Savvy Women

I’m so pleased to be blogging about Dr. Madan Kataria and his worldwide initiative to bring peace, joy, sociability, and good health to the world. After watching a ton of videos about the good doctor in recent days, I’m thoroughly convinced that he should be the next recipient of the Nobel Prize for (Inner) Peace.

Dr. Kataria is a Mumbai-based physician who has conducted research on the physiological and psychological benefits of laughter. In 1995, in the midst of his studies on this subject, he had an epiphany: He wanted to start his very own Laughter Club where he could practice something that would later come to be called “Laughter Yoga.” Soon thereafter, he began meeting in a park with a handful of devotees and fellow practitioners. Now, a decade and a half after those humble beginnings, there are thousands of such clubs located in all parts of the world. As a result of this global craze, Dr. Kataria has become the Guru of Giggles and spends most of his time traveling the world over serving as the Head Honcho Consultant of Silliness and Guffaws.

I had a hard time choosing a video for this blog because there was such a wealth to choose from. In the end, I picked one featuring Nili Dor HaElla, a trained Laughter Therapist who resides in Israel. I decided on this clip mostly because she does such a good job explaining the health benefits of laughter.

Like I said, there are dozens of videos readily available on this subject, so if this one floated your boat, you might want to check out this.

Oh, by the way, May 2nd has been named World Laughter Day. In response, Dr. Kataria has penned a lovely message.

Dear SWM Blog Readers,

My return flight to Cairo is scheduled for the wee hours of Tuesday, the twenty-fifth of August, which means that I’m in the last day or so of this year’s summertime visit with family and friends in Texas.

This particular trip back home was very eventful, and thus hectic, especially toward the end, mostly because there was a last-minute family emergency that has been of great concern.  Etta Merle Hausenfluck, my maternal grandmother, a woman I’ve always called “Memaw” (doesn’t that sound southern?) and someone I’ve mentioned in these blogs, has had a couple of mild strokes.  As a result, I’ve been staying with her, at her country home, and mostly off the Internet.  I suppose this is a very convoluted way of saying that I’ve been unable to put together a new blog for this week.  For that, I apologize.

Soon, though, I’ll be back at “home” in Cairo and the blogging will come easier since I’ll no longer be living on the highway or out of a suitcase as I have been doing these past several weeks.

Before I wrap this up, I would like to mention a book I’m currently reading.  It’s called Carnal Acts, a collection of personal essays by Nancy Mairs, a writer of great courage who candidly discusses, especially in the piece “Carnal Acts,” what it’s like to be a middle-aged American woman stricken with multiple sclerosis, an illness Nancy Mairs has been living with for nearly two decades.

When I bought this book, about a week or so ago now, I had no idea how apropos it would be given my grandmother’s current situation.  The book deals with the subject of illness and limitation, but not in a maudlin way.  It’s the sort of book my grandmother should read, but that wouldn’t be her way.  For as long as I can remember now, my grandmother has been more a woman of action than reflection, so reading is mostly not her cup of tea.

I’ll miss you Memaw.  I’ll miss everyone…

Troy