder, as fear is far too prevalent in today’s age and we are surrounded by it all the time.

There is so much fear in the world, it is impossible not to be affected by it and yet, you can live a life feeling joy and closer to nature. Let me tell you a little of how you can do so. Any advice shared here is intended to be thought provoking, enabling you to consider, feel into, ponder upon, implement and/or reach out to professionals if needs be. It may be the beginning of an area or time in your life which is timely for you to look after yourself, because we are unable to help others if we are not strong, which means we first have to attend to our own basic and healthful needs.

Danger is real, not imaginary. Look at the news on television. Many people refuse to watch it and I wouldn’t either, excepting John, my husband feels it helps him to stay in touch with what is going on in the world. It would be fantastic if good news stories were prevalent, instead of the shock and horror ones that are aired every night on the free to air channels. Apparently bad news sells and is more popular than positive uplifting stories.

I do enjoy watching some shows on TV, the animal and nature ones which are uplifting, entertaining and informative. But you probably agree, TV like social media, can take a hold on us and not let go. They are such time wasters and bad habits are formed, we get lazy, become couch potatoes, sit too long and it’s very unhealthy to spend an inordinate amount of time watching too much television and spending too much precious time checking our social media apps on our phone, computer or tablet.

The world is somehow geared towards us being and living fearfully. Which can be disastrous, where it is like the metaphor of a frog in a pot, whereby the water slowly comes to the boil, it is boiled to death, because of not noticing the temperature slowly rising.

That must be the reason why people hang out for their holidays and do activities to make them forget the world as it is, and provide relief from stressfully lived lives. Our challenges feel so difficult, when history tells us that there have always been seemingly insurmountable difficulties, appropriate for the age we live in. Difficulties, challenges and the like evolve and change according to the times and places.

Have you heard of or considered that our thoughts are not even original, as we are connected energetically with other people and things, which you may not even be aware of? People can come up with the same ideas and be travelling along the same path as others, following their inner guidance, and thoughts are little energy forms that zoom out from us.

Enneagrams are something that I have heard about, have a general idea of, enough to be helpful for me at present. Some people reading this may be experts in this area. What I feel to express here is that basically, human beings are animals, more evolved and with more on board of course.

We are creatures of habit, and I often write about patterning and conditioning which we take on throughout our lives and about releasing it, creating new positive, supportive patterns and habits, ditching ones that no longer serve us in our life where we are now.

Fear Related to Enneagrams

My understanding of enneagrams is how we behave automatically, in a protective way, which is more limited. When a traumatic set of circumstances has happened and something ‘bad’ happens in our life, the set of circumstances are recorded in our subconscious mind. If that set of circumstances happens again, we unconsciously expect the same result and react out of irrational fear. Even though intellectually we know there is no need to be fearful, think of the example of people who have massive fear around spiders, snakes, rats, or whatever. They may believe the person helping them to overcome the fear and it takes great courage to work through the subconscious, irrational fear they are facing and are able to transform it into a correct understanding of the situation, removing the ingrained fear.

Would you agree with this so far? What we need to do is create a future where we are living in more awareness, grounded in our body, connected to earth, nature and consciously able to hum away at living a productive life, irrespective of our life situation. If needs be, seek out a professional if the fear is debilitating, stopping you from living a fruitful life.

Realistically, fear and danger are real, we can benefit by having a respectful awareness of these two gremlins in our life, instead of avoiding or supressing these feelings. Fear can be a great motivator to learn to deal with and overcome it. A certain amount of stress and fear is normal, when we are being stretched, possibility having self doubt from our feelings of being unworthy. It is normal to have fears and challenges to work through and overcome; fear can make us give up, give in and not make any effort at all. Hold strong and don’t give up, never ever! There is always hope. It is not lost, maybe we’ve simply mislaid it along the way.

A healthy habit is to face our fears, which may be irrational and tied in with feelings of low self-worth, not wanting to fail etc. we can develop a good habit of facing fears, let us call them a common term, challenges and using that as a positive experience to develop self mastery in our lives. Yee hah!

Facing Fears

1st step – improve your self-talk and use affirmations.

It is important to face our fears, using positive self talk, such as ‘it’s unlikely to happen’, ‘I can do this’, ‘I am safe’. Basically, learn to switch things around, when you are able to understand and see that your outlook is irrational and apply yourself to lovingly, caringly, get out of your comfort zone (obviously without doing dangerous, unwise activities, using common sense) and try new things.

From my recent experience, I managed to overcome and clear an old fear, which was instilled in me following a bad car accident many years ago.

