Lotus Healing Seva Group 7th Anniversary

Posted on December 13, 2012 by kamal

Asian Weekly 7 -13 December 2012

Posted in Press Release | 1 Comment

7th Anniversary Celebrations !!

Posted on December 3, 2012 by kamal

In November 2012, Lotus Healing Seva Group became 7 years old!!

What started off as a monthly meeting of a small group of 7 Reiki Healers in Nairobi, Kenya, in November 2005, has grown to a group of over 75 Energy Healers worldwide in November 2012.

This was celebrated in a small way and in a big way!

The small way was on 29th November at our weekly meeting in Nairobi with our senior most members Mani Sheth and Kamlesh Giddie lighting 7 purple (LHSG’s colour) and sharing chocolates with our group members and friends of LHSG.

 

Now for the Big Way!! This was done by performing Reiki and Energy Healing Seva by all our wonderful members around the world during the period 15th October – 30th November.

So here goes …. starting from the west and going east ……

1. LHSG USA ….. Rashmi Thakar and Manorama Thakar

Here is our write up for the 7th Anniversary LHSG Seva. Attached are a few pictures of me pouring the water into the East River in Manhattan which is close to my house. My mum was not able to go to the river as she was not well so I poured the water for her that she had healed.

My mum Manorama Thakar and I Rashmi Thakar, on October 28th started to give Reiki and healing to the rivers, lakes and oceans to stay calm. We each put tap water in a bottle and healed the water for a week, for about 7 days and then poured the water at the end of the week in the river near my house. We healed the river with the intentions that the rivers, oceans and lakes provide positive energy, nourishment and to stay calm and help people and not cause destruction.

While carrying out the healing we found out that the river took a lot of healing as this was the day hurricane sandy started with its strong winds and strong waters, the waves moved high and fast, as I can see the river from my window. We left the healing to continue as the rivers, oceans, lakes needed to remain calm through this hurricane period. Hurricane sandy did cause a lot of destruction with the water coming above the railing and flooding areas which you can see in the pictures where I poured the water and flooding most of downtown area and areas near the river and ocean. Though Manhattan was not as badly hit as other areas we decided to continue the healing so the waters remain calm for everyone here in New York and the rest of the world as natural disasters have been occurring and  we need the waters of the earth to remain calm.

                                                                          

 

 2. LHSG USA …. Zareena Currimbhoy

For my contribution to the Seva, I chose to send Reiki to all the healers who had noble and selfless goals.  I plan to continue to the end of 2012. While I didn’t see any special visions per say, I did feel a lot of Reiki flowing randomly from my hands at different times of the day because I had set my intentions to allow the flow whenever any light worker needed it.  

At one point in November, I felt that the Reiki flowing from my hands was not enough, and my heart chakra somehow took over in sending Reiki. I felt compelled to envision light emanating from my heart in order to stay calm and feel good.  Every time I felt my hands tingle, I would focus on my heart chakra.  It felt more powerful and further reaching. 

3. LHSG Canada ….. Lucie Fabian

My Seva consisted of sending healing for a month to students all over the world with personal problems.  I felt a lot of energy doing it!  A deep connection to all the world, amassing feeling of unity.

4. LHSG UK (in charge)….. Bena Shah

Our celebrations on 14th October started WELL.

We had 14 clients that day and ten members/volunteers plus Nileshwari who helped with the running around to and from the shops.

Mala, Nileshwari and I started the day at 9.30am for decorations and preparation at my house putting up the balloons, banners and plates and glasses.

The members started to arrive at 10.15, did the meditation and setting up the alter around 10.35 to 11.05.

The first three clients arrived at 11.05.

Most of the people who came had healing done and three people had healing and reflexology and two had a head message as well.

LHSG members that attended and made the event successful are:

Mala, Mona, Bharti, Neha, Jan, Anita, Villas, Savita, Lekha, Bena and the whole LHSG for sending the healing. Thank you.

Bhadrika ben and Neha baked cakes for the events and Bena and family provided jalebi ganthhia spring roll, samosa, kachori, chai and coffee. 

We had put out two collection boxes one for LHSG and another for the Macmillan cancer support.

Maccmillan boxes collected £173.70 plus a cq for £100.00

LHSG £209.03+60.75=269.78

OVER ALL TOTAL=443.48+100=548.48 MORE TO FOLLOW.

IT WAS GREAT DAY. THE APPOINTMENTS HAD BEEN PLANNED SO THAT THE HOUSE WAS NOT CROWDED AND THE EVENT WENT SMOOTHLY.

 

 

 5. LHSG UK (in charge)…. Bena Shah

On Saturday 24th November, seven of us started our journey from Harrow and Rayners lane to go to member Indu’s house around 10.00am.The day was gloomy and it was raining very heavily. We reached Indu’s house and while we were waiting for the 2nd car to arrive we took a decision to go to Osterly park although the rain was very heavy.

We donned on our heavy coats and gloves and armed with umbrellas we reached the park gate.

Before starting the silent meditation I explained the process to all those who attended that we all walk around the pond in silence and send healing to nature and the pond which was full of ducks and swans. Once we reached the middle of the pond there was a huge tree. We stood under the tree and sent healing to nature and said the silent AUM & I AM and then blessed the water that we took in plastic bottles and poured it into the pond. 

When we started to walk around the pond the ducks and the swans started to follow us to the middle of the pond and then half way towards the pond we saw them forming half an Aum (mala has taken the picture) this was done by white birds in the pond. 

We stayed there for a while and then started to walk back and one white swan kept following Neha until we reached the gate.

Then we started to share the experiences we had and when I said I AM silently in my mind I clearly saw one bird flying across the pond and it replied I AM as well.

Although the day was very gloomy we all enjoyed our outing in Osterly park. We then drove back to Indu’s and warmed up by having a hot cup of masala chai before starting the next part of the day which was sending healing to everyone and following the order of healing we normally do.

Then we ordered Pizzas for lunch with Garlic bread and Indu made potato salad and coleslaw and Villasben made desert with Greek yoghourt.

