Mindfulness and Humor: Celebrating Belly Laugh Day

My friend Elaine Helle in Oregon thought it would be fun to give the whole world something to laugh about.

As a laughter yoga teacher--her personal tagline is "Laugh for the health of it!"--she knows the power of a good belly laugh. And so, she started Belly Laugh Day, which will be celebrated around the world on January 24th at 1:24 pm local time.

On this day, people everywhere will pause in the middle of a busy day to smile, throw their hands up into the air and laugh out loud.

This isn't just one of those holidays that somebody made up and nobody honors. This one actually has coordinated silliness scheduled in places all over the globe. People will gather--or stop where they are at work or school or home--and laugh hard and long at the appointed time. Laughers will send in stories, photos and videos of their Belly Laugh experience to share with others on Elaine's website.

I've always said that if you're not laughing, you're not learning. Can you get through an entire day without laughing? You shouldn't. You see, there's power--and wisdom--in lightening up. If hours go by without a guffaw or at least a giggle, you're not allowing yourself to see the silliness all around you.

Oh, I know there are days when it doesn't seem possible to laugh. After all, terrible things do happen. But on 99 percent of your days, you've got a dozen reasons to laugh.

And the other 1 percent? Trust me on this: those are the days during which you are MOST in need of laughter!

I've laughed at the bedside of someone who is dying. I've howled while holding hands with someone who has tried (unsuccessfully) to kill himself. I've giggled even when I felt I couldn't take another day of life in this world.

Thank goodness.

You see, that's the tipping point. When you can laugh while smack in the middle of a crappy day-- or a real tragedy--you know you're going to be okay. You've tapped into the secret of the Belly Laugh.

Elaine knows the secret, and she's not whispering it. Instead, she's shouting it from the virtual rooftops, engaging gigglers from the north Pole to Antarctica.

Let Belly Laugh Day on January 24th remind you of the value of seeing the silliness all around you. Open your eyes and find something to smile about every HOUR.

What, you can't spare five seconds every waking hour? Then you SERIOUSLY need to lighten up-- or, as I like to say, get En*Lightened.

Yes, laugh out loud on Belly Laugh Day, but don't stop there. Make it your personal mission to have a laugh every hour.

You'll be happier, healthier, and a whole lot more fun to be around.

Maya Talisman Frost has taught thousands of people how to pay attention. Through her company, Real-World mindfulness training, she offers playful, eyes-wide-open alternatives to meditation. To read her free tips and tricks for practical awareness, visit http://www.Real-WorldMindfulness.com

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