TALES FROM THE BOBBI LAMA

Today is my late husband’s birthday. He was a funny guy as I describe in my book about his antics from the otherside, and I can just imagine him being an entertainer in Heaven, too! He was a large presence in any gathering, with wit that brought everyone together. He was very principled, as well as a very kind and generous man. In his honor today, I chose “Laughter” as my group discussion topic for the visit to my weekly seniors’ group. My goal was to remind them of all the benefits of laughing in the hopes I could help them lighten their daily experience together. It isn’t as impactful as major lifestyle efforts like good sleep, good exercise, and a good diet, but, over time, it can make a difference physically, mentally, emotionally, socially and even spiritually.

Physically, laughter boosts our oxygen intake and stimulates organs and muscles. It causes our brains to release endorphins that help our moods and help reduce pain. A good laugh can help us relax, increase circulation, reduce tension, and strengthen our immune systems. Emotionally, it can improve our resilience, mood, attitude, and social connections. And lastly, it is considered the miracle connection between any two people, as they release all negative energy during that instant joyful sharing of a good laugh.

We also talked about the difference between occasional big bursts of laughter as compared to smaller daily laughter. Then we covered which was better – genuine versus forced. All laughter serves us, but genuine daily laughter, due to how it can reduce chronic stress, serves us best.

And of course, the anatomy of it all was followed by a lot of jokes and a lot of laughs. Thanks for the inspiration, Jack, and Happy Birthday!