Laugh Your Way To A Better You

When is the last time you laughed? I mean really laughed. None of that "oh your so funny, ha ha" adult type laughing. I'm talking about no holding back, snorting, red faced, pee your pants laughter. If your like me, you will ponder this question for a while and then realize, that "wow, I haven't done that in a long time." And then, you will begin to wonder just why this type of laughter is missing from your life.
This is what happened to me last night as I heard my four year old son ask his little sister, "What does the doctor say?" She would then reply in a very silly manner, "Eat your food!" Each time she would say this, Jackson would laugh hysterically. This little dialogue continued back and forth as I was cooking dinner for about 25 minutes. Like most mothers who have so much stuff going on between the hours of 5-8 p.m, I was a bit stressed out. Dinner was in the mix, the kids needed baths, and I wanted to spend at least 10 minutes with my husband before he decided to go to bed. "Jackson that's enough" I said, feeling my nerves unravel as he asked Macy "What does the doctor say?" for the 45th time. He then looked at me and began cracking up as she shouted in her very cute high and often demanding tone, "Eat your food!" This, I thought was enough to make me smile. Jackson couldn't stop laughing. His little body shook as his face turned red as he tried to contain his overall jolliness. Who am I to make him stop laughing?
Adults need laughter. We have all heard the age old saying that laughter, indeed is the best medicine. Research has shown the benefits of laughter ranging from a stronger immune system to reducing symptoms of depression. People are even starting laughter groups. There is this amazing Doctor out of India named Madan Kataria. Through research, Dr. Kataria developed the idea of Laughter Yoga. By incorporating physical movement, playful interaction (chanting ho, ho, ha, ha) and gentle yogic breathing techniques this "laughter yoga" is designed to reduce stress and make you feel eons better about your whole life in general! Isn't there a pill for this, you may ask? Yes, and that is part of our countries problem.
Do you want to laugh? I do, and I don't want it to involve alcohol. I mean, I want to really get a good gut roll, "I cant breathe," kind of laugh going on. Laughter is said to burn calories, this is always good.
The next time Jackson asks a silly question over and over and over, I think I will drop what I'm doing and jump right in to the madness. After all, we only live once, and to think one of the benefits of laughter is prolonged longevity. Come on people, jump on the laughter band wagon and let loose. It isn't that hard and once you get started, you wont be able to stop!

The nasty cold that changed my life.

Why is it that just when you're hanging on to the last delicate threads of summer you suddenly get a cold? I was up in Canada on a most amazing girls trip when I noticed my ears getting a little muffled. "I'm not getting sick, its not going to happen, I am here to have fun." A tad hungover in bed the next day, I said to myself "hmmm I guess I beat it."
I suppose days of travel followed by more days of travel down to Oregon for a look at "possibly relocating" with my family made the cold so bad that I completely lost my voice for a job interview. "I am a very confident person" I whispered to my future boss.
I got the job, and I warned her that next time she could expect a lot, and I mean a lot more talking out of this girl. She smiled, I hope that's a good thing.
So aside from this awful cold thing that has had me down for a over a month, still hanging on after a very ineffective dose of antibiotics, several times daily elderberry and zinc, nasty teas and something called "green lightning" that I mix with my juice in the morning. I realized something.
Yesterday sitting in the car, I was a bit down on myself for not practicing yoga daily (you see I am a yoga teacher and when I get out of practice, boy do I feel it) I also haven't been running, walking with my children (much) or bicycling. What is wrong with me, I feel like a sloth. This is when I started thinking about how I need to get back to where I was a month ago. I was fitter, faster, stronger and in my mind....better.
What is wrong with this mindset? A lot. Why are we constantly seeking something that we once were? How many times have you thought to yourself, "Man, if I could only get back into those pre-baby jeans, I would be so happy." Or, "Life would be so good if I had my ex back in my life." Lets just all stop here for a moment and vow to never look back, never wish we had something we once had. I realized, while riding in the car looking at a most amazing early autumn sky that wow, we are so fortunate to be constantly changing and growing. As humans, we move through this labyrinth of wrong turns and hard times that eventually show us the way down the correct path.
Yes, I had a set back, no my practice isn't where it was, I can't do a full handstand right now because there is a chance I might drown in nasal secretions (sorry) but....I am where I am in my life doing the best that I can. No, I won't ever go back to where I was because lets face it, no one has invented a time machine that actually works. But I can be present in my life moving on with the new day, to the new me, constantly reinventing myself and loving every bit of what life brings me.