The fear was underneath my radar, I wasn’t questioning it, feeling nervous in a car on the road seemed normal and acceptable. This was both with my husband driving and when I was driving. Learning more about enneagrams, I started to positive talk myself ‘an accident is unlikely to happen’ being the main one and choosing to let go of being fearful of driving or being driven. I would also affirm to myself ‘I am safe’. It happened recently when my husband was in hospital for two nights after an operation and then unable to drive for 4 weeks. It seemed like a good time to get over my fearful self and switch things around, which was very quick in fact. I was surprised. I am now back to being a confident driver and not wimpish. They say be careful of what you wish for, and it was time to change the unconscious belief of being afraid of having an accident. It’s great! I am loving driving now again.

2nd step – be quick to act on inspirations

Especially if you know in your heart, have a feeling about, doing a new activity, whereby the feeling comes to you for a split second and then your rational mind steps in, persuading, thinking your way out of it in another direction. I imagine some of you lovely readers will get this. You have a feeling and if the inspiration is not acted upon straight away, the feeling becomes dulled and you have talked your way out of doing that thing which initially seemed like such a good idea. The negative ego is chit chatting with you and it’s purpose is to run the body, which it does amazingly well and keep you safe.

3rd step – come to laughter club

Give this a go, you will be stepping out of your comfort zone into an unfamiliar territory. This is a ‘good thing’. New people come from time to time and I encourage them to come at least two or three times, before deciding it is not for them. I am not alone in suggesting that you will not know if it will be a very positive and beneficial activity in your life, without coming more than once. Fair enough, people may know immediately it is not for them. Many people find it very uncomfortable, which is their body type/personality, set in their ways and very likely, inhibitions or deep-set fear such as unconscious trauma, may be at play here. Given time, people become confident, relaxed and embrace the light-hearted fun way that laughter clubs are renowned for.

For instance, we don’t always know what is good for us. I once was leading laughter at a nursing home and it was obvious that the people who were low care, joined in and appeared to be uplifted. It felt like a mistake that the activities organiser asked the residents if it was an activity they enjoyed, instead of seeing the bigger picture that in time, the magic works when people come together, laugh and sing. They did not give it a fair trial, which would have far benefited the residents in the long run. I am suggesting if you have resistance to coming along, look at the bigger picture. There are so many gains to be had from it.

Laughter yoga is an aerobic exercise with innumerable benefits. It isn’t for everyone and you will not have a clear understanding of it being ‘right’ for you, without attending a few times. And it’s free too! We go along to the Ferntree Gully and Boronia Libraries and the laughter club meets twice a month behind the Ferntree Gully Library.

4th Step – We are all in this together

Human Beings are creatures of habit and beneath our seemingly distant exteriors, hide ones who are genuinely kind and helpful towards each other. We have a need to belong, as we are mostly like animals who feel comfortable gathering together in packs, or tribes. A sense of belonging, which helps us feel happy and at peace, coming together and sharing with other like-minded people. It gives us more purpose in our life.

Essentially, and summing up, laughter yoga is a great physical exercise which makes us feel better. Our communication and listening skills improve. We become light-hearted. 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 or Boronia Libraries. It is never too late, and people have taken fifteen years or longer to do just that!

Please think about it. Come along and satisfy your human by interacting with other human beings.

Alternatively, if you do not have a social life, think about, feel into and enquire about, what would be a suitable group for you to be a part of. There are many in the community and the Knox Council is brilliant at supporting its residents. We love being in Knox. From what I see, all councils have the wellbeing of their residents at heart as well. Look after yourself. Get moving, grooving, do something you love and remember firstly, to love yourself. Warts and all!

When we meet

The Ferntree Gully Laughter Club meets at 11am on the 2nd & 4th Sunday of the month.

We are at the Ferntree Gully Library 2pm on the 4th Tuesday of the month.

Let me know if you wish to receive an email newsletter and a reminder email for the laughter club or wish to join the Facebook group.

Cheerio for now and be kind to yourself. A strong mantra that I use and hold in my awareness on a daily basis is ‘Patience, Tolerance, Kindness’. Try it for yourself and let me know how it works for you, or whether you need more assistance and guidance in using it, such as combining with one’s own breath.

Lots of Love and Laughter. Lynette Mitchell.

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

Equanimity From Laughter Yoga is Fabulous

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Laughter Yoga Provides Equanimity in Our Lives

Do you ever think about, ponder, focus on or are aware of the topic of equanimity? I do all the time, as part of my spiritual journey.

Equanimity is living in a state of balance, achieved by focusing on living in the present, self-aware mindful and with compassion. It may look like someone is centred in one’s being, remaining calm, grounded and centred, whilst experiencing challenges.

Equanimity is generally on board as we practice living in this form of self-mastery. It is not something we can choose in case of emergency; it is ingrained in our being through regular practice in our daily lives.

