"The best blush to use is laughter: It put roses in your cheeks and in your soul."

Linda Knight

We all know the old adage that "Laugher is the best medicine" - but what does that mean, actually?

Well, research has shown that laughing can help in:

• lowering blood pressure

• reducing stress hormones

• increasing muscle flexibility

• boosting immune function

• triggering the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers

• producing a general sense of well-being.

The most famous case of laughing away illness is that of Norman Cousins who took that quote literally and set out to heal himself of a serious chronic disease by laughing at favourite comedy shows. He stated that ten minutes of laughing gave him two hours of drug-free pain relief.

In fact the positive effects of laughter have been recognized to the point that now there are certified laughter coaches (my favourite laughter coach website is: http://www.laughtercoach.com. Just going there will make you smile!)

Cheryl Oberg of the Canadian Association for Therapeutic Humour states that children naturally laugh over 300 times a day, but as adults we only laugh about eight times a day. We need to raise the bar a little here!

So, what's a good way to start laughing?

• watch small children and listen to their conversations

• watch a funny movie with friends (go for some good old fashioned Charlie Chaplin, "I Love Lucy" or Laurel and Hardy)

• read author's that help you see the funny side of things, like Erma Bombeck, Liz Curtis Higgins, or Bill Cosby

• next time something embarrassing happens to you, force yourself to laugh about it instead of getting mad (don't know about you, but I have LOTS of opportunities to practice this!)

• reminisce about funny events in your own past, and share them with others

• find folks that make you laugh and keep company with them

• if you're desperate, just start going "Ha! Ha! Ha!" for a good 5 minutes as loud as you can. If it doesn't make you laugh, it might count as good primal scream therapy which might also help!

• simply keep your eyes and ears tuned for funny events.

Well, there's a good list to get you started. You could also check into something like a laughter coach if you're really stuck.

Laughter is not only good for your own soul, but being a bringer of laughter to others can be a huge blessing if you can learn to use it with sensitivity and discretion.

I wish you joy!

Darlene Hull

About the Author: Darlene Hull is the creator of the free "Mom-Defrazzler tool - 52 Tips for Moms to get from Chaos to Calm in One Year" and the "Merry Moms" newsletter, a weekly humour e-zine to help moms defrazzle with laughter. You can download this tool and newsletter on her website at http://www.mom-defrazzler.com .

Source: www.isnare.com