I had an epiphany today about my father Mr. William Findley. A lot of my strength comes directly from him. The hazing he gave me in my adolescence; which was hell; wounded me deeply, but as a result, it also hardened my interior
emotional life in that I have an amazing sense of self-possession, resiliency, and power.

I fear no man.

After what my father put me through, how could I?

He trained and hardened me for the world of men (Black and White).

Perhaps this was his greatest gift to me, the forming of my character, my being.

Thanks Dad.

I love you forever.

You were quite a man.

Your son Stephen.

It was August 23, 2010 and I was attending Dr. Madan Kataria's 5-Day Laughter Yoga Teacher Training Workshop in Albequerque, New Mexico. He introduced the Gibberish Game in which you get to create your own language using real syllables, articulating nonsensical words. Somehow, beleive it or not, once you get started, you begin having "real" conversations.   (Complete before posting)

The word is uttered once, then four times, Dr. K. Inquires in gibberish to me about the "Shakha" and I speak to him with such force and power, it resonates through the room.

The game continues. Soon, "Shakha" begins to manifest throughout the group. Everyone explodes with laughter when Rhoda stands up, twitches her hips and says, "Shakha, boom, boom, boom"!

The room explodes into laughter and their is a sense of aliveness, power, and joy.

Throughout the day "Shakha" is spoken my Dr. K. and he looks at me. It becomes a catch phrase, an anthem of some sort.

Our name tags have not arrived and I retire to my hotel room, realizing that I don't need a name tag.

I have become "Shakha".

I feel as though "Shakha" has been birthed that day as a new living entity. 

I am now and forevermore "Shakha".

- Shakha

The physical health benefits of laughter are as follows:

• Boosts immunity
• Lowers stress hormones
• Decreases pain
• Relaxes your muscles
• Prevents heart disease

Norman Cousins, author of Anatomy of an Illness, found there was no pain reliever better than clips of the Marx Brothers. For years, Cousins suffered from inflammatory arthritis, and he found that 10 minutes of laughing at the hilarity of the Marx Brothers bought him two hours of pain-free sleep. "Amusement’s ability to counteract physical agony is well documented, and as Cousins’ experience suggests, laughter’s analgesic effect lasts long after the smile has faded."

In the words of one of my cancer caregivers at the end of a Laughter Yoga Sessions, when I asked the group participants how did they feel, she exclaimed, “My entire body is laughing!”

So take that.

Lighten your load and remember a good laugh with others is more than fun, it's beneficial to your psyche and can significantly improve your overall well-being.

So, laugh it up!

Gets your entire body laughing!

- Stephen Findley, M.Div, BCC, CLYT