Comments for

Comment on Laughter in the Park – Day 2 by Jeffrey Briar

Jeffrey Briar — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:10:55 +0000

This is beautiful – what you are doing, and how you are sharing.

One suggestion: when people get close/stand still and look curious (and they will, eventually) – we’ll call them an “outsider”- when you invite them to join you, say something like this: “We would LOVE to have you join us.”

We used to say, “You are welcome to join us” or “You can join us if you want, it’s free”, etc. – but we had much less participation But when we (whoever was The Inviter) took the personal “risk” to assert they would LOVE to have the “outsider” join us – that it would be a pleasure for the INVITER (not just for the “outsider”) – that seems to work better.

Best wishes, and “Hang In There”,
Jeffrey

Comment on “Thank You.” by Jon Graznak

Jon Graznak — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 05:58:07 +0000

I am so often dumbfounded how just the slightest shift in perspective will change my feelings about the world. From one day to the next, I can go from bleakness and near despair to joy and connectedness. Quite often absolutely nothing about the observable facts of my existence will have changed very much. I have the same job, friends, car, health …the only thing that changed will have been my perception or attitude. I am both the constant and the variable in the equation.

For a while this bothered me. I felt that the mood swings and the resulting productive and fallow times were a symptom of at very least depression, if not maybe even some sort of more basic character flaw. However, through the discipline of laughter, I’ve found a “new pair of glasses” that makes it far more likely that I will view any situation from the perspective of a positive experience, or at very least, a necessary lesson. The trick now is remembering to put them on.

My laughter experience began in the last quarter of 2008. For me, it had been a year of enormous change, growth and movement. Relocation, a new job, continuing education, and the death of a beloved teacher all contributed to a feeling of upheaval. Yes there were certainly challenges in 2008, but it may also be the year of my life that marks the most profound changes ever in my basic level of satisfaction and joyfulness. I’d be a fool to disparage the year…but then again, I’m learning that foolishness is a profound and sacred thing.

Comment on Laughter Report: The Ladies at the Jail by Jon Graznak

Jon Graznak — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 08:02:01 +0000

Not only do I not get to participate because of quirks of gender, but now I read that I missed a laughing buffalo! I think I really will pout. But I most surely do understand the wonder that comes from voluteering. To this point I think it is essentially impossible to “out-give” in such a situation. I always seem to feel that I am getting back more that I possibly could offer. Some days I almost feel selfish about doing it.

Comment on A Time to Laugh by yogalaughs

yogalaughs — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:48:21 +0000

Jon,
I certainly admire your courage, both for letting laughter do it’s work in your life, which is really great to hear about, and – for letting me lead! Now there’s a risk.

Seriously, laughter has also been a stabilizer for me as far as mood and reactivity to stressful situations, or just daily annoying happenings.

Thank you for opening your experience and for your continued support!

Comment on A Time to Laugh by Jon Graznak

Jon Graznak — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:56:23 +0000

There is no doubt that laughing is playing a huge role in the battle you are waging against depression. Of course, I’ll enlist in that fight too, and gladly follow your lead. With organized and disciplined laughter, I’m not only notably less likely to be glum or annoyed, but I am actually getting a better insight as to how my thought process actually works. This comes from being more able (or at least more willing) to stop, laugh, and then examine compassionately the behavior in myself or others that would have set me off like a skyrocket just a few months ago. Being less reactive to daily stressors is letting me be more interactive, tolerant and generally living a juicier more wonderful life.

Comment on The Frozen Hiker Laughter Game by yogalaughs

yogalaughs — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 22:57:11 +0000

I so agree, Jon – about the dual role of laughter. Great writing!

I think the most important discovery to surviving and building our lives in the event of collapse will be laughter that leads to loving for no reason. The more we laugh, the more we love. We can’t help it. It’s a spiritual change as well as a biological change in our neurotransmitters. I believe we’ll have the perfect opportunities to change our habits of loving “because”, to just loving. We can get a head start now. Come laugh with everyone at meetings!

Comment on Leading Laughter Yoga with Teens by yogalaughs

yogalaughs — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 22:48:56 +0000

Ok.

Comment on The Frozen Hiker Laughter Game by Jon Graznak

Jon Graznak — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 11:36:29 +0000

I do not share the rather grim view of the future that many of my friends and associates do, however, I have one good friend who believes that collapse is upon us shortly. As he prepares for the worst, he has decided to surround himself with people in recovery, because as he says, “They already know how to rebuild their lives.” The concept of adding laughter to the preventative or protective aspects of our lives excites me too. I guess that we are finding laughing to be both the helmet AND the first aid kit.

Comment on Leading Laughter Yoga with Teens by Jon Graznak

Jon Graznak — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 06:58:35 +0000

I think your point is well taken that giving time to create their own games imparts a sense of power to young folk that is often missing in teaching situations. Once I pin the label “instructor” on myself, it becomes so easy for me to adopt an agenda and a sense that I have a given piece of information that I am supposed to impart by the time the class is finished. My experience with you, by the way, is that you seem far less attached than I to outcome. A gender thing? Personality type? Maybe you are just a move evolved being? Anyhow, that’s why you’re the teacher and I’m the student here. (The facilitator and the facilitatee? The Leader and the Lead? Awh heck, let’s just be playmates.)

Comment on The Onion by Jon Graznak

Jon Graznak — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:48:36 +0000

I should have pegged you for an Onion fan right away. I’ve gotten away from them, though I used to read it religiously. I can hardly believe that it has been eight years since they ran a similar “lame duck” piece about then President elect Bush promising to “End the nightmare of peace and prosperity that has gripped the nation” prior to his election. Silly wonderful folks, who only occasionally wander across the line into mean…and usually that is funny (even with a cringe.)