Why as in Y!

As I was watching the snow whirling outside my window this week I sat thinking... Why on Earth is it so cold when it is supposed
to be nice and not so cold?! Everyone is yearning for the warmth and the nourishing sun.

I bet there are lots of people thinking the same thing.

But do people also know about words beginning with 'why'? Or is it simply for questionning?

For example a yabba is a Jamaican wooden vessel but to yabber means to be chatting. I'd be yawning my head of if it wasn't the fact that I started looking at why-words and think it's quite good fun and, yeah, rather yeuk'ing my curiousity.

All this yada yada is in no way a reflection of not having anything else to yowl about but merely a yip of excitement that there are extensive lists of words beginning with 'why'! Exept, of course, it is the letter Y.

Even if it sounds like why why why - and we can keep asking why.

Most of the verbs beginning with why, e.g. yaup, yack, yowl, yip, yell, yap are mainly about loud sounds or throwing up... I wonder if the question why is more than just related to these y-words as oftentimes WHY is being shouted out with a capital Y. 

Or maybe the noisy words with Y were placed at the end of the alphabet to avoid extensive use because, in honesty, who truly wants to listen to yelling, yowling, yapping and yabbering too much?

However, the initial question is no longer valid as the sun has graced my lawn and Laughter Club with oceans of glorious light and sprouting warmth.

Isn't it great, though, to know that there are other words than the once we use in our daily standard politeness.

So, how are you today?

Tremendously yippee-ki-yay, I hope! 

Easter Celebration

Easter Celebration, Easter Celebration, Easter Celebration...

Do we celebrate or mourn? Or is it a bit of both? I suppose the days leading up to Easter are the days of mourning and Easter is the celebration.

Well, I can tell you this much; my Easter was a true celebration! Of love and life, laughter and lighter perspective, fun and feasting! This Easter carries a lot of mileage - yes, I can live a long time on the memory alone but the future undoubtedly holds more than memories.

It is cold and frosty but it is Spring and I can feel it in every little cell in my body.

The Danish Easter is traditionally celebrated with lots of food lined out in wonderful buffets of open sandwich indulgence, beer and snaps in great company of friends and family. But this year I did not spend my Easter in Denmark - instead I went to the North-East of England and spent two magical days in the most amazing company.

Exactly what Easter is really about - sharing life and great love that leads us to a state of mind that is pure and full of unconditional-ness.

When we are at peace and in love with life then we can be with whatever is out of line compared to this frame of mind from a perspective where, although wrongs don't just become rights, we can cope from an eternal space where now is now and everything that happens here is in the moment which means we free ourselves from opinions of good or bad.

So what! if we have had experiences that were not in our favour and their memory may not be aligned with any peaceful thought, all is in the past and it is time to let it go and be in the present. This is where life is revealing itself.

...or pink magnolias...

I know I repeat myself when I mention living in the now but it really is where we create pink clouds to float on in those magical moments happening when we allow ourselves the freedom to be.

I rest my case - this post was meant to be about Easter and chocolate but I guess it just became one of those about life indulgence - perhaps same category...

Unconditional love in a shared, precious moment where time truly stands still! Just grab it.

And then there was a bit of chocolate...

Stop asking questions??

In life we grow through our constant quest for answers, that is part of who we are and what we strive towards - answers to all-important questions...

What DO we strive towards?

Knowledge, wisdom, being right, having power? Or simply the quest for peace of mind through answers to tranquile questions made up of how, why, when, who, what and question marks?

Three Mikkelsen Generations

As we get older the questions deepen and it is a different basis we add to asking but when we are young, we ask questions which are often easy for grown ups to answer based on the basic knowledge we all learn as we grow up.

However, what do we tell young people when we cannot answer their questions? 'You will find out when you get older'? 'Stop asking silly questions'? 'Grow up'?

Yup, this is the time we start growing up... but is it really so urgent to stop asking questions, just because our parents, teachers and family cannot answer them?

I believe that as part of our life-long lessons we need to be creative and explorative - not necessarily in a search or quest for something else but just to remain curious about life and all it offers. Afterall, we are here now - next time we may not remember the wisdom we harvested in this life...

So why all the questionning you may ask?

Last time I had a cold in 2011

Well, I had a cold brewing up in just a few days and I sat thinking about why it actually started... One of the things about colds (that is, of course, in my opinion) is that they strike when the immune system is somewhat faulty or slightly worn out.

I thought about the week gone by and I realised that I have been doing things that are in direct contradiction to what makes me buzz and feel great about working. I am getting to a point where I can understand why teachers burn out and want to find different routes to what they enjoy, teaching!

So, I found myself telling young people off and telling them what to do with a frown instead of a smile and that, my friends, is one way to kill my immune system off, I discovered.

Maybe I was not meant to go into schools and be a stand in for teachers on leave or in meetings? Another question... And the answer to me is quite obvious and extremely relevant, not just to me - I always say to young people that whatever they decide to do after they finish their studies, I hope they will go on to do exactly what they always wanted to do.

