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March/April 2007 Living Now
Laughing Your Way to Enlightenment

Does enlightenment have to be so serious?

Vanda, a self-proclaimed spiritual quantum comic, doesn’t think so.

“What if God is irreverent?” she muses in an online video clip. Using the knowledge, wisdom and nonsense she’s acquired from influences including Eckhart Tolle, What the Bleep Do We Know? and A Course in Miracles, she offers powerful spiritual distinctions in a ridiculously funny way that leave the audience empowered and inspired.

Vanda’s pithy take on the personal search for meaning includes insight from the well-known: “Ram Dass says, ‘If you think you’re enlightened, try visiting your family for a week.’”

Vanda Mikoloski began her stand-up comedy career in 1982 at Catch a Rising Star in New York City. She’s appeared on Showtime's "Comedy Club Network” and Lifetime Network's “Girl's Night Out.” As a yoga and meditation teacher, she toured with award-winning country artists The Dixie Chicks, as well as with rock sensation Patty Griffin. Most recently, Vanda co-wrote the film “Enlighten Up!” which won a prize at the ElevateFilmFestival.com.

Quantum physics can be funny, even when you’re pulled over for speeding: “Yes, officer, there was a Vanda going 85 mph in a 55 mph. But there's also a Vanda going 55 in an 85. There's a speed of light Vanda. There's the perfectly still Vanda. There are many, many Vandas, officer. You just collapsed the wave function on the wrong Vanda, that's all.”

Vanda performs on March 10 at 8 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center at Clatsop Community College in Astoria. Advance tickets are available for $12 (price good through March 3) at www.vanda.us or at Healing Haven Bookstore, 433 13th St. in Astoria. Tickets are $15 at the door. For details, call 503-470-9463.

Vanda was voted the “Funniest Person in Washington” in Showtime’s “Funniest Person in America” contest, so don’t miss her on March 21 when she appears at Seattle’s Hugo House.

– Cathy McGuire