The Energy Healing of Humor (Along with Some “Funny” Jokes)

My son Gabe thinks I have an elementary school brand of humor. Adult humor flies over my head. Give me the stuff of my childhood—a few jokes which I’ll share within a few paragraphs—and I’m cracking up.

The good news is that no matter what we think is funny, every time we chuckle, laugh, grin, or break down into a gasp, we’re giving ourselves an energy healing. That’s right! Look at these stats:

• Mirth boosts your immune cells and reduces stress hormones
• A hearty laugh boosts endorphins, a painkiller
• Laughter improves blood flow, which is good for your heart
• Hello more hormones, like dopamine (reward), serotonin (good mood), and oxytocin (love)
• And it’s good exercise, really. Stanford University discovered that a belly laugh is like jogging. If you laugh 100 times a day you’re performing the same muscle movement as ten minutes of rowing.

So now I’m going to treat you to a few jokes. Any of these can qualify as a Tuesday Tip assignment. I’ll explain why these are funny to me and your assignment. Read through each and make yourself laugh at least once. Then I’ll give you another idea.

As a background, the reason that my son doesn’t think I’m funny is that I love doing

Norwegian stand-up when I’m teaching. The problem is that Norwegians aren’t funny, so it’s best if I sit down, and you too, when you read my jokes.

I am 100 percent Norwegian, so that’s one of my excuses. The other one is that whenever my mother was driving around running errands or going to lessons when we were kids, we listened to the Boone & Erickson Radio Show (yup, they were Norwegians). They loved telling Ole and Lena jokes. (Those are Norwegian names.) They feature Ole acting stupid while Lena makes fun of him.

There is my favorite version of the light bulb joke.

Lena asks Ole why he isn’t changing the light bulb in the ceiling and he responds, “Because I need four more guys to move the ladder around while I hold in the new bulb.”

Then there is the funeral joke.

On his deathbed, Ole tries to sneak a few of Lena’s white sugar cookies. (By the way, most Norwegian food is white. Think lefse, lutefisk, mashed potatoes…indicative of snow, I’m sure.) She slaps his hand.

“Those are for after the funeral.”

Those of us dedicated to healing and intuition would gain a lot by mirroring the comedic relief of these Norwegian American staples. Why not take a break from all the consciousness seriousness with a few of these snappy snippets from a spiritual version of Ole and Lena?

Why did Ole go to jail?
Because he threw Lena’s protection crystal at someone asking him for directions; as everyone knows, you’re only supposed to listen to the guides.

Why did Ole get lost for four days after Lena taught him how to meditate?
Because she told him to “empty his mind” and it took a while to “find himself” again.

Why was Ole happy that his good-for-nothing son was meditating?
Because it was better than sitting around and doing nothing.

What did Ole give Lena for her birthday?
Eyeshadow for her Third Eye.

Now, your Tuesday Tip.

For an ENTIRE DAY, so maybe you must start this in the morning, imagine that you’re putting on your Humor Eyeglasses. Then look at anything as if it’s funny. Don’t mock or make fun of people, it’s more about laughing with or because. Pay attention to how much less stressed you feel by early evening.

Then I’d love to give you another idea.

Write a joke. Go one. You can borrow Ole and Lena; they are easy patsies. And make sure you tell it to someone. If they don’t laugh, make sure that you do anyway.