Mindful Laughter:
Gaining Clarity While Giggling
by Maya Frost
Life is funny.
Throughout the day, there are plenty
of humorous moments that we tend to ignore. We get
so caught up in being earnest that we miss opportunities
to gain clarity while giggling.
Sure, there are times when it is
considered inappropriate to laugh, but if we're honest,
we'll see that if we're suppressing a smile it's a
sign that we're fully present.
Not only that, but these are times
when we could most use a little laughter to bring
levity to an overly-serious situation. The
best business meetings—and funerals—I’ve
ever attended included plenty of bust-a-gut moments.
Years ago, during a two-week silent
meditation retreat, I got the giggles. Oh, I know,
you're supposed to be *serious* about meditating for
five hours straight, but I couldn't help it.
It all started when I was roused
from my peaceful posture by a certain "KLUNK!" from across the room. I opened my eyes to see that one of my retreat buddies had fallen asleep
and landed with his head against the wall.
Momentarily unnerved, he quickly straightened up,
closed his eyes and put on his best meditator's face.
I, on the other hand, completely
lost it.
I managed to stifle the first few
giggles, but then they started escaping in little
bursts. I tried the ol' coughing technique, hoping
to disguise my snorts as expectoration, but I wasn't
fooling anyone.
Pretty soon, I saw (well, I did
have my eyes open) others looking my way. Nobody else
was laughing. In fact, nobody else was even smiling.
Clearly, I was the only one who had allowed myself
to get caught up in that unexpected moment of hilarity.
I was chagrined, and then annoyed,
and continued to watch my response to this incident
shift over the next few minutes.
Had it been funny? Of course. Were
we supposed to be concentrating fully on the moment?
Absolutely. Anything else would be attachment to past
regrets or worries about the future.
Okay, so we were focusing on watching
our thoughts, and this little interruption was not
part of what was going on in our heads. But
isn't ignoring what's happening around us the same
kind of thing that gets us into trouble back in the
Real World?
We go about our lives, obsessing
silently, moving mindlessly, getting things done.
We fail to notice the wonder and joy and beauty all
around us because we are in full scowl mode about
the things in our heads.
Well, I'm all for taking time to
laugh. Give me a giggling guru over a dour
taskmaster every time. The greatest guides—in
business, education, and personal success—are
those who encourage us to invite hilarity into our
lives whenever it happens to appear.
Open your eyes to the silliness
around you, and laugh out loud. It's good for your
heart in every way.
