Laughing and Crying

When I’m having a really hard time and try to do Laughter Yoga in my home, I immediately crumble into a mass of tears. So if I’m not ready to feel the pain, I just smile and it helps. It’s safe. I save laughing for later.

If you see a person who never laughs, I guarantee it’s also a person who never cries. Laughter is a huge emotion, the emotion of joy magnified. To feel such a thing we need to be open, open to allow our emotions to flow. This is why sometimes when we laugh, we then start to cry. The river of feelings has begun to flow and it can’t be stopped. You’ve got to be open to laugh. You’ve got to be willing to feel all the feelings inside.

It’s one reason why grown-ups stop laughing so much. Children let it all out – sadness, joy, jealousy, anger, pain, whatever. They don’t hold back. As we grow we start to put on a façade, to play a role. Sometimes only with our loved ones do we allow our full feelings to show. Sometimes not even then. How can laughter arise, when we’ve blocked the flow?

There’s a close connection between laughing and crying. If you can’t laugh, you are probably depressed and not feeling anything. Start slow to open up – to all of it. If you can’t feel the sadness, you’ll never be able to feel the joy again either.

Let it flow.

Photo: Stock.xchnge