After lunch we talked about our next meeting and sat there chatting and then few people wanted to go home so we did some Angel and Archangel Michael guidance cards and brought a very rewarding day to a close.

The fun day was attended by members Bena, Mala, Neha, Anita, Bharti, Savita, Villas, Jasu, Indu, Sarika, Kavita, and friend Prafulaben.

I AM meditation vedio

POURNG THE BLESSED WATER INTO THE POND

6. LHSG Romania ….. Ana Maria

While doing the healing for all the forests and the animals, I had a marvelous experience of connecting through the light with them, like I felt their energies (pure light) as a response to me.

7. LHSG Holland …. Krista Kruft

Bob and I decided to give healing to Mother Earth. We bought a plant. The name of the ‘reiki plant’ (as we call in our household) is Viburnum tinus. It blooms during the European winter time, that’s why I chose it.

We gave it reiki for 7 days, during the evening. Our children Kate and Jamie (age 10 and 5) joined us by giving it reiki when they came home from school. They are reiki 1 channels, attuned by Kamal, and although they don’t use their reiki every day, they are very much aware of what it is and what it can do.

The experience of doing the seva was very fulfilling. Each night before we started we declared our intention to give reiki to the plant so that it can release its reiki healing energy into the soil and heal Mother Earth. The plant took a lot of reiki and each time it was as if we were joined by ‘others’. It clearly felt as if we were not alone.

After 7 days we took the plant outside and planted it in our garden, with help of Jamie, our youngest. It continues to receive reiki in our daily healing practices.

Doing the seva brought out love, understanding and compassion from within us – a gift in return


 
photo gallery:

8. LHSG Kenya ….. Adam

As part of the 7th Anniversary Seva, I did send healing to all human beings to feel the humanity and the connection to each other for the proposed seven days starting from 1st – 7th November 2012. It was a draining endeavour! 

Although I often sensed a number of energy healers being connected in the process of healing, it was always taking considerable time to fulfil a session. I did most of my healing before I went to bed. Even in my sleep and my body would continue oozing energy. I am grateful that I remained energetic throughout. I ended on the 7th of November wondering and knowing that this is perhaps the single most issue we all need to focus our attention on.

9. LHSG Kenya ….. Azmina Mulji

With God’s blessings, I was able to undertake my intended seva from the 1st of November to the 7th of November and sent love and light healing to all souls who were born into this world so that they may have a wonderful journey while here and move towards their soul purpose and to all those who departed from this life to help them with their onward journey.

It was an amazing experience. It was miraculous that although I have a very tight schedule in the evenings with my children and family (homework, dinner etc), when it struck 7pm I was free and undisturbed to undertake this seva for all 7 days. Whilst sending love and light, I experienced a totally different feeling. I felt very many higher beings with me sending brilliant white light, which changed colour to intense violet and then bright golden light. The light was intense and very powerful as though a million hands were sending it altogether. On the 6th and 7th days, I felt/saw what I later found out is called the Sudarshana chakras of Lord Vishnu flowing from my palms at very very high speeds one after another and disappearing into the light. I’m not sure what that meant.

At the end of each seva, I felt my own body and spirit cleansed as well. It was an awesome feeling.

Thank you Kamal aunty and LHSG for making this happen. If you would not have come into my life, I would have never experienced this. I appreciate and honour this seva that I am able to give.

10.  LHSG Kenya ….. Dee Hockey

Seva Event No. 1

Pamela’s Paradise Project, Kibera Slums, Nairobi

A number of our Kenya LHSG members made a trip into Kibera on Thursday 1st November, to visit a small home of mainly Aids Orphaned children, which Britt one of our members had had contact with. Our purpose was to introduce them to Reiki, give them a hot meal at lunch and also leave them with some food supplies. We wanted to assess their needs to see if they needed any help in the long term.

We drove in a three car convoy to the out skirts of Kibera and actually managed to all arrive at roughly the same time which in the Nairobi traffic is quite a feat! We were met by Samuel who has the widest smile in the world (all the time), and he showed us where to park safely. We were also greeted by Pamela Owino who is the home’s “Mother”. Then we all walked the 100 meters or so into the slum to the school. This was “interesting” especially for those who had not visited a slum before. I could hear Kamal behind me saying ” Keep your eyes down, don’t look up, just watch where you are walking, eyes down”! As usual it was probably the smell which assaults the senses first and not much imagination was needed to guess what was in the mud we were walking over. The piles of rubbish EVERYWHERE are a sad sight.

When we arrived at the home we were all squeezed into one tiny room where Pamela introduced the school and its staff. The school has 40 children who actually live there, ranging in age from 3 to 13. The youngest was a little girl of about 2 who was Pamela’s own child. One of the young girls had had a baby as a consequence of having been raped and Pamela had taken on the role of Mother to them both. There are about another 170 children who come to the home daily for lessons, but they live in other places around Kibera. We met the teacher and some of the other staff introduced themselves. After this we were ushered through a dormitory room which had loads of holes peppering the ceiling There were very few beds for so many children, so perhaps there was another room we were not shown to accommodate so many at night. We had to squeeze up a steep step into a shelter, nearly being decapitated on the way up by the mabati roof which was at head level. There was a big pile of old sacks filled with hard cement at one end and a few rickety benches, the children were all perching on these as best they could, waiting expectantly for food.

Some of our ladies set about preparing the lunch in a very cramped cooking area at the other end. There was one hiccup when at first all the plates were given out empty and then had to be quickly retrieved to have food applied! The children just took the plates of food but not many said thank you! (Observed by the teaching side of me!). They were not particularly malnourished or hungry but enjoyed their meal especially the chapattis! Grace was said before the meal and the children had to wash their hand in a small bowl into which water was poured over their hands from a jug – no soap. As it was quite cramped we decided to give Reiki while we were giving out the food and it was being eaten. When the plates were cleared away Kamal told them a little about what we did and then we offered them Reiki which they accepted. Each child in turn told us their name as we blessed them with Reiki.

