Just arrived home after driving back from the Laughter Yoga retreat. Even though today was short, it was beautiful with many breakthroughs and realizations.
Dr. Kartaria shared with me that it was amazing to watch me laugh while performing hoopdance last night because it meant that even though I was hooping, my diaphram was completely at ease and relaxed. He said what when my dance really came alive was when I let myself laugh and he heard it move from "he-he" to "ha-ha" laughter sounds.
He shared that throughout the entire training until now, I have been laughing in the "he-he" range, which means that it has emerged from my throat. He said that this kind of laughing emerges when our jaw is locked with pent up emotions. He suggested I concentrate on relaxing my jaw, lowering the place where my laughter emerges from, transforming my "he-he" to "ha-ha" so it is heart based, and eventally moving on to the goal of "ho-ho", belly based laughter. It sounds simple, but for me was quite a revelation. The fact that I spontaneously did this for the first time while hooping was quite thrilling.
We received our diplomas after the day was done and I had a quiet moment sitting by Madan. He reached his hand out to me and I took it, and he said sincerly, "i love you." I couldn't help but respond with the same, as we sat again in a moments silence, just breathing in the moment. Dr. Kararia is this way with everyone, but his sincereness is healing to me on so many levels and just hearing the heart and love in his voice is tranforming for me. I think that one moment was the most precious one for me today.
After this, we exchanged gifts we brought with another person from the training. We sat down with them before opening gifts and shared constant eye contact and breathing for 5 minutes before opening the gift. It was quite amazing and tears came to my eyes. Dr. Kataria said this exercise is usually 40 minutes in length, but since we were short on time, we would only do 5. I can't imagine how 40 minutes would feel.... perhaps Kramer would be game to try it out with me sometime soon!
Other amazing memories of this event and the words of Dr. Kataria...
-"be a supercontrinutor instead of a superachiever".
-Surrender your mind, thinking and actions to "the higher". (He used this phrase a lot, especially when he spoke of how the entire idea of a laughter club came to him... in his words, "it just came from up.")
- Align yourself to the laws of the universe by practicing spiritual values... especially unconditional love through service. He used the example of trees... they always give thier fruits in abundance to anyone who wants them, they equally give shade and respite to anyone who wants to sit under them, regardless of social status or other quaification.. trees exemplify unconditional giving.
-Surrender to the divine design. If something hard is happening, know there is something good for you in it.
-Love is the truth. Love is the most powerful force in the universe. When you are being authentic, love solves all your problems, helps you remove masks.
-Our motivation to grow is much better if it is based on a total and peaceful acceptance of who we really are as imperfect beings since life as a human is inherently imperfect. He added this hilarious gem of sage wisdom... "however hard you try, the last drop of urine will land on your underwear." Release what should be and accept what is.
-Let go of fixing yourself. Completeness comes from within regadless of circumstances.
-Enhance your signature strengths .. focus on your divine gifts, remove struggle and enhance the positive.
-Instead of correcting people, connect with them.
-Laugh without any reason at least 30 minutes a day as an exercise to create joy, Don't focus on laughter or the sound of laughter, focus on joy. Be playful, like a child
-Breathe for those who need healing. Breathing can become your spiritual practice.
-"A good leader produces more leaders".
-We want to program the body to be "bulletproof", that is, resistant to the negative physical biochemical reactions to stress, by retraining ourselves to respond to perceived stresses with joy.
-When developing your laugh, we want "efforless ease". Do birds struggle to fly, he asked? Love yourself as you are. Nature develops at it's own pace. Let laughter happen. Surrender. Let go of the outcome which is in the hands of existance. Just enjoy the process because happiness which comes from acheivement of an ideal is fleeting.
-All relaxation is exhalation. Sighs. Crying. Laughing. Relax.
So that's what comes to mind... I'm super excited to see where this all goes with my hooping... and with life in general!
Kramer and Scott are in the other room next to me finishing their new album they have produced...they were amused and also a bit surprised by the depth of my laughter when I got back, but playful and smiling. They will be working together all week so I will be spending lots of time outside the house to give them space to create... thinking of ging to Dance Jam in Berkeley tonight even though I have never been... not sure why... seeking a wonderful freedance experience at the moment...
I'm off! Happy friday!