Last winter, housebound and often in bed, I watched the video above many times every day. Who knows why it makes me laugh out loud—though I will admit, dogs and food rank as two of my favorite things.
At any rate, more than 123 million YouTube views say I am not alone. I am pretty sure I accounted for a healthy portion of that number.
Let me just say that it’s a downer struggling to recover from a disease that affects your mind, your body, your family life, your career, and your bank account. Sometimes you just have to look to humor to get by.
To my daily task list (swallow pills, infuse IV drugs, inject blood thinner, follow steps to detox, rest, exercise (baby steps), rest some more, and eat loads of vitamin-rich food), I have added: laugh.
Followers meet for regular sessions. They start with a forced laugh or two and allow the mood to spread contagiously from person to person. Pretty soon the gleeful, feel-good sound is cascading around the room.
Dr. Kataria offers this tip: “Fake it ‘til you make it.” All around the world, people are gathering together for laughter therapy and better health.
Want to give it a try? You don’t need to join a group, just click on these links:
- Enjoy this irresistible video of a laughing baby and notice how you feel.
- Check out this how-to video by a certified laughter-yoga teacher.
- Giggle by yourself with a lesson from Dr. Kataria.
For me, a quick video on YouTube or a segment of Jon Stewart on his “Daily Show” sets me right. And I make sure my reading and movie viewing includes plenty of comedies.
Trust me. Sometimes, laughter really is the best medicine.
Got a favorite laugh-inducing video? Share the link in the “Comment” section.
Tagged: bedridden, depression, Dr. Madan Kataria, healing, housebound, humor, jon stewart, laughter, laughter therapy, laughter yoga, lyme, lyme disease, Mayo Clinic, stress, therapy
LifeLoveLyme 
I just found your blog. It is so uplifting and inspirational. Thank you! I have been very ill for about a year and a half. Looking back, I have had mild symptoms for many years. I was diagnosed w/ Lyme and started abx. 5 months ago. Fortunately, I have found a wonderful LLMD! I have been very discouraged lately though, as I expected to be feeling much better by now. I am grieving the loss of the old me and, at the same time, coming to terms with the fact that this recovery is going to be very slow and long. Your words are very encouraging and are really helping me to focus on the positive. THANKS!
Yes, progress can be maddeningly slow. But one day you will realize the upward trend has arrived. We’re all in this together, and I believe we’re each going to discover even better selves in the process. Thanks so much for your encouraging words.