After this the children all drifted away, together with Sharifa, Jean and Nalina who thought it was all over!  However we were having a little fund raising session with Pamela and her staff sitting on various “interesting” perches. When these wayward members were eventually located we told Pamela and her friends more about our Seva work and what Reiki was about and they agreed they would like to learn. Shariffa very kindly offered the Girl Guide premises which are nearby to hold the Level one session. However Pamela thought a nearby Church hall was a more appropriate venue. Pamela answered a few questions about the work she did with the slum children.

We were then treated to a rendition of a Rap Poem by a lad called Alfonse who apparently has a band. He then asked for donations and asked us to buy tickets for an event they were playing in soon, many kind people did. He asked if we could give him individual Reiki for the back pain he was suffering from and Pamela asked if we would treat her painful knees, both of which we did.

By then it was time to brave the Nairobi chaos and find our way home. So we were ushered out the back door and were soon at our parked cars where Alfonse made some more ticket sales for his Concert.

I would like to thank Britt for introducing us to Pamelas Paradise and for organising the trip for us, I look forward to hearing how the project progresses.



 

 11. LHSG Kenya …. Lata Kanji

I sent healing to all abused women, from 1st Nov to 10th Nov.
It was a tremendous experience for me, it was quite emotional and condiderable time was taken
to fulfill a session.
I did send healing two times a day.  Healing the abused women  –  I felt at some point even I was being healed.

12.  LHSG Kenya ….. Dee Hockey

I have really enjoyed my month of sending Reiki to the dirty seas and rivers of the world. Whenever I pass by the filthy Nairobi River I feel the energy flowing from me immediately. Also if I am watching a programme about life under the sea, I want to send healing! When I am healing in the evenings I feel it sometimes carries on for so long that I have to leave it open ended. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to this seva as a celebration of our 7 year anniversary.

13. LHSG Kenya …. Mamta Advani

My seva for the month(1st-30 nov) was to give healing to the mind-consciousness grid of the earth for spiritual growth of all Every day before healing I would ask all LHSG members to join me and while giving reiki would see the grid illuminate like electric wires!! The last 4/5 days the earth’s emf was shinning brilliantly! Mother earth was shinning like a diamond in the cosmos-as if lit up by thousands of Diwali/Christmas lights! It was a beautiful experience! Thank you all for participating with me!

14. LHSG Kenya …. Kamal Tolia

Seva Event No. 2

In our continuing tradition of empowering people with Reiki, we held a Reiki Level 2 camp on 24th November 2012. In this the LHSG sevaks were helped by three young girls Praxcedes, Grace and Joyce from the Hawkers Market Girls Centre, and Festo, all Reiki Level 2 channels from our previous camps.

This time the camp was held for the people of the slum areas of Mukuru Sinai in Nairobi. They had been taught Reiki level 1 earlier, and having experienced its wonderful healing effects, they were eagerly awaiting the next level training.

The attunements done by LHSG Reiki Master Teachers Punita, Raj, Lata, Yatinder, Shariffa and Anuradha went very well, with the attunees reporting beautiful experiences of ‘having a feeling of floating, seeing colours, being blessed with Higher Beings, feeling energy flowing through them, etc.’ Later they did self healing and learned the skills of sending healing at a distance for ailments, healing relationships, blessing souls of people who have passed away, programming Reiki, etc. They also discovered the power of Group Healing while healing the Earth.

As usual, the set up included mid day tea and biscuits and a mid afternoon lunch, which were appreciated by all.

And so another Seva event was done. We went home, grateful again to the Universe for giving us yet another opportunity to do Seva. This brings to 24, the number of Reiki camps LHSG Kenya has carried out for the poor, the destitute, the physically and mentally challenged, and the public at large.

 

15.  LHSG Kenya ….. Raj Walia

Since the 29th October to date I have been sending healing to the orphan children.

I decided to send it to the children, as I feel every child has a birth right to, shelter, food and education.

Every child in the world should not be suffering or fighting for his/her right.

Every time I sit to send healing, I picture a huge Flower of Life covering the globe and children sitting inside it.

These children in the near future will not be short of food, water, shelter and education. These are the children that are going to create a new world, with enough for all. The children of the future are going to create a new world where nothing but love exists.

16. LHSG Kenya ….. Shobhna Kantaria

  I  did  my  seva  for  homeless  people  in  this  world  for  a  month  and  felt  I  should  include  them  in  my  long  term  list  as  they  took  a  lot  of  healing. Some  days  when  I  thought  of  old folks  and  children  sleeping  in  the  cold  and  on  street  pavements  with rain pounding mercilessly  on  them   they  took  a  lot  of  healing  and  I  felt  flow  of  energy  for  a  long  time. So  once I  bought  some  warm  clothes  and  donated to  the  needy. Obviously,  we  cannot  feed  all  homeless  and  cannot  clothe  all  homeless  people  but  we  can  send  them  energy  and  light  to keep  them  going. God  bless  them and  I  send  love  n  light  to  all

17. LHSG India …. Manisha Punjabi

I have no words to describe my feelings when I send out love n light to all house helpers – at times I feel and see as if I’m residing in their bodies , so many unknown faces cling to my face and can hear their cries n prayers , its too over whelming to write about them… They have certainly taken a tough theme and none of them seem to be awakening… Because of negative vibes chain circulating, I feel sorry for them…. So they do need Gods grace most..

My last maid Mira who left job in spite of her continues lies, kept blessing her, she has been in my dreams twice in fact she just called the other day to come back, have got a new maid very easily although its not easy to get in the building where I live, but it could be because of the blessings that are being passed on….

My next focus will b on the lift men, feel so sorry for the job they have, just going up and down in the lift …

18. LHSG India ….. Nandu Asrani

I have been sending REIKI regularly to purify contaminated water that flows into homes from lakes and reservoirs.

I have received phone calls from affected homes saying that they feel safe to drink water charged by reiki and also that they feel much better after drinking such water. I am glad I took up this task and I for myself feel that all members of LHSG should also contribute by doing this as a collective seva to mankind.

I have decided to do this seva as an ongoing process although My commitment to do this was upto the end of November 2012 .

