Letting Go

Me and Blackie Meow, 1999

Over the past 14 years of my life, I have learned to let go of a lot of things. Some of it was really easy to do and some not so easy.

I used to be a one pack a day smoker.  I was totally addicted to these nicotine killers.   From morning till night.  It took me a long time to break this hahahabit.  And one day, I made a choice to live, without killing myself or paying Mr. Malboro to do it for me.  Within 21 days, I had quit smoking.

I used to eat chicken and meat and very little vegetables.  This is what I knew from growing up.   This is how we ate.  Over time, my body no longer wanted to eat flesh of any kind.   And I gradually learned to try new vegetables and recipes.   This lifestyle chaHAhange came over time.  I had to experiment and explore.

I used to be a casual drinker - when I'd  go dancing at a club or was out with friends.   This HAhaHAbit was easy to release.  The after effects of even one drink, the next day, made me weigh out the consequences and drop this behaHAhaviour.

I used to be fat.  Weighing in at 180 pounds.  Always thought I was big boned, having heard that from all my family members, because I was a pudgy adolescent.   The weight took me years to shed.  I would calorie count and supplement with diet pills and whatever new fad exercise equipment or video that came along.   Nothing worked.   

One day, I read a book about Anger by Thich Nhat Hanh.   This little book showed me how I was holding on to layers of anger and resentment - holding on to my past and my beliefs of how things were supposed to be.   I did the meditation exercises in the book and noticed what my feelings were around my thoughts.  And just like that, things shifted.  All of a sudden, when I was feeling emotional, I would breathe into it and see what my truth really was.  I would choose a different behaviour - like going for a walk.  

Of course, being resistant to chaHAhange, I took baby steps.  A small walk.  Around the block.   I would notice my outdoor environment instead of living in my head.   I shifted into an attitude of gratitude at what I had in my life in this moment.  I appreciated who I was - within - underneath all the extra layers that were hiding me from the world.   The weight melted right off.

One day, I saw a video about Laughter Yoga by Dr. Madan and Maduri Kataria.   Their message was that if you laughed, you could bring peace to this World.  Since an early age, I would wish upon any star I saw and ask for Peace in my world in my lifetime.   For me, this seemed to be a no-brainer.   Laugh and bring peace - hahaha.  Sign me up.

What I did not know, is how OMazing these tools were to help myself laugh for no reason.  Over time and with lots of practice, I realized that laughter is a muscle - one that we are born with that atrophies over the years when we stop using it.   When we get all serious and forget how much fun it can be to live on this Heaven on Earth right now.

I practiced and practiced and built a really strong muscle.   I created new tools to rev up my HAHA chi and help me get into that attitude of gratitude.   Laughing for 10 minutes with a group of peeps would keep me in the present moment - no more past, no more future.  Right here, right now - where my body was enjoying its gentle internal massage and sending out all sorts of feel good chemicals so my body could heal - inside and out.

Letting go of habits and stress and fears belief and detoxifying my body, mind and soul - releasing stuck muscle memory so that new enerchi could enter and inHAhabit my sacred space.  The process continues as I learn more and let go of all that no longer serves me, layers and layers of ingrained practices and haHAhabits that hurt.  I haHAha until I A-ha and with a quick breath, i do something different.

If you need help getting from HAHA to A-ha, I am a certified laughter coach who can help you get there with whatever haHAhabits or chaHAhallenges you may have.  I help you exchaHAhange enerchi so we can laugh our way to healthy and happy and bring peace to this Planet.