Laughter is a Celebration

Day 126: May 6
In The Year of Living Honestly
In The Quarter of: Education
In The Month of: Celebration

The day after World Labyrinth Day is World Laughter Day. This international day has been around longer than World Labyrinth Day, originating in 1998 and in this year celebrates its 20th Anniversary, always annually on the first Sunday of May.  For years I held events on both Saturday and Sunday for World Labyrinth Day and World Laughter Day and often used the labyrinth for both days as having a focus on the labyrinth is what brought a focus for the last decade of laughter as well.

Spending ten days in Chartres, France in 2006 on study and retreat, there was always laughter around our group and it grew each day spilling out into the Chartres cathedral during one quiet walk. It began among two of us and quickly infected everyone else. It brought a real focus that perhaps as facilitators, we all might be taking our level of reverence and respect a little too seriously.  From that day forth the labyrinth held a sense of humanity, reality and freedom to be more honest with myself and offer up its wonders with reality.

On this day, laughter creates a celebration for the voice. When we breathe in and laugh out we can improve our ability to extend exhalation and release much of what is built up inside. The more we laugh, the better it feels and the more socially connected we can become with others. Each year I have created and posted a design for Google’s doodles (at the top of the labyrinth in the picture) since 2008 in the hopes that one year they would use it for World Laughter  Day. Imagine the world waking up, opening their browsers and on display is the Google logo dressed up as giggle, the likelihood of a laugh is sure to induce a smile or a moment of mirth. In that moment, we can appreciate the world in a happier place…. when you’re glad you can’t be sad or mad… laughter is a simple method for World Peace.

On this 125th day…
Breathe in as you walk your steps on the labyrinth today and as you traverse the length of pathway in between turns, release your breath with a laugh. As you turn inhale and repeat and by the time you find the center, you will find your center and reason for celebration.

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May’s Focus: Celebration

Life is a celebration to explore in the next 31 days. With the idea of walking the labyrinth and its tri-focus on releasing, receiving and reflecting, let’s shift the perspective to one that walks in with appreciation, finds the honest realization from each day and walks out in celebration.  Observe what 31 days of this focus might reflect and how it elevates our life condition.

Four focus points to expand your celebration of this month’s experience:

1. Share your ideas, in your personal experiences, how you share the labyrinth with others, art, design or method of construction or in other ways that it may be utilized. Let others know about this daily experience and opportunity by sharing it. Find us on this blog and on the Labyrinth Societies Facebook page
2. Join our Mid Month Dialogues on May 15th at 2pm CST for a lively look at what you have created and will create in the idea of celebration. This month’s theme was a direct result of our last month’s Mid Month Dialogue!
3. Participate in the daily opportunity of this educational focus of  your personal journey, how you lead, teach or share with others, and what you create for contribution or purpose with this theme.
4. Remember that our theme is about finding our greater capacities, abilities and true realities in being honest with our potential. We focus on what we can do as it is inherently more useful and productive.