SPIRITUALITY: HEALING THROUGH JOY - HUMOR - LAUGHTER

A man goes to the doctor complaining, "Doc, I
keep getting these terrible headaches. I can't even sleep." The doctor
asks him, well, do you drink?" The man's back goes up and he retorts,
"Drink? No those people that drink are awful, their troublemakers,
terrible people." The doctor asks, "Well, do you smoke." Now
more angered answers, "Smoke? No! Those people that smoke has of
nerve making me breathe that killer smoke into my lungs and smelling the world
up. "The doctor asks, "Well, are you married? Yes, the man proudly
says." The doctor asks, Well, do you cheat on your wife?" Oh, how
dare you ask me that? Those people that cheat on their wives are
horrible, horrible people." "Ah" the doctor says. "I know
what your problem is." The man at last relieved asks, "What, what,
tell me!" The doctor says, "You have your halo on too tight."

Are you smiling? Maybe even gave out a chuckle?
Right now your endorphins are being released and stress hormones such as
cortisol and adrenaline are reduced fostering healing in your body and raising
your spirits. Yes, just in a quick moment.

Let's try again: This particular order of Monks
could only speak once a year.

This one year a monk said at dinner“soup cold.”

A year goes by and the same monk
says, “Bread is stale.”

Another year goes by and the same
monk says, “Meat is tough.”

Another year goes by and the same
monk says, “Too hot in here.”

The monk sitting next to him says,
“gee whiz all you do is complain.”

Corny? Sure, but funny. Feel it? There they go again those
endorphins moving and flowing through your system healing, soothing and
energizing you physically and spiritually.

In some traditions there is a prayer exercise called"Inner Smiling."
A person is to sit quietly, relaxing the body,
taking a few deep breaths then breathing as the body leads aware of God , as they understand God in their own life and  kind of look into your heart or
imagine yourself looking at your heart...smiling :) And rest there. No
words just rest in the quiet with that image for maybe 5-10 minutes and
whenever you are ready gently open your eyes and notice how you feel. No magic,no fireworks just the gentle healing touch of your God. I always end with a
prayer of gratitude for the quiet moments.

 Humor opens our minds and negativity keeps us
prisoners bound in pain.

A puffed up ego and being full of ourselves pushes
people away.

Humor deflates that ego and keeps us humble and real.

True story: When I first began giving spiritual direction years agoI was so excited and honestly I thought I was hot stuff.
My first office. Wow! It was set up just right, comfortable, welcoming and
private. All I needed was one more comfortable chair. My husband’s aunt was
kind enough to part with her red swivel chair. Very cool I thought. It looked
like a cup. Remember them? With respect I say, auntie was old at this point so
that meant the chair was old too, duh! But all I saw was this very cool red chair
and I had business to take care of.

Next to my red hot chair I had an end table that held some books, a candle and a few papers 
 This one particular day I'm sitting opposite my directee and I needed to give her
some papers but I didn't realize how far I had to stretch to reach the table.
 Remember the ride down at the Jersey Shore called the Whip? Well, this old chair was shaped like one of the cup like cars on that ride, and the cars  would whip
around the end of the circle? I stretched & stretched my arm out to get the papers when all of a sudden the chair wobbled off the track it swiveled on and it  swiveled around enveloping me bringing me to the floor . Here I lay on
the floor like a turtle  unable to get up. And yes, I had to say those words we
still hear on TV today, "Please help me. I've fallen and I can't get up."
She did and I did. The funniest part is that I got up and sat back in the whip
chair and she sat down in her lovely comfy chair and without blinking an eye as though nothing happened
I handed her the wrinkled papers still clenched in my hand and I continued the rest of the session with a straight face she kind enough  took my lead and said nothing about it.  Talk about pride!!
   We shook hands and after she left when I was ready to face what happened and how ridiculous I reacted to the fall I laughed for almost 30 minutes. 
 Only God knows how long she laughed. Oh, yes she did come
back. Very humbling.

When I first began I asked this particular very wise
mentor for advice. "Well, Anna, don't not put so much importance on
yourself. Remember, the Spirit is real spiritual director.

  So I have been thoroughly convinced for many years that to live a full, happy, free life we need a deep faith and a healthy sense of humor.  It is not just because of what I read or learned through books and certification programs but rather through life experience, literally from falling and getting up and putting one foot in front of the other doing the next right thing.  It is through companioning other people and seeing their lives be transformed.  To see them living in the peace that passes all understanding and having a new joy filled heart, an excitement about their faith, about their God often in the midst of life not turning out the way they expected or in the midst of having everything, for that matter but still having no joy. 

 What kind of work?  It may mean relearning and unlearning old ways of thinking and behaving. It takes humility to reach out to healthy people and asking for guidance . It takes prayer and meditation. But most of all it takes making the choice to say, "Yes! I want to be healthy. I want to be free." 

It's  like the man who fell off a cliff and managed to grab on to a branch stopping his fall.  Dangling far from safety below he yelled, "God, help me!"  And a voice came and said, "Trust me.  Let go.  I will help you."  And the man rolled his eyes and shouted, "Is there anyone else there?"

Suggested reading:Between Heaven and Mirth:  Why Joy and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life by Fr. James Martin

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