This is a wonderful topic and the cool thing about it is we can all improve in this area if it interests us and we can see the importance of living this way. Let’s face it, we are not alone and are nearly always in various relationships, whether they be family, business, work, social etc.

I feel that equanimity is a whole body experience, a feeling, spiritual thing and need not be a controlled mental state. This implies suppression and the heart is not involved, although there are good intentions present.

To effectively be in equanimity we need to centre ourselves first and act with clarity of intention and compassion. As I practice being in equanimity, in order to centre myself I pause, take a breath or two, allow myself to slow down and become aware of how I am feeling. To be in this calm, centred, mindful state of mind and emotions, I am better able to apply myself to every situation. It is not necessarily so simple, nor easy to do, which is why it is important to have the quality of equanimity on board in one’s personality and self expression. If you attempt to be that way in an emergency, failure is more likely to be the case.

There are many Buddhist references to living in equanimity, which is a state of balance where one doesn’t react to difficult situations. It is part of living in a grounded, mindful manner, without supressing emotions and feelings. Equanimity is a beautiful state to become endowed with, which has a positive, uplifting effect upon those around us in our everyday lives.

It is a non-judgmental, accepting way of being and it may be developed through the practice of laughter yoga. 

How laughter yoga helps you achieve equanimity

Did you know that laughter yoga is a practice that greatly assists us to live in equanimity? A lot of research mentions the benefit of being in greater equanimity when we come together doing laughter exercises. Isn’t that grand? Perhaps is another terrific reason to come along and join us for regular laughter exercises.

This happens organically, that is very naturally, when we come together in playful fun with each other. The way we perceive life upgrades to that of becoming self-accepting and it follows, we become more tolerant and accepting of others and of life situations.

Notwithstanding the times when we may need to walk away from things or people, this is not an airy-fairy way of being, where we become doormats and allow ourselves to be in abusive situations.

What laughter yoga helps with is slowly developing a more cheerful, fun filled, optimistic personal value, leading to living in far greater equanimity because of the way regular laughter can help us.

Some Aussies Involvement in Laughter Yoga

It feels like a good idea to impress upon you more about this, the fact that many people around the world work professionally with laughter yoga and also a great many who are making grounded differences here in Australia. They come from different backgrounds and fields of work.

I will mention three people, firstly to give a shout out to Merv Neal, a local, who filled in for me when I was on a retreat recently. He is responsible for initiating laughter yoga in numerable places which call for more equanimity in people’s lives. For example, it is being accepted as a fabulous activity in the wellbeing and healing area; he is involved in research conducting laughter for kidney dialysis patients and working with the Cancer Council. He co-authored a scientific study book last year which I love.

A prominent Melbourne laughter leader, teacher and academic is Ros Ben-Moshie, who has written two laughter books. Ros also teaches short course courses in Laughter, Resilience and Wellbeing at Latrobe University.

There are many more prominent Australians doing amazing work in the laughter yoga field, which is taking off, i.e. becoming widely known and accepted as a highly beneficial practice for us all to be doing.

The third one I will share with you is Annie Harvie who lives in Adelaide and has written The Giggle Game. Annie has taken this fun, simple, interactive card game all around the world. It is designed for early learners, and I highly recommend it to school teachers and parents. It is a simple way of bringing the exercise of laughing together to us all and in particular, children.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article and wishing you an excellent 2025. You are always welcome to join John, myself and the small group who come regularly to laughter club.

First timers, please contact me, Lynette to in case of a meeting change. You may even like to add yourself to the email reminder for the laughter club or sign up for my newsletter. My website has information regarding workshops, classes, laughter yoga and blog.

The Ferntree Gully Laughter Club meets at 11am on the 2nd & 4th Sunday of the month.

We are at the Ferntree Gully Library 2pm on the 4th Tuesday of the month March onwards and at the Boronia Library, 11am the 3rd Saturday of the month recommencing in May.

Cheerio for now. 

Lots of Love and Laughter. Lynette Mitchell. xo

Do you go crazy or withdraw like a recluse? Then stop it!

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Blog on becoming reclusive or triggered acting like a crazy person

Hello Folks

Recently a new laughter club member joined, who had been wanting to try Laughter Yoga for a couple of years. She enjoyed it a lot and I bring this up as a small prod to encourage you to attend too. Have you also been feeling that you need to laugh more and are considering coming along? Then, why put it off? It is free, you have nothing to lose, except your inhibitions, along with any discomfort you may experience because of trying something unfamiliar.

