Beloved,
Have you ever laughed yourself awake?
Perhaps a dream prompted the laughter, or maybe joyful energy of the night before was still coursing through you, or better yet, maybe there was no knowable reason at all. Regardless of the origin, what better way to enter your waking state and starting the day than with the pure, blissful energy of laughter.
These days many of us are quite serious. There are serious things happening in the world, and it is serious thinking that many turn toward to determine how to navigate these changing times. What I often notice within myself while drifting along the sea of seriousness, is a closing down of the heart. And yet, when I consider what may be the best possible state to make decisions from, it is from a place of open-heartedness.
There’s a significant presence in my human being that doesn’t come through in my writing or photography. If we’ve never connected in person, what you might not know about me is that I love to laugh, and I laugh a lot. If you’ve spent any time with me in person, even just for two minutes, you’ve received my laughter. And if you are one of those people, I want you to know that it’s always been offered as a gift to you. It’s a gift that is as much as a blessing to myself as it is for those who receive it.
Recently, a friend I see infrequently asked me a question at the end of many hours spent in conversation, prompted by my laughs that came through while speaking to something serious in nature.
“Where does it come from?”
I understood ‘it’ was referring to my laughter. A feeling of joy welled within me at this opportunity to respond to a question I’d never been asked before in this way, that held so much potential in my response.
I took a breath, and said, “It comes from Source.”
And then, “My laughter is a direct, accessible, authentic expression of my own Divinity.”
I’d never articulated the origin of my laughter before that moment, and the words couldn’t have come through in a truer way. It has been a lifelong journey to come to this level of self-awareness, with such ease and clarity relating to this ever-present aspect of myself. Growing up, my natural tendency towards laughter often times came from a nervous, not-sure-what-to-say place. It was a mechanism for coping with my own insecurity.
In my early explorations on the path of spirituality, I went through a period of time feeling very self-conscious and self-critical of my quick-to-laugh nature, and tried to suspend the response. I told myself I needed to be more serious, and that I would deepen my spirituality through this mindful serious laugh-less presence.
That practice did not last very long.
With my continued devotion to self-care and healing, I eventually came into a place of loving every aspect of myself. My insecurities dissolved as I strengthened my heart. My laughter truly became a transmission of healing energy when I stopped resisting it, and embraced this magnetic force within me without apology.
Sometimes people ask why I’m laughing, perhaps believing that a laugh only comes after something humorous is shared. And for me, so often that isn’t the case, it’s simply that I’m in a foundational state of joy, and the joy wants to express itself through laughter.
It is my own knowing of the power of my laugh and freedom to use it that has expanded the energy of it even more. I’ve been amazed to witness this shift in myself, I feel it. I feel the deepening of this connection to the Divine Source energy that I’m tapping into more and more readily. This resonance comes through in the quietest of chuckles as much as the full-bodied unbounded expressions of joy.
And the authentic expression of this joyful, healing energy becomes a blessing for all who receive it.
Laughter is heart-opening medicine.
So many of my life decisions were once made from a fearful place. The first time I consciously made a significant choice to listen to my heart was made possible from an open-hearted state of joy. That first open-heart decision was the choice to move to Joshua Tree exactly 7 years ago on my own, without knowing a single person here. That single open-hearted choice was in full alignment with my greater good, taking me on a journey of transformation that ultimately enabled me to embody my authentic self.
Imagine how being in a state of open-hearted love would impact decisions in your life, the small and the significant. What would change for you if you consciously brought yourself into an open heart state before making a decision? (*scroll down for a heart-opening practice*)
The quickest way to open the heart is laughter. Laughter is a gift, a tool of transmutation that is easy to use and feels good to use. The ability to laugh is always available to you, enabling you to change the energy of a situation in an instant. And when that laughter is coming from a pure place, divine energy is present. Suddenly, you are in divine alignment. You are connected to the divine source energy of that which created you. Of that which you are.
Laughter creates a channel of divine energy that lifts and brightens all who receive it. Laughter brings you into the present moment, life-force fully activated within you. Laughter harmonizes energy between people. Laughter heals the wounded heart. Laughter flows life-giving energy directly into the heart, expanding your capacity for love.
Your cells dance with radiance from your laughter, and your divine nature is awakened.
The self-described serious friend who asked the question about the origin of my laughter told me that the following morning after our conversation, he woke himself up laughing. Perhaps our conversation activated the blissful expression of his own divine nature. Perhaps receiving my laughter reminded his cells that they can vibrate that way, too. Perhaps his laughter that morning helped awaken him into knowing more of his heart’s truth.
I invite you to embrace your laughter, and bring this medicine into the world more and more. Use the medicine of laughter for opening heart after heart, for coming to know your truth more and more, and allowing this openness to guide you deeper into your authenticity.
Our true nature is Divine. May we celebrate our divinity through the gift of laughter, blessing every breath of this existence with ecstatic joy.
~ May you laugh yourself into your awakening. ~
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A heart-opening practice of laughter:
The next time you find yourself facing a challenging decision, use this practice.
Close your eyes, and take a deep breath inhaling fully, expanding your lungs. As you exhale, send the challenging decision out of your body with your breath. See it leaving your space. Come into the present moment. Come into a place of stillness and peace within. Bring your focus to your breath, and the beat of your heart.
With your attention on your heart center and your eyes still closed, place your hands over your heart. Focus on the warmth of your heart, and feel gratitude for your beating heart. Feel how happy your heart is to be beating for you. Visualize a smile appearing in your heart. Feel your heart smiling. See your heart smiling. Let this image delight you, let it be sweet and silly.
See the smile in your heart rising up through your chest and into your throat. See it moving into your mouth. Let your smiling heart express itself as a smile on your face. Allow yourself the freedom to laugh in this moment. Laugh even if it feels forced. Laugh and laugh again, and keep laughing until it becomes real, authentic. It will.
When you've experienced genuine laughter and have come to this place of open-heartedness, with your hands still upon your heart, keeping your eyes closed, let the decision come back to you. See how clear the answer has now become.
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I recently celebrated my birthday on March 15th, and writing in depth about my lifelong laughter medicine is now making me want to ask my mom if I came out of her womb laughing. Oh, how the thought of that makes me laugh!
Thank you for reading, thank you for being here. Thank you for being on this divine journey with me.
May your laughter be a blessing to all who receive it.
May your laughter open your heart's truth.
May you awaken to your own divinity.
May every word of this letter bless you with love, peace, and joy.
And so it is. Blessed Be. Sat Nam.
I love you,
Angela
Breathing in love, exhaling in gratitude.
Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu
~May all beings in the world be happy and free~