19. LHSG India ….. Vimal Hinduja

I finished  one month of my commitment of healing  Mother Earth with the blessed water yesterday. I poured the water over different areas of the garden. Over the month I covered the whole garden. I felt good that I had spent some time doing something positive instead of grumbling and thinking negative thoughts. It also felt good to be able to contribute towards the 7th anniversary celebrations of LHSG.

 

20. LHSG India ….. Arpita Kundu

As a part of LHSG I had chosen to send Healing and blessings from 22nd October to22nd November to mother earth to minimise  air pollution, so that all living life can breathe easily…Due to air pollution, nowadays I have seen many children suffering from asthma, chronic allergies etc which is a very warning situation for our new gen..and I had chosen this seva to combat with that.. every day I sat for 30 min to send healing to mother earth to minimise the air pollution….although I know this is a mere a drop in the ocean..it will take more time to heal and I have already added it to the list of my daily healing…hope you all will add this seva in your list…

 21. LHSG India (in charge) ….. Kamini Asrani

I would like to share with you all the happenings of the 3rd of November . Lotus Healing Seva Group members Nandu, Manisha, Harshada and I went to Vatsalay (Anand Nikettan). In this centre, there are about 50 street children (many have no parents).These children live there and are sent to schools and are given regular meals ( special meals only if sponsored ).

We sponsored one such special meal for Rs. 6000 /- INR , for these kids from the money we had collected from the Reiki camps. Harshada got a notebook a pencil a pen and a rubber for each child .When we reached there the kids were practicing for the Diwali show on the 10th.They kindly invited us for the show. When they finished practicing, they recited part of the 13th chapter of the Gita and we gave them the stuff bought by Harshada .

We gave REIKI to the food, and while they were eating we bathed them with REIKI. On the whole a very good feeling. There are many organisations at this place. It has  a huge garden with trees and plants all around.

 

22. LHSG India …. Sarita Sehgal

I have been healing mother Nature, from the Mountains to trees, their roots, flowers, fruits, water …. seas, rivers, oceans … and to all the doctors and nurses who treat and look after the patients all over the world….

Since I go to hospitals for healing, I thought it best to heal Doctors and Nurses who are doing such great work taking care of so many patients. While sending them healing I feel their efficiency really improves and I bless that their care is more than  100%.

Mother Nature, of course smiles upon each and every one of us ,so it feels great to make them smile too.:-)

I will continue this healing for the whole of December…

Thank you for this wonderful opportunity .

 23. LHSG India ….. Kirti Kamdar

I gave healing to a few people in the last 7 days.

Whenever I went to the market or any other place, whoever I saw helpless I gave healing.

Here are the incidents :

  1. One of my sisters in law is going thru lot of stress due to family problem and her symptoms showed that maybe she is suffering from depression n so I gave her healing 4 times n could feel that I was correct. Healing was so strong that the suffering that she had suppressed inside her heart came out through my eyes in form of tears. I gave her hands-on once that time this happened. And she felt so good after that session that she thanked me a lot and I told her this is part of our group celebration
  2. My husband’s friend’s wife, having same problem and additional to that she has severe acidity because of stress, I gave her hands on twice and distant healing other times n she felt so good that she expressed her desire to learn Reiki. I told her the same.
  3. I went to my tailor to collect my dress and he was holding his right arm n sitting in his shop and I asked him what happened and he said he felt like a nerve was paining due to wrong posture while sleeping and was unable to work..I gave him healing in the shop, hands-on and within a few minutes he felt good and he called and thanked me.
  4. Two days when I went out I distributed chocolates to small children on streets, kids of hawkers, of ladies selling vegetables and other stuff and yesterday there was a cute small girl sitting and helping her mom sell diyas. Aunty, she was so small and so cute that I couldn’t resist myself from buying her a juice packet and the smile on her face – My God, it was so so good..There was another small girl sitting there and she also was happy to get a pack of juice.. it felt so so good, can’t explain it in words.

5.. Distant healing I keep giving to whoever asks for it. 

All this I dedicated to our LHSG celebration.

 

 These then were the SEVA contributions of Lotus Healing Seva Group …….

A very very big Thank you to all and a Universal Hug to all of us for the sharing and caring we have displayed in doing this Seva.

May we, as long as we have breath left in us, continue sharing our Love and Light with all!

Kamal Tolia

Founder Member

 

3rd December 2012

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The Laughter Curriculum …..

Posted on October 20, 2012 by kamal

By Kamal Tolia

The Laughter Curriculum ….. Part 1. Introduction

When we came down on earth, God knew we would be facing happy times, sad times and very, very stressful times. In his infinite Mercy, and because He loves us so much, he thought: ‘Let me lessen their burden. I will give them Humour and I will give them Laughter.’ And so it is that we were given the boon to appreciate humour in our lives and the ability to LAUGH!

We are the only creatures with this special gift. Look around you …. Do horses laugh? Have you seen an ant rear up on its hind legs and roar with laughter? Have you seen a cat so much as smile? Even a dog who we know can love unconditionally, cannot laugh at a joke! Not even the laughing hyena enjoys humour. Its laugh is actually only its natural sound, just like the barking of dogs, mooing of cows, clucking of hens ……..

But we humans! Ah! We can laugh, or at least smile soon after we are born. We use our vocal cords for crying as well as laughing and chortling.

Laughter is part of the plan for humans. It was put in place by God for us to be healthy, happy and wise, to help us cope and survive.

It is part of Life’s Learning School’s Curriculum. Just as our school has a curriculum, so also the School of Life has a curriculum. Our Childhood school’s curriculum involves serious, strict, academic subjects like maths and english, less serious, less strict non academic subjects like sports and music, and extracurricular fun activities like various clubs. Similarly, our Life School has a main curriculum in which we have experiences (subjects) to develop mental maturity, emotional maturity and an extracurricular section in which we have to develop and maintain humour, sharing, loving, giving and laughing.