I have been leading the Ferntree Gully Laughter Club for over nineteen years and in that time, many people have come along, tried it, felt it was not for them and not returned. Others have come for a period and left, whilst some have stayed and become a happy bunch of friendly people. Pick up the phone and call me if you like, I am always delighted to meet you and talk about the laughter club and the benefits of laughing.

Life’s Challenges and Stress

Life seems to be very challenging and challenges can be a ‘good thing’. Challenges can be beneficial for our whole body and get out of passivity. We need to be stretched and challenged; there is such a thing as positive stress. There are also other more subtle challenges we may face, due to unhealed bits within us. Do you get the feeling of that what I am alluding to? It will ring true for a lot of people reading this and alternatively, there will be a great percentage of individuals to whom, it means absolutely nothing. Which is perfectly alright, as we are all so different, a multitude of combinations in our physical body, health, genetics, culture, work, hobbies, interests and on it goes.

Triggers

This is one word which refers to us or others who overreact in an irrational way. It is not obvious because there is some deep unresolved issue which takes us back to a time or moment and unhealed, unresolved subconscious memories are triggered. There is no obvious reasons and we can feel within our rights to act in the way we do.  Such stuff can cause us to fly off the handle, become over emotional or mentally crazy, acting like a small child, losing temper or sulking, withdrawing and going off to be by ourself, having the feeling of wanting to be or play all alone.

When unhealed bits surface, we can act and feel very immature, like the age we were when an incident happened, or a period in our young life that was very difficult. I feel a lot of us have had the experience of being misunderstood and simply wanting to express love and be showered with love, not understanding grown ups or other kids.

There is nothing wrong either with you or me and in some difficult times in our lives, we may seek and need help, a counsellor, health professional, or perhaps to join a particular group or even a church. This is quite normal. I recommend becoming aware enough to catch feelings where there is self judgment and negative self-talk. And then to find ways to work with it in order to heal and release what would otherwise remain unresolved and unhealed. Our lives will be richer for doing that.

Another possible scenario is to work through and heal unhealed traumas with the help of another person, learning to be kinder to ourself, even taking on the role of becoming our own inner coach. Or we can choose to withdraw, to be a recluse which can be beneficial. A healthy way of withdrawing is to have quiet introspective time with ourself when we ponder, meditate, journal, sit with nature, take time out or ways you may come up with that fit the bill.

Seek Professional Help or be Your Own Help Versus Becoming a Shopaholic

Some people feel drawn to seeking out and clearing the trauma in one’s past, when we feel to become consciously aware, present and grounded, being responsible for our life. We may become introspective and wish to seek out an expert in the form of professional help. Another option is to become withdrawn and reclusive in an unhealthy way, when we struggle to cope with our feelings which bring us to act like a crazy, unhinged, human being. Examples of going into a reclusive shell might be not answering the phone, or walking off or leaving without letting people know.

On the other hand, the higher vibrational positive recluse would be to express needing to have time out from others, so as to regroup within one’s self. It can be such a positive thing to do, to have some quiet time with yourself, perhaps in nature, in order to become centred within, attuning to our soul and higher spiritual self.

Quiet time entails not to go out on a shopping spree to help fill an empty gap, or settle ourselves so as to cope with our stress, mind and emotions. Take it from one who knows, having been a shopaholic for much of my life. Spending money is not the answer, it is a temporary fix. This is not an absolute judgment on shopping, it of course depends upon the motive and essential need.

So we have two things here, one being when we act out like a crazy, frantic person, without knowing what brought on such behaviour, which is destructive to ourselves, the environment and others. The other thing is to look for support whether it is external, or if we are lucky enough to be able to do this, find ways to regroup within ourself, back into feeling a balanced, centred, kind human being.

And might I suggest, what can be highly helpful in these times of mental and emotional stress, that you come and visit with us and others to share laughter yoga? It is an excellent de-stressor which can make a huge difference in your life, whether you only need to come for a little while, or ongoing. I firmly believe that when you face yourself when things do not seem right in your life, you will intuitively find a way to make the necessary shifts and changes. Things genuinely get drawn towards us and of course, do please be careful about what you wish for, because it may not be the best thing to occur after all.

I believe you can do it, live a meaningful life, with clarity and purpose, no matter what time it is in your life, or position that you are in. You can grow, evolve, becoming in touch with your purpose, which may also change as well. It is never too late and never, ever, give up! You can choose joy no matter what is going on.

I wish you well and do reach out to me or another if you need support through a difficult time in your live. Remember to create some fun things to do in your life, perhaps something unexplored, or to give yourself more time for your passion. It could be simple things to spend longer in the garden, or with your favourite creative pursuits. Knitting and crocheting can be steady and healing for some, regular walks, the list is unlimited. Volunteering is also a fabulous opportunity which people love to do. Feel into it, make a list, what will help you right here, right now? Be the change you wish to see in the world. There is still time. And remember, never, ever give up.

