Dear Fellow Yogis and Yoginis! The first of the month is also known as April Fool's Day, one of those "holidays" that has not been very commercialized, unless you consider the increased sales of whoopee cushions! No matter how you feel about it, it surely is a special day for pranksters of all ages who have the ability to turn our frowns upside down. I wanted to play a practical joke of some kind for this month's newsletter. I considered making a big announcement about quitting yoga and going to work for a tobacco company, or post a new study that found yoga to be harmful to our health! And then, I paused.
While I enjoy a goofy gag, a jesting joke, and even a playful prank, I sense that our world has certainly changed in the last few years. Especially in light of the many ‘doom and gloom’ newscasts around us, people generally seem to have forgotten to laugh with others or at themselves.
Laughter can convey meaning more effectively than words and is a special language in itself. It can heal and help us connect as a community. And I am not about to give up what the Muppets refer to as the world’s 3rd greatest gift –laughter--just yet! I know you are with me on this one! I therefore propose the month of April be a month where all of us nurture our playful and sometimes silly inner child.
Here are a few suggestions to try out this month:
1) SMILE MORE. Start you morning with a smile and repeat frequently through the day, specially when you make eye contact with another person.
2) LAUGH MORE, or find more things to laugh about. Scientifc Research shows us there are health benefits to laughter. Believe it!
3) SHARE A FUNNY OR LIFE AFFIRMING QUOTE OR STORY, specially with someone having a rough day.
4) PLAY an appropriate, emphatically-minded, and harmless "joke" on someone you love. Make sure to have plenty of connecting time afterwards. Click here to read an article about how to apply humor in your life.
5) BE SILLY and PLAYFUL. Devote some time to play with your loved ones, or your pet(s).
6) Practice LAUGHTER YOGA!
Just in case you get too carried away with the laughter and fun, please be assured that there is an FDA-approved "cure" for your happy condition called DESPONDEX! Click here to get your laughs!
Playfully yours,
Ken