But there is a small difference. In the school of our childhood, the time allocation was 90% to the main subjects, only 10% to the extracurricular ones. In the School of Life, however, God intended that the ratio should be at least 50 -50. The extracurricular activities must run concurrently with our lessons for mental maturity and emotional maturity. In fact they are interconnected. They support each other beautifully. They sort of run into each another. So it is that each time you laugh, you become emotionally and mentally stronger, and as you grow mentally and emotionally stronger, you are able to laugh more ……

So Laughter is a very important part of our Life. But over the years, as we grew up, we have forgotten how to laugh as we did in our childhood. We have forgotten how to enjoy life. We are a sad, sorry lot! We need to bring back laughter in our lives and experience the freedom it brings.

Let us not waste this precious Gift from God. As we learn the lessons of life, let us remember to laugh.  Let us laugh and laugh, and when that is over, let us laugh some more!

The Laughter Curriculum … Part 2. Laughter and Children

‘Knock Knock!’

Who’s there?

‘Amos’

Amos who?

‘A . . mos . . quito!!’

Did this make you laugh? It was a joke my 6 year old niece used to tell me over and over again each time I met her. The first time she told me, we laughed and laughed till tears rolled down our faces. After hearing it a couple of times, it became a worn out joke and didn’t make me laugh. Not so for my niece …… she would still collapse with laughter. Seeing her enjoying it so much, I would smile, and before long I would find myself joining her in laughing all over again!

Have you noticed how easy it is to make a baby laugh? Just playing’ peek – a – boo’ with him is enough to draw out peals of laughter from him! Even writing this makes me want to smile! Researchers have found that even 17 days old babies make laughing sounds. They can laugh before they learn to speak! Even children who are born blind and deaf can laugh just as well as all children.

Janak shares this about his childhood ‘…… I went to an all boys school in India. Every year we used to do the Ram Lila. Do you know which part was the most sought after? No not Ram or Ravan, or Laxman, and definitely not Sita ….. remember we were all boys! The role that everyone wanted was of Hanumanji! When it came to picking the right person, we all tried to outdo each other …… in the number of times we jumped around, played antics on the stage, turned cartwheels …….. all in the hope of being chosen for the funniest role.  But then something funny would happen. In all the trying hard, we began to enjoy the comic part so much and in all the laughing, and by now with all the teachers joining in the laughter, even Hanumanji was forgotten!’

We may not remember many things of our childhood, but some memories stick out, usually the happy ones. This is one such memory of mine. There used to be this wonderful smiling man who used to come every Thursday evenings to the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai. He was like the pied piper. As soon as word got around that he had arrived, we (I must have been 7 or 8 years old) used to drop all we were doing and flock to him. Enthralled, we would watch as he opened his bag, take out a hand puppet, and give us a funny show. Another puppet would follow and then another, and all of us would be laughing and laughing. Our laughter would attract even some adults who would come over to us and start to laugh simply because we were laughing so much!

Children naturally seek out happy, fun times. They do not entertain sadness. They know the secret of being happy and bouncing with health.  We would do well to copy their example!

The Laughter Curriculum … Part 3. Laughter and our body

According to some studies, Laughter has many benefits:

  • Laughter boosts the immune system.

Never before in the history of humankind has our immune system needed as much boosting as it does now. What with diseases like cancer and aids so rampant, our immune system will thank us for laughing more!

Laughter increases the disease fighting immune cells so your resistance to disease increases.

  • Laughter decreases the stress hormones

Is there anybody who can say they have no stress? Stress has become a way of life for us. Since it is unavoidable, we have to look for means to reduce it, and there is no better way of doing this than indulging in laughter

  • Laughter relaxes muscles throughout the body

Tight muscles result in misalignment of the bony skeleton and all body parts, disrupting the flow of ‘prana’ and causing disease. Laughter relaxes every muscle in the body which remain relaxed for up to 45 minutes after the laughing session!

  • Laughter boosts the circulatory system

Even the muscles of the blood vessels relax, and more blood can flow in the blood vessels. This can protect you from diseases like Hyper and Hypo tension

  • Laughter enhances oxygen intake.

Once again, because the muscles of the chest relax, it can expand well, breathing improves, and more oxygen enters our lungs.

  • Laughter stimulates the heart and lungs

Following the same reasoning, the heart and lungs perform their functions well. The chances of getting heart and lung diseases are drastically reduced!

  • Laughter triggers the release of endorphins (the body’s natural pain killers)

Laughter relaxes the body so it can perform this natural function with ease.

  • Laughter eases digestion and soothes stomach aches

Once again, all muscles relax, even those of the digestive system. Digestion proceeds smoothly and stomach aches disappear!

  • Laughter relieves pain

With the endorphins being released naturally, relief from pain is a natural outcome!

  • Laughter improves mental functions.

With the whole body relaxing, every muscle relaxing, more blood flowing, more oxygen intake, Laughter is responsible for boosting the poor circulation to our brain as we get older. More oxygen to the brain means better brain functions of alertness, memory, creativity! The senior citizens amongst us cannot afford to not Laugh!

Nitrous oxide, used to be employed by dentists because of its anaesthetic properties. It was also called laughing gas, because when administered to patients, it relaxed them giving them an euphoric ‘High’. Their jaw muscles would relax, allowing the dentist to do his work! In the 14th and 15th centuries, the European Elite would have ‘Nitrous Oxide Parties’ in which the guests could get giggly and ‘High’ on the gas.

Well, we do not need these drastic methods to relax anymore! Research has shown that laughing stimulates our hypothalamus region of the brain to generate a natural version of this laughing gas! So in other words, when you laugh, you produce laughing gas which makes you laugh even more, which produces more laughing gas ………

The Laughter Curriculum … Part 4. Laughter ….  more benefits

Other benefits of Laughter include:

  • Improved overall attitude

Because laughter reduces stress, our positive energy increases, allowing us to ‘see things’ in a more positive light. Quite naturally, our overall attitude to life changes.

  • Improved sleep

If you see the funny side of everything, there is nothing to worry about, and you can sleep soundly.

  • Enhanced quality of life

Laughing often helps you to relax and not to take life so seriously. You learn to see the funny side in most situations and letting go becomes easier.