Shall I see you sometime in the near future? Check out the Laughter Club page HERE.

Lots of Love and Laughter. 

Lynette Mitchell

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

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

Grounding Courage, Trust and Laughter

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Is Your Life Difficult or Easy?

Are you Happy having an easy time in your life? I was speaking with a lady on the train who was down from Darwin for a few days. Heather has two male children, one with ADHD and the other with Asperger’s. My immediate reaction was to feel she had a difficult life. She responded that her life was no more difficult than anyone else’s. immediately I felt that she was very courageous. I concurred when she said she believed we are given only that which we are able to cope with and learn from. This is my firm belief, we will be handed challenges, call it what you will, in order to evolve, expand and grow as human beings into becoming more spirit-based, whilst in a human body.

Laughter is important and the little dog Trixie is our mascot, trotting around us as we do our laughter exercises.
Laughter is important and the little dog Trixie is our mascot, trotting around us as we do our laughter exercises.

I have chosen to bring up the subject of Courage as being a very important quality to hold and express yourself through. Do you see yourself as being courageous? People generally live life unconsciously, being led and drawn throughout their lives. Granted there are decisions, activities and goals that we busy ourselves in. We can either express from a selfish centre, where it is all about me, which is prevalent when we are young. The whole world revolves around us and our desires. As time passes, this alters and many of us ponder, feeling to give back and share from our life’s experience and gained wisdom. Life expresses more about how may I serve? This revised attitude may also be unconscious, rather that we have a growing feeling of liking to help or be useful in some ways.

Life Throws us Challenges

Courage comes in when challenges present themselves to us and we can take the stance to be strong, to not give in, to never give up, to keep going on, no matter what. We can feel utterly and completely lost, or perhaps see the end in mind, whether we feel we have it all worked out, in line with our purpose and plan or otherwise.

It takes guts to turn up no matter what. Nothing stopping us, becoming unstoppable. There is a fine balance with not burning ourselves out either, as we must give from an overflowing abundance of energy or else our own health may be depleted. We can feel resentful also if we are coming from the ‘wrong’ motives.

Wrong is in inverted commas, because in theory there is no right or wrong. We have choices and consequences. Our motive may be to fulfil a need we carry due to low self-esteem and is not as clear or pure as when it is from a genuine desire to be embracing life in a way that we feel we are giving back to life.

Taken in context, therefore, we have the opportunity to call on Courage in our lives when we feel the need. Courage is an interesting word, or quality. Many of us have it in some things that we have to do and not others. We may work well, be smart, on the ball and feel strong, together and yet on a personal level, we can shrink.

It is all okay, either way. Just get real with yourself and know when you need to call for outside support to get you going, through to the other side.

Call on Courage to see you through, offer support and you may in addition call on Trust, as together with Courage, they go hand in hand. If we don’t feel Trust, it will be harder to accept Courage when we ask for it.

Laughter Yoga Strengthens our Capacity for Courage

This is where using Laughter Yoga can come in, to support us in our lack of commitment and when our fears hold us back. Do we want to be chicken or have the Courage of a Tiger. Or would you pick another cat? Maybe a mouse, who in one story stands up to an elephant.

I sincerely say that the longer I run laughter clubs, the more certain I am that to include (not to say it is all that you need) laughter in your life, you will be changed in ways that will please you! That is for the best, we do not want to be settled, we like to feel safe and secure, but what growth is in that? Nil.

John, my husband who joins me frequently speaks of how laughter has been instrumental in getting him out of comfort zone. John recently shared that he will speak with anybody, new people who he would not have otherwise approached before him joining the laughter club.  He feels it may be more difficult too for the men out there.

A regular male attendee who has been coming for several years astounded us when he said that he was very shy and had to make himself come back again. That is not always the case, as many people come to laughter club once and feel it is not for them. I feel they may not attend long enough to find out if that is so. Quite a few share they felt uncomfortable and returned regardless. The longer you come, the better you will feel. Even though it gets you out of your comfort zone, you will once again experience child-like playful fun, but this time as an adult with other adults. It does become natural and spontaneous once more, with the practice of regular attendance at a laughter club.

Laughter helps you get over yourself, your appearance, lack of confidence and resistance to being outside in a social group. Many of us withdraw or, through no fault of our own, are quite isolated, especially as we age.

We improve being inhibited when we connect with adult members in the laughter club. Part of what we do is embrace child-like playful fun with each other. Such as you may recall as you would have as a child, playing outside with the neighbourhood kids on a hot summer night, or however you remember those precious childhood memories.