Growing up creates challenges to help you keep your mind set and focus your attention on what is important! Stop questionning your gut and start feeling it - ask the right questions right now!

Dream you life and live your dream!

£2.50 for a missing pancake

In September 2012 Sainsbury's introduced a new brand of pancakes and in the knowledge that the young people who frequents my home had taken a liking to ready-made pancakes I decided to try them out.

Six pancakes in a pack, just like the old Sainsbury's brand...

My surprise was rather large when the package turned out to contain five pancakes only, and kind-hearted as I am (if I may say so myself) I decided to make the company aware of this calculation error just in case less good-natured people would discover the same number fault and complain. So, my email to them was in no way a complaint but more of a friendly note.

I forgot all about it because it was not an important issue in my life to walk around pondering on missing pancake number 6.

In February 2013 I received an email about the missing pancake issue and I was rather bemused that they even bothered after all that time. But setting things right they offered me a refund even though I insisted it wasn't a complaint and knowing they had read my message and looked into the matter was good enough for me - if they really insisted they could just send me an Easter Egg (or was that too cheeky?). Too cheeky it must have been because I received a cheque in the post...

I will not make companies aware of their non-serious but amusing errors anymore.

It was a sweet gesture that they offered a refund but a complete waste of time, money, cheque fees, and paper.

However, the essence is that some people care about the reputation of their brands and it is nice that they care enough to write back - an email is sufficient for me.

I hope that everyone will care as much about Laughter Yoga and its reputation as Rutland Foods cares about 6 Abra-Ca-Debora Pancakes or rather 1 of them.

I know I do!

The work I do is for the benefit of others and I always strive to deliver training and workshops in a way that recognises and supports each individual in a compassionate and respectful way.

And if ever someone has an issue with the work then it is up to me not to make excuses for someone being in a different frame of mind than me but accept that Laughter Yoga may not be for everyone.

I would refund a £2.50 pancake, too, metaphorically speaking.

The Story of a Laughter Workshop

This week's post is slightly different from the past many weeks' blogposts because I would like to share with you the workshop I ran last week with The Regency Training Foundation and Headway.

It was really touching and brought back memories from my own family and our stories.

NB With reference data protection and contractual terms I cannot mention personal details, this is also the reason the photos are blurred except for my own picture being in focus.

I hope you will enjoy reading even if it is somewhat longer than the usual blog. I will be back with a lot of the usual 'Lotte-sense' next week...

Laughter with Headway

Working with adults with head or brain injury, physical or sensory disability suffered through accident, haemorrhage or stroke at Headway was an inspiring event and it is fair to say that it was a wonderful day spent in great company.

Over the autumn of 2012 Patricia O’Malley of The Regency Training Foundation had put all her energy into obtaining funding for the 6-week programme for re-building confidence in the community.

With a passion for helping vulnerable people in the community she dug into the paperwork and it paid off – the funding was awarded and the team working with Patricia and The Regency Training Foundation was excited about the opportunity that had opened through winning the bid.

Planning started and in February 2013 the programme kicked off with nine participants who had all been through the motion of losing part or even most of their mobility. Events such as strokes and other activity altering illnesses had affected their lives but instead of staying at home they wanted something special from life, they all wanted to engage with their peers and their communities.

The six week course of confidence building, communication, time management, anger management, stress and anxiety busting and laughter therapy was an opportunity to learn skills to bring them back in action and take their lives back.

Laughter Therapy – this is where I come into the picture...

On 5th March I ventured up to Bedford with Patricia, with butterflies in my stomach, excitement as I was about to meet the group who Patricia and other consultants had worked and connected with for four weeks already, and I was also slightly concerned that a three hour laughter session could prove to be a challenge that was one hour too long.

But was I wrong?!?! I could not have imagined the group even if I had tried based on any information – there was no hard work, grumpiness, introverted attitudes or the likes – there was a group of people who wanted something special – not just from the laughter session but from the whole programme, and they had already started their journey!

How to kick off the laughter session?

My head was spinning, I have run many laughter workshops but it was important to do this one well because I was not the only business involved and there was more at stake than my own reputation. Added to this pressure which I set up myself of course, was the fact that the press would be around in the afternoon to interview a few of the participants as well as Patricia in her role as Founder and Project Manager of The Regency Training Foundation.

Concerns seemed so pitiful, though, when people’s lives are on the line and all there is, truly is the contribution and the life changing experience you can provide at facilitator. I was halfway expecting cynical and bitter faces – who would never expect or even accept that their lives have changed so dramatically and may never ever be as they were before the brain injury. Again I’m pleased I was only halfway expecting it because these attitudes only exist if you expect them fully and if you don’t then you have a world of opportunity and wonderful faces that may break into smiles any minute.

Starting the day with an introduction to highlight the fact that we don’t need a reason to laugh and that we can in fact laugh at anything, we are not our names or addresses even though we use these labels to identify with – we can laugh at ourselves and it doesn’t even hurt. ‘My name is Lotte – hahahaha – and I live in St. Albans – hahahaha’, a short version of the traditional Laughter Yoga Training introduction went down well and there were lots of laughs and giggles, a few heads shaking and a bit of suppressed laughter, all very good, very good yeah!