  • Strengthens social bonds and relationships

All emotional sharing builds bonds, but laughing together has been found to be especially effective in this area.

  • Produces a general sense of well being.

Laughing often reduces our physical and emotional pain, making us feel ‘well all over’.

  • Emotional Wellness

When you laugh, emotions that are upsetting you dissolve away, because it is impossible to laugh and feel sad or angry or anxious at the same time

  • Diffusing Anger and Violence

Laughter diffuses pent up emotions safely. Only after that can we heal from inside.

  • Easing Conflict and Misunderstanding

Laughter relaxes you enough to see the other person’s point of view, so you react without judgment or criticism. Conflict and misunderstandings are greatly reduced

  • Fighting Depression

People who have humour in their lives have been found to have a positive, optimistic view through difficult situations, traumas, loss and disappointments. They do not get sucked into wallowing in their negative situations.

  • Overcoming Marital Issues

Finding reasons to laugh together can help couples get closer to each other. Watching funny movies together helps them relax enough to put aside their disagreements. Done often enough it can even save marriages.

Gelotology is the study of laughter and its effects. Much research is still being done on laughter. Paul E McGhee PhD is one of the earliest pioneers in this research. After receiving his degree in development psychology, he spent 22 years conducting basic research on humour and laughter.  He has created ‘The Laughter Remedy’ and ‘The Laughter Effect.’ According to him, ‘your sense of humour is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain that your daily mood and emotional state support good health.’ In other words, all conditions and situations from cardiac rehabilitation to depression can all be helped with laughter.

Cathy Goodman who was diagnosed with breast cancer, gives her personal testament to the healing power of Laughter in the book ‘The Secret’. ‘One of the things I did to heal myself was watch very funny movies. That’s all that we (my husband and I) would do — just laugh and laugh …. From the time I was diagnosed to the time I was healed was approximately three months and that’s without any radiation and chemotherapy.’

Laughter indeed, as the saying goes, is the best medicine for all of Life!

 

The Laughter Curriculum … Part 5. Laughter …. A Deeper Understanding

As we grow old, our bodies may show the ravages of time ….we may lose our teeth, our sense of hearing may fail, our eye sight may diminish. Our bodies may not move as fast as we want them to. But our ability to laugh? This, without fail, is a gift which can be ours till our dying day. Let us examine and understand this beautiful gift.

Laughing when everything is going smoothly ensures that they continue that way. But it is even more important to learn to laugh even when things are not going smoothly. This may sound hard, but actually, it is not so. You might have heard laughter in hospital waiting rooms, during funerals and even near accident areas. Are these funny places? No. So why do people laugh in these situations? Because, Laughing is the body’s most natural way of coping with sorrow, disappointments, hurt, pain. Sounds Bizarre? Only because we have been conditioned that laughing in these times shows disrespect, is rude, etc.

According to Enda Junkins, MSW, LCSW, BCD, ‘amazingly many of us laugh in serious situations, and even when we are down in the dumps. Laughter through tears has been called the perfect emotion.’

Unfortunately, most of us have forgotten how to laugh. We find that to laugh requires effort on our part. We have to break the taboos on laughing which we have unconsciously built over the years since childhood. We have to learn to listen to that inner voice which tells us to go ahead and smile and laugh, in favour of the voice which tells us ….‘to wipe that smile of your face’… ‘you should be ashamed of yourself, wanting to laugh when you should be crying’ …. ‘what’s there to laugh about? Life stinks’ ……

Though we know laughter is a good thing, unfortunately, we have been overlooking how perfectly we can use it for healing ourselves. We were given this natural medicine for more than just grinning. While we do not hesitate to take medicines for everything that ails us, we hesitate to laugh. We do not realize that laughter can help even to the point that we may not need those drugs!

A lot of treatments are available for depression, none of them without serious side effects! Rarely does conventional medicine focus on the reasons why somebody is feeling down in the dumps. The reason is simple: We have forgotten how to approach life in a spirit of play. We know this deeply and instinctively. We used to do it as children. It got lost somewhere along the way as we grew up. The time has come for us to reverse our thinking: We have to give ourselves permission to play.

Give yourself the permission to see the humour in your life. Almost without exception, even the most serious situation has a humorous content. Give yourself permission to look for it, acknowledge it, and laugh or at least smile.

Oscar Wilde: Life is too important to be taken seriously.

The Laughter Curriculum … Part 6 ….Laughter Clubs

How do we bring laughter back into our lives?

We have to find things that we find funny. Having found them we must enjoy them as often as we can. We must laugh. To begin with, we might find it difficult to do this, but laughter experts like Enda Junkins tells us to not give up. ‘Just fake Laughter’ she advises us. ‘Enjoy Pretend Laughter. Make the sounds of laughter and move your body as you laugh. Do this often enough and soon real laughter will kick in’

Doing the above when you are alone, is hard, to say the least. We have a fear of being labeled ‘mad’ if we are seen ‘laughing by ourselves, for apparently no reason at all.’ But there is a way round this.

My nephew Hemant is an early morning jogger. One morning, about 15 years ago, he was jogging along, in the silent predawn. There were others like him, jogging or walking briskly and one man walking his dog. All were silent, even the dog, only footsteps could be heard. In the semi darkness they could barely see one other. Suddenly, the silence was rent with a loud ‘Ha       ha   ha              ha,   Hee   hee   hee  hee….   Hi   hi   hi   hi  hi …. , Ho   ho   ho  ho  ho ….. Huuu   huuu   huuu  huuu  huuu ….

Hemant froze. The other joggers froze. The man walking the dog froze. Even the dog froze. Each one froze in various poses of movement. The dog had three legs on the ground, one leg bent in the air! The ones who were late in freezing, bumped into the ones in front of them who had stopped! What was that?!! And then the second time, the disembodied sounds rent the eerie silence! …. ‘Ha   ha   ha  ha   ha ….   Hee   hee   hee  hee   hee ….   Hi   hi   hi   hi  hi …. , Ho   ho   ho  ho  ho ….. Huuu   huuu   huuu  huuu  huuu ….