What we do at Laughter Club.

We do laughter yoga exercises, deep breathing, singing using ho ho or something similar instead of words, dancing around and in general behave as if we are doing improvisation theatre.

It is never too late to start something new like attending one of our laughter clubs, or that thing that you have held off doing. What is on your bucket list? Does it require Courage and Trust to do it or is it related to time or money?

Develop new Brain Pathways

Neuroplasticity is about the science of neurons, the brain to develop new cells and pathways. Brain Gym is becoming widely practiced and educates people to expand themselves with exercises. People can further develop their brains and have greater cognitive behaviour with various activities. The top activity for Neuroplasticity is laughter, next singing and dancing. We do all of these when we meet at community laughter clubs.

My involvement with laughter has certainly done that, released me from my comfort zone, expanded my horizons, opened up new pathways, not only in my brain but in many other areas of my life.

No doubt we could be led to be involved in many activities that would help us to achieve a feeling of expansion in our lives. That is if we allow ourselves to be inspired by a greater part of us which is beyond physical limitations, we will find our way.

Finishing Off

My wish for you is to dig deep, make an effort if you aren’t already, to discover new things to do in your life. We want to have a greater expression of ourselves on all levels, well many of us are into growing and if what I share does not resonate with you, that is fine as life happens and evolution can take as long as it takes.

We may feel out of our depth, like being pulled along and without being in control, rather than our life being of our choosing and being able to follow our passion.

If you have lost yours, direction and passion, then please, please come to one of the local laughter clubs, or another one if you live elsewhere. It may be just what the doctor ordered!

Laughing together with supportive, like-minded people is extraordinary. We come together sometimes quietly, throw ourselves into the session and leave feeling magnificent. We feel uplifted, energised, appreciative and with the intention of bringing more laughter into our lives, in whatever way is possible.

Cheerio for now. Lynette.

Disclaimer: Information shared is intended to support you and is from my personal understanding, experience and is generalised. I am not responsible for how you take it on board.

Ferntree Gully Laughter Club Celebrates
Lynette was walking towards the camera for this weird shot.

Could Laughter Yoga be Part of Your Self Support in 2019?

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Hello and how have you been since the start of the year? Are you embarking on new things? Will you be joining us at either the Knoxfield or Ferntree Gully Laughter Clubs? They are on at 10.30am on Saturdays and Sundays. Links to information on the website pages are: Knoxfield – Ferntree Gully.

Are you okay? If you have been meaning to join one of our two local laughter clubs, either Ferntree Gully or Knoxfield, I encourage you to be like the Nike motto. ‘JUST DO IT!’. Furthermore, it’s FREE. The company is GREAT. And you will be welcomed into the laughter ‘family’.

New Year’s Resolutions.

Are they chosen in a spontaneous moment, or, in part influenced by others as something you ‘should’ do. Most of us have been conditioned that we ‘should’ make New Year’s Resolutions. This implies that we are not okay, inadequate and need to pick up our game. Depending on our underlying motive, they could alternatively be used for positive growth.

We often experience guilt when we don’t succeed and there is a natural tendency for humans to be resistant to change. We like to know what is going to happen and feel insecure not knowing for certain how our future will play out.

Resolutions can be good at any time and especially if our motive is coming from love and congruent with our goals.

There are plenty of opportunities for self-improvement and besides using laughter to support us, we may have been considering slowing down our activities agenda by adding some quiet time. Or not, it may be something completely the opposite! Have you been meaning to learn or get better at the art of meditation? There is so much that we are able to try out and see if it works for us, to give pleasure or lower the everyday stress. I am now booking students for a Monday evening personal growth class, which may be a lightbulb moment on reading this piece of information?

Self-Acceptance and a Nightly review

This feels like a regular topic related to self-esteem and sharing about the nightly review process. If you do wish to work on bringing more love and self-acceptance to your day, it is worth creating this good habit. At the end of each day I ask myself “Did I bring more love to what I was involved in today? Was I kinder and more self-accepting, both to myself and others? Was I without criticism and judgment?”.

You must work on YOU first, because if you are not okay with yourself, you will be unable to help, support and share the love with others you encounter.

Back to basics, remember that when we laugh wholeheartedly and allow ourselves to be doing child-like playful activities, it is one of the very, very best things we can do for our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. The laughter clubs run in all weather, hail, rain or shine. Sometimes we may even begin feeling a tad flat and this quickly changes. We start laughing and deep breathing, making us feel invigorated, uplifted and happy. This method of joining together brings belonging, comradeship, and a new way of living one’s life. We take the spirit of laughter with us. Do come and give it a go. It truly is transformative and life changing.

