Laughter….Defined

Laughing_Definedlaugh verb \ˈlaf, ˈläf\

intransitive verb

1 a : to show emotion (as mirth, joy, or scorn) with a chuckle or explosive vocal sound b : to find amusement or pleasure in something <laughed at his own clumsiness> c : to become amused or derisive

2 a : to produce the sound or appearance of laughter b : to be of a kind that inspires joy

Children laugh just for the fun of it, from the heart, as they play. They don’t rely on understanding a joke or developing a sense of humor. They just laugh. In Grounded, we teach that Joy is a quality of the heart that can be cultivated and we show how laughter inspires joy through poses such as Laughter Hero, Laughter Milkshake, Oompa Loompa and Mountain Range Laughter.

We practice yoga to reveal our innate joyful nature that resides within our heart. Invite laughter into your body just as you would welcome an unexpected guest who arrives at your door eager to clean your house. Laughter clears away the dust from your heart allowing your innate joyful self to come out and play.

We take laughter very seriously here at Grounded. After all, it’s our middle name. Amy and Cheryl are proud to be certified in Laughter Yoga, created by Dr. Madan Kataria from India. “The concept of Laughter Yoga is based on a scientific fact that the body cannot differentiate between fake and real laughter. One gets the same physiological and psychological benefits. “In India, Laughter Yoga has been introduced in many schools of Surat, Baroda and Bangalore. The school schedule includes ten minutes of Laughter in the Morning Assembly, followed by five minutes of Laughter Session in the classrooms both at the beginning and at the end of the day. This routine has shown that the mood and atmosphere gets energized. Teachers and students are happier together, with a more positive outlook, and improved communication, discipline and attendance. Academic results have also shown improvement.”

Of all the proper definitions listed above, at Grounded we resonate most with the last one…to be of a kind that inspires joy! Our mission, our purpose, and our measure of success is inspiring joy. May we all choose to be grounded each day and speak the universal language of laughter with fluency.

More to Explore

  • How to Bliss Bomb the World

    PIC-2So you finish your practice~
    You feel loving and calm.
    There is nothing you dismiss~
    You are full of BLISS bombs.

    You rejoin your family~’
    And what do you hear?
    Shouts of anxieties~
    Blames, Shames, doubts and fears!

    Does loving-kindness deflate
    As you join the contention?
    Or will your blissed state
    Transmit without tension?

    Each time you experience
    The delight of {I AM}
    Your bliss will flow forth~
    Like a hydraulic ram.

    Embody the KNOWING~
    Of your inner LOVE state.
    So you can keep it safe~
    And INTERRELATE.

    YOGA says your relationship
    between you and your SELF~
    can not be diminished,
    or put upon a shelf.

    You take your SELF
    everywhere you GO!
    Then everything is spiritual
    from Grumps to Sloppy Joes!

    Lokanandah Samadhi-Sukham
    Shiva Sutra One.Eighteen~
    PIC-1Your inner bliss continues
    Like you won the slot machines.

    So how do we GROW
    In our capacity for such LOVE?
    Without mermaids and unicorns~
    Blue moons and white doves?

    We create an INNER space
    Direct love toward KNOWERSHIP~
    Call forth our virtues,
    Our patience, our grit.

    We bridge the gap of difference
    SERVE in a profound way~
    Not cold duty or bargain~
    LOVE is the order of each day.

    Become capable with powers
    Of WILL, KNOWING, and ACTING
    By practicing {I AM}
    Without useless distracting.

    Place your hand over your HEART~
    Feel right beneath your palm~
    Towards your back body~
    Where this is endless peace and calm.

    Allow your attention
    To be with your BREATH~
    To flow in and flow out
    Softly in your chest.

    Welcome the BREATH~
    Right into your HEART.
    Feel a soft golden sun
    That is bright, warm and smart.

    With each breath IN~
    make that SUN glow.
    With Each breath OUT~
    Expand the warmth to and fro.

    As you welcome the breath in
    To the vast INNER world~
    Invite the HEART to reveal
    It’s largeness, depth, and swirl.

    Flow in with the thought {I AM}
    The mantra of the inner self~
    (Not I am Sam~
    Or I am a silly elf)

    The heart receives the breath
    With the recognition {I AM}
    The exhalation feels space,
    The experience of BLISS BAM.

    Practice with eyes open
    Practice with eyes closed
    Practice often
    And LOVE will be exposed.

    As you greet those outside~
    Amongst the chaotic and mundane~
    Stay tuned into your heart
    And send LOVE to their pain.

    You’ll get glimpses of KNOWING
    Your yoga is working~
    When outer frustrations
    Are shirking, not lurking.

  • Unlieable

    Ben-Lee-photoUnlieable – To be filled with ones own truth, to the extent that no lies can enter ones being, either form within or without

    Meet Ben. While working on an exercise to illustrate what we stand for, Ben introduced me to a new word… unlieable.

    When I asked Ben what this word meant, he said, with complete assurance, that to be unlieable is to not lie…. Duh

  • Hi Ken…It’s me Barbie!

    Yoga BarbieWe all have a limited, contracted, outer surface.  Yoga teaches us to dig deep into our center to know our true, authentic selves. Yoga Teacher Barbie was gifted to me on my birthday and I have chosen to Ground her and help her to expand her consciousness. All of my students are gifts; yet this is my first one who was born in Indonesia and had a non-existent childhood,. No wonder she has restricted knowledge.

    Perhaps Barbie’s obvious patterns of limitations can teach us how to observe our own stuff.
    Bring It On!  Barbie has offered her letters to her beloved, Ken for you all to witness her progress.

  • Inspiration

    GROUNDED. (ADJ.)

    IMG_07761. HAVING A SECURE FEELING OF BEING IN TOUCH WITH REALITY AND YOUR PERSONAL FEELINGS.

    2. A FIRM FOUNDATION TO BE INSPIRED AND INSPIRE OTHERS.

    Two weeks ago my Grounded class wrote letters of congratulations to Emily, who had just earned her White Bandana. She’s nine years old and lives in Atlanta. The kids in my class were amazed that at just nine she had achieved this. They were inspired. The letters they wrote were thoughtful, complementary and from the heart.

  • Grounded? Yes! Restricted? No!

    blank-slate_copyFor many of us, a new year represents a blank slate, a Tabula Rasa. Imagine being able to “refresh” any or all areas of your life. Now visualize this table with two columns, Yes and No. You create your truest life by thoughtfully choosing what goes in the No column and what is a Yes. Everything you say YES to and everything you say NO to matters.  What if your yes’s and no’s were tabulated and at the end of a day, week, year, lifetime, you could see how the data, otherwise known as your life, balanced out?