The one-hour morning session was full of talk, background, reasons, benefits, with lots of little chuckles, breaths, laughs and happy sighs interspersed to ensure people didn’t nod off. It was fun and lively and it seemed to be at the right pace.

Laughter Kirtan – call and response exercise before lunch... now, where do I start and finish?!?! What great fun! Why does it work? It works, not just because it is fun but because it makes people listen, respond, exercise their faces, laugh, clap, use their brain but not in a thinking way. We finished the day with a messed up Laughter Kirtan exercise where I couldn’t quite keep it together with a straight smiling face but did it matter? Not the least, laughter was readily available on everyone’s lips by then. 

There is no doubt one of my favourite Laughter Yoga exercises is Mental Flossing as it is a great way to clear the three misconceptions of laughter, i.e. we have to be happy, have a reason, and have a sense of humour to laugh – none of it is true when you know Laughter Yoga, and Mental Floss Laughter clears those thoughts beautifully. 

They must have thought I was mad...but it was great fun. 

What worked was laughter exercises and more laughter exercises – we did all the great foundation exercises, rude-noise-laughter-cream, slurpy-hot-soup, naughty-milkshake-splash, and lots more. 

People love playing, laughing and having a good time no matter where they are in their lives. Singing, laughing, clapping, playing, grounding – all of it worked and the three hours went by in what seemed a fraction of the time. Amazing what you can achieve when you are having fun. 

I received fantastic feedback but the best of it was all the smiling faces, the chatting, the laughs, the bye-bye, and the lives changed with a laugh – nothing can outweigh the feeling of having made a difference. 

The group was lovely and amazing, and I love working with people who get it just as much as people who may not get it at first – because who knows what happens when they get to think of it!

Welling yourself

Welling yourself... what a great expression!

Thank you, it was just what I needed.

And it is all about doing for you what feels good and nurturing. Just like the little seeds and bulbs and lovely nature 'things' have nurtured themselves over winter and now jump out in the open - I'm sure if they had arms they would stretch out with a big 'TADAAAAA!' but that's just what I think when I look at the blossoming world.

We are all so busy with our lives up until the moment when spring is springing as it does best and we start to notice there is life...

Beautiful life - outside our minds!

And so it comes about that it is time to bring the loveliness and bewonderment into your own life through...welling yourself!

It may be in the sense of adding a morning laugh or two, or having a nice manicure, facial, massage, spa day - or simply being a boyfriend or a girlfriend and sharing a bit of luscious love and affection.

It is the time where romance grows out of simply feeling a sense of spring!

What a wonderful world - something so simple that not even human beings are set above nature's instinct but merely responds to the ingrained essential instinct for suvival - very deeply rooted...

It is amazing to be part of a world that turns and with every turn there is hope, love, joy and nature. Expressed in the words of Heather Small 'the world is mine and belongs to me' - not in a selfish way but in the sense that I am the only one stopping me from having the experience of life and it is right there at my feet, ready to grab hold of and enjoy. I do think it is rather fantastic.

Welling yourself then?

As long as it makes you feel good, anything goes - just like with Gibberish...

Remember that you are in charge and the choice is in your hands and mind! You know what to choose.

Love it out and laugh out loud - life is here and now! CHI ☯

"The owls are not what they seem"

Twin Peaks - the essence of gibberish performed in two seasons of TV - what on Earth was the meaning of that?!

Sometimes words are too many and sometimes not enough and sometimes we homour each other in ways that makes no sense and may seem quite rude or out of order.

Words. Humour.

Different meaning for different people!

Another reason Laughter Yoga makes sense on a different level.

Laughter Yoga connects us without the need for things that may not resonate with everyone or may seem out of sorts to some. In Laughter Yoga we connect with joyful hearts and acceptance. We learn to deal with situations and we come out together as winners everytime - winners of the life game, not winners in the sense that someone else lost because there is no losing except when we resort to the flipside of joyous behaviour.

A side effect of Laughter Yoga is excessive Gibberish - a way of communicating without making sense, yet making perfect sense. There is no judging and no planning the next step in a conversation when all is said in Gibberish. How is this possible you may ask - well, letting go of being right and in control of all situations is a requirement for being at peace with yourself and other people. Essentially speaking the language of nonsense from a place of love.

And, guess what? It is fun! Lots of fun!

The midget in Twin Peaks speaks a form of Gibberish to Agent Cooper in the agent's dream and although it is twisted to make sense (or is it?), it still is Gibberish in the form of backwards speaking. Twin Peaks - that is a topic of its own! A tv-series that started out as a murder investigation but twisted itself into a real strange adventure of nonsense and weirdness - what more can one wish for from David Lynch and Co.?!

Side tracking...

Back to the topic of the day - words.

Words are just like laughter which is just like fire... You can cook food or you can burn a house. Laughter can be used for sharing and it can be used to control people. Words can be used to create a world of love and they can be used to break down your soul.

Speak wisely, and if in doubt, pause and think before the gibber blurts out.

Love and peace!