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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Klamath County drug enforcement team revived due to increased trafficking ... Gem along the river ... Hi-fi hunters gather for Grants Pass Record Convention ... Klamath County drug enforcement team revived due to increased trafficking ... Gem along the river ... Hi-fi hunters gather for Grants Pass Record Convention ... COMEDY Swami Beyondananda takes seriousness humorously Comment By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 18, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 18, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News "There's no better way to access your higher self than through levity," says comic Swami Beyondananda. "Gravity will only bring you down." Called the "Mark Twain of our times," Beyondananda, aka Steve Bhaerman, is not only a wiseguy, but a wise man. His drive-your-karma, curb-your-dogma school of political and spiritual humor faces the gravity of our times with a most effective weapon: jocularity. Swami Beyondananda will present his show, “Wake Up Laughing,” at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 19, at the Unitarian Fellowship, 87 Fourth St., Ashland. Tickets are $20 in advance and can be purchased online at stclairevents.com , at Music Coop, 268 E. Main St., or by calling 541-535-3562. Tickets will be $22 at the door; $10 for ages 12 through 17. Kids 11 and younger get in free. Billed as “one of the biggest names in comedy” — Beyondananda alone has 12 letters — Bhaerman keeps audiences in hysterics with his mix of word play, seriously funny commentary and playful silliness. “I studied in the Punjab,” he says in a press release. "There I learned the language of word play, or 'punjabber.' We have a deeply divided body politic. Half the population believes our elections are broken, the other half believes they are fixed.” During the comic's second set, he takes questions from the audience and may, at any given time, channel George Gershwin’s song for peace in the Middle East, the late Richie Valens’ message to President Obama or healing messages from beyond from the likes of Bobby Darin and Sam Cooke. “If you have an answerable question, the Swami will have a questionable answer for you,” Bhaerman says. Since 2005, Bhaerman has written a political blog with a spiritual perspective, "Notes From the Trail," hailed as an encouraging voice "in the bewilderness." His newest book — written with cellular biologist Bruce H. Lipton — is "Spontaneous Evolution: Our Positive Future and a Way to Get There From Here" (Hay House, 2009). As Swami Beyondananda, he is the author of "Driving Your Own Karma" (1989), "When You See a Sacred Cow, Milk it for All it's Worth" (1993), "Duck Soup for the Soul" (1999) and "Swami for Precedent: A Seven-Step Plan to Heal the Body Politic and Cure Electile Dysfunction" (2004). Bhaerman started an alternative high school in Washington, D.C., and co-wrote a book about his experiences, "No Particular Place to Go: Making of a Free High School." A political science major, he later taught history to autoworkers at Wayne State University in Detroit as part of the Weekend College. In 1980, Bhaerman co-founded Pathways Magazine in Ann Arbor, Mich., one of the first publications to bring together holistic health, personal growth, spirituality and politics. Subsequent to Pathways, Bhaerman was a freelance writer and co-wrote "Friends and Lovers: How to Meet the People You Want to Meet" (Writer's Digest Books, 1986). Bhaerman’s show is designed to help audiences take humor more seriously so they can take seriousness more humorously. “Laughter is a transformational tool that used wisely can bring not just physical healing, but emotional release, mental flexibility and spiritual perspective," he says. "A sense of humor is always mentioned as a desirable trait in a partner or a mate. Humor used the right way magnetizes positive energy and uplifts everyone in its field." Can a sense of humor be learned? Bhaerman's experience tells us it can be cultivated and practiced. Whatever your profession, calling, or “work of heart,” a healthy sense of humor will make your pursuit of happiness happier. As you lighten up, you will enlighten up all those you come in contact with, he says. By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 18, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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