What was happening? Where were they coming from? Enter Laughter Clubs. A group of people were indulging in this early morning remedy in a clearing in the park. A tall hedge separated them from the joggers shielding them from their vision. When it became apparent that it was only people laughing, the joggers breathed a collective sigh of relief. Then, when the sounds   Ha ha …..  hit the air the third time, even the joggers smiled, some ending up laughing as well. And since they could not laugh and jog at the same time, they simply gave up jogging and joined in the laughter merriment! The dog did his bit too by barking madly …..

Laughter Clubs fulfill a special need of today. It is easier to engage in ‘pretend laughter’ with other people than alone by yourself. The proliferation of Laughter Clubs over the last few years is a testament to their success. Engaging in collective laughter is a boost to real laughter surfacing. Then you stop feeling stupid or you stop caring if you do.

The Laughter Curriculum … Part 7….  Laughter Tips

According to Enda Junkins, a nationally known speaker on the benefits of laughter, we are a serious nation with serious people who have serious health problems, many of which are related to stress. Laughter relieves stress.

Here are a few Laughter Tips from her to improve your life:

In relationships

  1. Smile at each other when you first wake up
  2. Go on a spur –of –the-moment picnic
  3. Cuddle up on the couch when you watch TV
  4. Walk together holding hands – swing those hands
  5. Make a special time each day to laugh and talk – just the two of you
  6. Laugh together for 5 -10 mins everyday
  7. Do one loving and light hearted thing for each other each day
  8. Point out the days absurdities to each other and laugh about them
  9. Consciously smile at each other more
  10. Stay playful in your interaction by keeping your voice and body language playful
  11. Have a laughter match to see who can laugh loudest and longest
  12. Surround yourself with flowers ‘The earth laughs in flowers’ Emerson’
  13. Echo each other’s laugh. Laugh each time your partner laughs
  14. Count the number of times you laugh each day. Compete and share them
  15. Tell each other how much you enjoy the other’s laughter and sense of humour
  16. Play together one hour a week. Examples: Sing, dance, race each other, give exaggerated hugs, count smiling faces when driving together

At the workplace

  1. Look for the funny things that always exist like typos, the funny actions of your co-workers, your own funny behavior
  2. Use cartoons to help with communication
  3. Laugh with your co-workers for a few minutes for no reason at all.
  4. Incorporate elements of a game into your work. For example, give yourself a prize for completing a project; give yourself a cheer; develop a ritualized, playful way of turning on your computer.
  5. Laugh for 5 minutes in your car on the way to work

Generally in your life

  1. Practice laughing 5 minutes each day. Fake it till you make it
  2. Look for humour around you – on signs, in people’s behavior, on TV, in the newspaper, the things other say, the crazy things that happen to you – keep a journal
  3. Share your embarrassing things with other people
  4. Laugh with other people when they laugh
  5. Wear a smile. It puts you closer to laughing
  6. Seek out entertainment which makes you laugh
  7. Amuse yourself with your own sense of humour
  8. Buy and listen daily to a tape of laughter, a laugh box, or a laughing toy
  9. Cultivate your innate playfulness
  10. Be creative with fun
  11. Make sure you have fun
  12. Give yourself permission to laugh at anything you need to
  13. Do at least one silly, non-conforming thing a day

You might have heard the saying: A family that prays together stays together.

I have adapted it slightly: A family that laughs together stays happily together!

The Laughter Curriculum … Part 8…. Laughter ….. Getting started

How do you start laughing your way through life’s recurrent blows? It cannot be accomplished over night. It involves adopting a new behaivour and making it into a habit. And as in all fields, success is sure to follow provided we are ready to take baby steps and persist on the path.

Read more jokes and watch funny movies and TV programmes. If there aren’t enough of these to give you at least a half hour a day of laughter, do the following: Even remembering funny stories from the past can make you want to laugh. Even remembering how much you laughed at a past joke can make you want to laugh all over again! How many times have we laughed when relating our childhood antics, goof ups, etc.? Family get-togethers are perfect places for reliving the funny moments of your childhood and that of your siblings.

Join Laughter clubs! For Laughter is contagious. Very contagious. Laughing in a group is group therapy at its best! An hour of hearty, care a hang, letting it all out laughter will give you an emotional high for the rest of the day!

There is only one word of caution which I feel needs mentioning here. Some people tell me that they do laugh, but have not noticed feeling better in any way. On inspection, I have found that their humour consists of laughing at other people. Please do not fall into this trap. Laughter should never be at the expense of another human being or even an animal. When you begin to see the funny side of things in your life, and can laugh at yourself without feeling ashamed, then you will begin to benefit from the laughter. And the best part is that if you can laugh at yourself, then no amount of others laughing at you will diminish your spirits.

Another habit you can make yours is to smile at EVERYONE you see or meet during the day. Smiling is only one step away from laughing. This way, you will be ready to laugh all day, won’t miss even one second of humour which might be just round the corner! I know what you must be thinking! How can I wear a smile all day? For Heaven’s sake, people will think me looney or ‘all not there’. I can’t afford to give that impression. Believe me, if at all they have these unsavoury thoughts about you, know that they will quickly change their mind when they see how ‘happy’ you look, and the happy aura you project. They may even become envious of you, and wish they could be like you! Well, all the more reason to smile and laugh when you can. Soon the smiling will catch on, and they will smile more often too. And since smiling can lead to laughing, voila, you will soon have a mini laughter club of your own!

An old saying: Laugh and the whole world laughs with you. Cry and you cry alone.

The Laughter Curriculum … Part 9 Laughter …. Conclusion

The single biggest cause of illness in our world today is Stress. The single most powerful antidote to it is Laughter. Any kind of Laughter will do …… Ringing laughter, peals of laughter, roaring laughter, bubbling laughter, choking laughter, tears running down the face laughter,  chuckling, giggling, snickering, snorting, guffawing even smiling!

Laughter helps us cope and survive. The source of laughter is our emotional core. It helps us field the inevitable blows life deals us with ease. Every time we laugh we are empowered in our emotional core. We feel better, see things more clearly, are able to handle all situations with more confidence.