This photo was taken during a session at the Federation Square Laughter Club. I recently returned to being a Committee member of Laughter Clubs Victoria Inc. (LCVI) that puts these laughter sessions on. They are on the 1st and 3rd Sunday at 11am and are free. Read more here.

May 2019 be beneficially memorable for you. Keep on keeping on! And remember, to never, ever, ever give up!!!

Cheerio for now. Lynette.

Disclaimer: Information shared is intended to support you and is from my personal understanding, experience and is generalised. I am not responsible for how you take it on board.

Being Present and Greeting Anew

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Hi there, carrying on from the last sharing about being present and greeting anew, I discovered that being present in your life is significantly more involved than I realised. We will talk about two ways of being present that work for me, (1) how Laughter Yoga helps you to be present and (2) establishing a daily energy hygiene practice. The next time will then be about Greeting Anew.

(1) Using Laughter Yoga as a Practice For Being present

To practice daily laughter on your own, or even better, attending a laughter club when you can is an easy method to embrace. Laughter brings a wonderful release into your life as it has benefits on all levels. That is physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. It helps release pent up feelings, stress and worry. It is a physical aerobic workout and it is assists in releasing inhibitions. This helps your worthiness and self-esteem as you quickly view life in a different manner, which is automatic and spontaneous. Like changing for the better, being led in a new way into situations that are beneficial. That is my husband John’s mantra ‘it gets you out of your comfort zone’. We often find laughter clubbers share how before joining the laughter club, they were feeling flat and some have shared, had to force himself to return again. We have a new lady who came and at her first session she shared her discomfort to begin with, gave it a go and felt uplifted. She was keen to return and is now a regular member.

(2) Basic Energetic Hygiene as a way of Being Present

My second recommended daily practice to help you to be here, now and present in the moment are some simple affirmations contained in the Basic Energetic Hygiene document. This is elementary for some of us and creates a different scenario for dealing with everyday issues and challenges. You will not know unless you give it a go!

This daily practice of looking after your energetic fields helps us to be in awareness of what we are doing with our energy. It gives ways to raise our vibration, for instance if I find myself wafting off, thinking or stressed, it is a very useful tool to have. Energetic Hygiene provides me with tools for when I find my mind wandering, planning ahead, living in the past, or in my imagination.

Many of us tend to live our lives in our mind, we are stress heads, or worry warts. Some of us indulge our imagination or relive the past in our minds over and over. It can be difficult to stop this trait. As we cannot alter the past, when we become absorbed reliving it, our life force diminishes, preventing us from totally living in the present moment. And we require our minds to work with us when required to plan certain things. They do have a purpose and it is not to relive the past, neither to dream about our future, which projects our energy out from the here and now, into the future. Both of these tendencies need to be overcome if you wish to have more energy and less stress in your life.

Would you like to receive the basic document? I will email it to you upon request. For an in-depth experience of this topic, then book yourself into an Introduction to Energetic Hygiene class. Other than that, I trust this has been a good read for you and thank you for taking the time to do so.

Disclaimer: Information shared here is from my personal understanding and experience. As advice given is general and I am not a medical doctor, there is no responsibility for how you receive it. The intention is sharing supportive information to assist you to live a fuller, holistic life.

Stress, Suggestions and Using Laughter Yoga

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What does the word stress bring up for you? Very likely it will be negative because the media influences us that stress is ‘bad’ and we are directed to find relief from it with buying, eating, drinking, holidaying etc. Many people are so accustomed to living in a stressful manner and may not realise that there are ways to combat it. It can be that when we our time is restricted, it is beneficial to feel under pressure and we can achieve that without sending our bodies into a stressed mode. In fact it can be uplifting and energising, rather like self-testing or facing a challenge. Laughter and other things like mindfulness and meditation can help a lot, here’s my take on incorporating Laughter Yoga into your daily routine – Read More

John Mitchell & Vicki at Ferntree Gully Laughter Club
I have this much limitation laugh (which is very little) and this much potential (which is huge), at Ferntree Gully Laughter Club.

John Mitchell and Vicki sharing a favorite laugh, a tiny space between thumb
and finger indicating that little limitation
and next the arms go wide showing how much potential.

Problem Solving, Boredom & Reframing to New Opportunities.

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Problem solving is something that is familiar to most of us, also boredom and changing our ways of describing difficulties. Living in human bodies we have to be very adaptable and often think on our feet. The lady next to me at watercolour painting today said ‘necessity is the mother of illusion’ I thought that was funny and commented ‘necessity is the mother of invention’. That got me wondering about her belief if it was about illusion and not invention.

