Osho talks about the value of laughter. He says that life is only a cosmic joke after all. We tend to take life so seriously and when we do, we lose all spontaneity. This stops laughter in its track!
Osho warns of seriousness being a disease and that there is nothing spiritual about seriousness. He says “Spirituality is laughter. Spirituality is joy. Spirituality is fun.”
When I saw these lovely words, I realized just how serious I had been getting about life lately and it’s certainly not fun when you realize that you haven’t had a good laugh in a while! This got me thinking a lot today about laughter and the power it has to make me and others feel so much better about life especially when we're taking things too seriously.
The Joys of Laughter
I remember, how as a child, I laughed all the time. The innocence and trust that a child has in life is such a gift and they show it by laughing. I challenge anyone out there who isn't touched by the magic of a child’s laughter.
As a family, we grew up finding the funny side of things even when life was throwing rotten tomatoes at us! Often, we would sit around the dinner table discussing a serious event that was taking place in one of our lives and it could be guaranteed that either our father or one of our siblings would turn it around and lighten the seriousness by finding the funny side of it. Soon, we would all be laughing and somehow, the seriousness was taking down a few notches!
As I sit here, right now, writing this blog, I can hear a group of people outside chatting and laughing – in particular, one lady’s laughter is infectious and it makes me smile every time I hear her. Think of all the people in your life who make you laugh with their jokes and their own laughs – I bet you're smiling now as you think of them!
We all have that one friend who knows how to make us laugh. This one friend has a knack for looking at life simply for what it is – a big joke! These are people that lift our souls when we're weary and who take us out of our misery when everything seems dark. It's this friend who's able to make us feel good again just by simply making us laugh.
Using Humor in Life Coaching (and whenever else we get too serious)
Sometimes, when doing life coaching and spiritual work with my clients, a lot of inner work needs to take place and we can end up being too serious about life. It's important to grow through self-awareness. But, we must also try to always have a sense of playfulness in our lives so that we can still experience the joy and fun of life.
One of the ways to make spirituality fun is to be aware of the magic of the Universe through the messages that are sent to us. I encourage my clients to have some fun with spirituality by looking out for these messages which can come through repetitive numbers, spirit animals, music, and words.
Playing this game with the Universe certainly lights up my life and there are many times I catch myself laughing at the pure Magic that is the Universe.
Fake it Until You Make it!
SMILE – when you smile, already your soul is lifted and before you know it, you may even find yourself laughing! Learn to laugh at yourself. The old adage of "fake it until you make it" really works. When you're feeling down in the dumps, I encourage you to put a smile on your face. Tell me now that you don't find that mere act funny and you may even start laughing!
Learn to take yourself not so seriously. How many times do you get all "high and mighty" when someone shares a dirty joke with you? Lighten up and get some giggles out of it. You never know, tomorrow may bring some sorrow so take the gift of laughter whenever you can. Even if it's a silly, dirty joke.
Finding ways to be happy goes a long way to bringing laughter into your life. I urge all my clients to draw up a list of things that make them happy to remind them of what makes them feel lighter about life. Dogs also bring us great joy and their antics can get you laughing in no time at all.
Some Healthy Benefits of Laughter
If you still need some convincing that laughter is actually good for you, then check out these health benefits of laughing.
1. Decreases the Stress Hormones
These hormones play havoc with your whole body, from your immune system to your mental state of mind. When you laugh, you immediately prevent these stress hormones from becoming a threat to your overall sense of wellbeing.
2. Strengthens Your Core Muscles
Okay, you need to do a lot of laughing to improve your core muscles but it's doable, and what a fun way of strengthening those muscles. Plus, your tummy abs will benefit too. So get laughing if you want to have a toned belly.
3. Great for Cardio Health
Who would have thought a good laugh gets your heart pumping while burning up calories similar to taking a slow walk around the block? So, if you're unable to get out for your daily walk today, get laughing instead by watching your favorite comedy!
4. Releases Endorphins
Your body's endorphins are natural painkillers and will help you manage any chronic pain or illness you're facing. But did you know that a good laugh helps to release these endorphins so they can do their job?
5. Brings Down Your Blood Pressure
If you suffer from high blood pressure then you seriously need a dose of laughter medicine. Laughing will lower your blood pressure, minimizing the risks of suffering from a stroke or heart attack. So, find your old comic books and make sure you read them every day.
6. Improves Your T-Cells
Here's another interesting fact about your body. T-cells play a crucial role in your immune system and when they're boosted, you can be sure you've got yourself a strong weapon to fight off that next cold! Laughter has been shown to improve your T-cells performance so what are you waiting for? Laugh out loud at that dirty joke!
7. Gives You More Zest for Life
Laughter will give you all the energy you need to live life to the full. And, evidence proves that positive people who know how to not take life too seriously are able to fight off illnesses and diseases better than those who have a negative outlook on life.
Final Thoughts
One of the greatest gifts you can give someone else is to help them find their laughter again. Not only are you improving their health but you're helping them find the joy in life again. A good, deep laugh that comes from the very depth of your belly will soon have so much good energy flowing around that you will suddenly find things in your life flowing with ease again.
So, as Osho so wisely said, life is a joke so drop the seriousness and bring back the laughter in your life so that you may feel the joy and fun of LIFE.
This post was originally published on March 30th, 2021, and updated on May 18th, 2022.