‘Before the assault of laughter nothing can stand’ Mark Twain

  • Laughter brings out the creativity in us. We are able to work harder
  • Laughter promotes spontaneity, shifting your focus away from your problems to possible solutions
  • Laughter reduces aggression and conflict. You cannot have differences when you laugh together. Laughter has such a high degree of vibration that all lower vibrations of violence, hate, anger cannot survive in its presence.
  • It is an isolation buster. Laughing together increases the bonding between the people and decreases loneliness.
  • Laughter helps release criticism, judgment and doubts
  • It is the greatest medicine for reducing anxiety. One cannot laugh and be anxious at the same time, it is physically impossible.
  • Laughter is the perfect remedy to release fears and brings out deeply held traumas to the surface to be released also. Laughing also helps us see our fears in perspective and realize they are not monsters!
  • It is contagious. Laughter clubs are successful because of this one great property of Laughter. Alone, you might not be able to sustain your laughter for more than a few minutes. But laughing in a group, ah! There is no stopping you then! Seeing others laugh switches on your laughter even if you don’t know why they are laughing in the first place! Laughter creates laughter. As in all aspects of numbers, the benefits of laughing in numbers are enormous!
  • Laughter is Universal! Everybody can laugh. It has no language. Everybody laughs in the same way, everybody smiles in the same way. Music is considered universal. My belief is that Laughter is even more universal! Music is said to be the language of the soul, but all of us may not bond with music that is alien to our culture. But with Laughter, no problem. No kind of laughter is alien to any human being.
  • Laughter is excellent for bringing peace. Alex Sternick has been proclaimed “Laughter Ambassador” for his contribution of bringing Arabs and Jews to laugh together. Laughing helped them to let go of judgements, hatred, and expectations, allowing healing to begin.
  • Finally, Laughter is fun. It gives us back our playfulness, making us as happy as kids!

You want to be happy? Then throw back your head and laugh —– without depending on jokes or humor, the same way a little child doesn’t rely on any reason to laugh!

Posted in Soul Reflections | 2 Comments

Surprise Reiki Camp in the Slums!

Posted on October 7, 2012 by kamal

By Kamal Tolia

About four people of Mukuru slums in Nairobi had missed the Reiki level 1 training that was held for them in July 2012. I was asked by Martina of the Mukuru Outreach Programme if I would teach them? Of course I agreed. We set aside 29th September for this training session. Seeing that these people had experienced Reiki healing, had been explained all about Reiki and Chakras and I had even gone over the manuals with them a month before, I expected to finish the training in 3 hours, i.e. from 1.30 – 4.30 pm.

A couple of days before 29th, Martina called me to say that the numbers had increased to about 10 -11, which meant that ‘new’ people had registered, new in that they had not had any experience of Reiki before.  So on the day, I put a few Reiki manuals in a bag, and Martina and I set off for the Mukuru slums.

Well, little did I know that a surprise awaited me! They started coming slowly, well past the start time of 1.30 pm. When there were about 8, I started to introduce them to the concepts of energy and chakras. During the 15 mins of the introduction, they kept trickling in …….. At about 2.10, I decided it was time for their attunement. As the room was being arranged with mattresses, Hannah, the nursery teacher at the Outreach programme did a wonderful job of filling in the late comers with what they had missed. By now we had 19 of them all eagerly awaiting the Reiki training!

I carried out the attunement, and was just setting up my mobile phone for the relaxing attunement music, when I was informed that there were 4 more waiting outside who would like to be included. Would I please agree? My initial reaction was ….. NO ……. It was an hour after the scheduled starting time ……. The introduction was finished …. Even the attunement was done …. There wasn’t any place left on the floor for them to lie down for the attunement ……. How could I fit them in? I looked at the four, waiting patiently outside the door …… they had such a look of ‘please, please, please’ on their faces …… something moved in my heart ….. how could I refuse them?

So, very quickly and quietly, they were ushered in, into the small computer room at the back. One lay down on a vacant wooden shelf (for computers!), chairs were placed in 2 rows for two others to lie down on, and the fourth person spread a sheet on the floor and lay down on it. They were ready! ….  And so was I! The attunement followed.

After 10 minutes, they were collected together in the main room. They shared their experiences during the attunement …. Feeling light, relaxed, etc. Then it was time to show them self healing which they did perfectly! And then healing others, which also went very well! This was followed by a quick browsing through the Reiki manual. Browsing is all that could be done in the short time left. But I did go over in detail the meaning and features of Reiki, so that they would leave with a firm understanding of Reiki.

A question and answer session in Kiswahili followed, in which Racheal, manager of the programme and Josephine, in charge of the hairdressing section, were of great help. The new Reiki healers were asked by Rachael and Josephine to come back next week to practice Reiki at the centre and for any clarifications they may need. All 23 present showed interest in going further and learning Reiki Level 2.

By 4.45 pm it was over. Conducting a Reiki camp in 2 hours 45 minutes! It was a first for me! There was no break for at all, even for refreshments! Is it the ideal way to carry out a Reiki training? Probably not. Was it the right thing to do in the circumstances? Definitely yes! These were not your regular middle class people or even low middle class, or even the poor. These were people from the slums, the have-nots, whose life could best be described as having ‘no-things’. Some of them could be classed as  destitute. If I did not ‘go by the book’ in training them, so what? The important thing was that they received the Gift of Reiki, which would enrich their lives from now on. The important thing is that it did not cost them anything. The important thing was that some people had loved them and cared enough for them to provide the space and spent three hours teaching them a skill for life.

And so, with gratitude in my heart to the Universe, who through Martina, had given me an opportunity once again, to share my Love and Light with others, I bid goodbye to my new Reiki Channels! I could not have asked for a more fulfilling way to spend my Saturday afternoon!

Since I had not carried a camera with me, I had to depend on my mobile to take out pictures. They are not of the best quality, but do have a look at them.

Photo gallery:

Posted in Kamal Tolia Events, LHSG Activities | 1 Comment