Being adaptable in a body takes me various places with my laughter work. I have recently been sharing laughter with two quite different groups, each had about twenty people present. Firstly for the high care residents at Bupa Coburg and then for a team building day for the Cardinia Shire Council.

I enquired the theme for the Council team building day and was told it was ‘problem solving’ which inspired me to contemplate this subject and share with you some ideas and understanding that I have around it.

We have to adapt and be able to solve problems and often these can relate to feeling flat and bored, when we do the same thing or work or else it is simply mundane and not challenging.

Does your mind drive you crazy with thinking? Sometimes it is hard to get it to stop thinking, trying to work things out, go ahead in the future and back in the past. We put things into boxes, people also, so that we are unable to see people or situations anew because of the way that we categorise everything.

The mind works on different levels which I won’t go into in great detail now. Suffice to say, we can be doing things unconsciously with our habit mind and intellectualising with our rational mind and have a higher mind which is more intuitive, where we receive inspirations.

Our mental body is a wonderful servant and it is not good when it runs the show. It can help us to analyse, research, amalgamate things and we need to work with it with our emotions and to plan goals, it is hard to imagine without the various powers that are available to us for our entire existence what our life would be.

Let’s make it simple again. We need to think and I think we can all agree that most of us think too much and wish that we could turn the mind off. Even when we ask it to be quiet it still runs amuck. One lady at the end of the laughter session said that before the laughter yoga session, the back of her head was very tight and after laughing it felt relaxed. Do you agree that we need to do more than think, we need to learn to relax and we can do this by using breathing exercises, meditation and regularly laughing. I feel we need to do all three every day.

I have documents which I will email to you upon request. They are: Circular Breathing which helps one to be more relaxed and grounded in the body. This breathing exercise helps you to be more aware of the state of tension in your body and to slow it down with concentration and focus. Neuroplasticity, which you may have heard of, occurs on a variety of levels, it is when we create new pathways in the brain and laughter yoga helps to do that. The other document is a mindfulness exercise, which helps us to be present and feeling grounded in our physical body. Please email me for any of these documents, which are yours for the asking.

Back to problem solving. People these days are changing the word ‘problem’ to ‘challenge’, which is also now becoming over used. What about if we say that problems create not challenges, instead new opportunities? New opportunities to grow, to do things differently and investigate other ways of doing or implementing things. We have talked here about the tendency of humans to put people and things into boxes. Also that Neuroplasticity helps to create new pathways in the brain. If you Google about people with half a brain you will hear about how the brain can rewire itself. I was fascinated to hear about a woman who was born with half a brain and it is worth Googling. Here is the link to a coverage of Michelle Mack.

Now getting to the subject of this blog, try changing the words problem solving to new opportunities. We can think and think, brainstorm, create mind maps, dialogue, journal, research, create spreadsheets and do all sorts of things.

There is a reason that we reframe the words. When we use some words, they can be negative and are better to be turned around, or reframed into words that will be conducive to creating positive growth and change. Our subconscious mind will do our bidding, does not think or analyse and is automatic, which means that the more that we frame our words, thoughts and feelings into positive ones, the happier we will be and less stressed, creating new opportunities and experiences along the way.

Sometimes things come down to one’s gut feelings and if we are able to be in our heart, because of spending more time sitting quietly in meditation, doing deep breathing, laughing more frequently and whatever else helps us to get there, we can decide and know what to do in an instant. When I studied holistic counselling, it was referred to as the 4 second rule. In a relaxed state to be open to the flash of insight that comes to you.

I believe in reframing the words to opportunities and stretching ourselves, which is how we evolve, learn and improve. The heart really knows, however the challenge is being still enough to receive the impressions that we receive from our heart’s knowing.

A little example of trusting instincts. I am secretary of a not-for-profit business networking group called the Maroondah Business Association. We have been meeting at a particular place for ten years and for about nine months the committee were dissatisfied with the standard of service and lack of communication from the venue hosts. After much looking around, researching and finally analysing the database of members for the locality in which they lived, the committee was going to take longer to decide whether to go to the new venue or not.

What clinched the move to the Wantirna Club was our President saying that sometimes we just have to go by our gut instinct and so we did. It was the right decision, the meeting last Wednesday night was excellent and I firmly believe that somehow when we follow our instincts and knowing, we are far better off than thinking our way through living our lives. Sure we need to use the mind to a large degree only in the long run, it is not the ruler, our heart and whole being can work on developing its intuition and being open to inspirations as they flow through as we go about our lives, in whatever field, whether personal or professional.

Hope this helps. Please do not hesitate to email, phone or add yourself to my monthly newsletter database or ask for the information regarding Circular Breathing, the Mindfulness exercise or Neuroplasticity.

Love and Blessings.

Lynette Mitchell xx oo