Laugh it off….
What to do? Fights with family members, caring for elderly parents or upset kids, anxiety and depression getting you down, natural disasters, spilled dinner all over new shirt. What to do?
I have been reminding myself to not take life so seriously, and inviting clients to practice this exercise with me. The results so far have been moving:
Remember to breathe - When I am bogged down by life, my breathing is short, shallow and all in my chest. We practiced belly breathing while standing up in my last community yoga class, it was much harder that we thought it would be but was quite useful in helping to center and calm us.
Remember to laugh – A colleague of mine and I recently conducted an adult recess workshop where we practiced laughter yoga, which is working out with laughing games and exercises. It was wild, weird and fun, yet also very challenging for us adults to let loose and give up needing to look good and know what to do.
Remember to say yes and take risks- - In a recent therapy group, clients were sharing the ways life is binding them up, is hard, confusing, scary. A group member asked if we could all stand up and scream. We said yes to the unconventional offer. We stood up, screamed, then sat down in silence for a long moment. Wild, weird and moving. After screaming together, we were able to be with each other in new ways that just talking with each other did not allow.
What are your stories of laughing it off? Perhaps we can create a Laughing List for one another to access during these times of heightened uncertainty, anger and fear. Now let’s laugh.