LAUGHTER - OR JOY?
Posted by Elizabeth Mercer on Thursday, October 13, 2011
With "Laughteryoga" now gaining popularity in the USA and UK Panetta Healing has been taking "time out" to consider just how "deep" a medicine laughter really can be. The essence of Laughteryoga is brilliant and I would encourage everyone to give it a try!
However, when we really begin to look into the linguistic value of "laughter" - the meaning behind the word and compare it to another word "Joy" - there is quite a major difference.
Toi look at the value of each word from the standard dictionary :-
Joy = Bliss, delight, full of happiness. "A thing of beauty is a joy forever".
Laughter = To make fun of, laugh AT, to express mirth, amusement, division.
There is no denying the great value of laughter in medicinal terms. But which is the deeper "medicine" - to create laughter OR joy in someone's life?..... Or can laughter produce joy?
From Panetta Healing's point of view Laughter without Joy cannot lead to deep and lasting health....... In order for Laughter to be a truly deep, lasting medicine it needs Joy to harmonise with it.
To bring Joy to someone's life is planting a seed of great love that will be everlasting within its framework. Think of your own most treasured moments and you will feel the joy of that moment. That deep, joyful moment never leaves you. Its a seed that "joy" has planted and each time you think of that moment you are watering it and encouraging its growth within you.
Remember the Joy you feel when you hear that peace is declared in a war-torn Country, think of the Joy of the new born baby, the Joy you feel in your heart when you feel another's love for you. Joy is a deep, lasting and very healing,emotion.
For Laughter to work to that same level it must have Joy within it. If our wonderful comedians of the world and organisations that use laughter as their main healing tool can mix Joy within the framework of that laughter - we have a great healing tool that will reach to the very depths of our Soul. Laughter by itself is forgotten once the laughter stops - it is momentary - but Joy is everlasting..... Bring the two together and what a wonderful healing tool!
Much happiness to all
Liz - Panetta Healing
However, when we really begin to look into the linguistic value of "laughter" - the meaning behind the word and compare it to another word "Joy" - there is quite a major difference.
Toi look at the value of each word from the standard dictionary :-
Joy = Bliss, delight, full of happiness. "A thing of beauty is a joy forever".
Laughter = To make fun of, laugh AT, to express mirth, amusement, division.
There is no denying the great value of laughter in medicinal terms. But which is the deeper "medicine" - to create laughter OR joy in someone's life?..... Or can laughter produce joy?
From Panetta Healing's point of view Laughter without Joy cannot lead to deep and lasting health....... In order for Laughter to be a truly deep, lasting medicine it needs Joy to harmonise with it.
To bring Joy to someone's life is planting a seed of great love that will be everlasting within its framework. Think of your own most treasured moments and you will feel the joy of that moment. That deep, joyful moment never leaves you. Its a seed that "joy" has planted and each time you think of that moment you are watering it and encouraging its growth within you.
Remember the Joy you feel when you hear that peace is declared in a war-torn Country, think of the Joy of the new born baby, the Joy you feel in your heart when you feel another's love for you. Joy is a deep, lasting and very healing,emotion.
For Laughter to work to that same level it must have Joy within it. If our wonderful comedians of the world and organisations that use laughter as their main healing tool can mix Joy within the framework of that laughter - we have a great healing tool that will reach to the very depths of our Soul. Laughter by itself is forgotten once the laughter stops - it is momentary - but Joy is everlasting..... Bring the two together and what a wonderful healing tool!
Much happiness to all
Liz - Panetta Healing
