You’ve Gotta Try This!

A Radically Simple Approach to More Joy in Your Life

Note: This piece was originally published on my blog in June, 2018

“I love my belly and I love my butt!”

This was my declaration one Sunday afternoon as I walked around greeting everybody in a room full of mostly strangers. It was my last day at a weekend retreat and this laughter yoga class had been highly recommended. Everyone insisted that I couldn’t leave without trying it.

So this is how I ended up spending an hour doing some of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever done with a bunch of people I didn’t know.

From the moment each of us walked in, the instructor was chuckling as he said hello. And for some reason we all couldn’t help chuckling right back. The giggles were contagious.

By the end of the class, every one of us was laughing hysterically. An hour of silliness had done us all in. As I walked out, I noticed that I felt lighter than I had in a long time.

Before this experience, I’d never considered how powerful laughter is. But it can change a mood literally within seconds. It can even turn the experience of a terrible situation into a bearable one.

And during the class, I learned that even pretending to laugh…