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'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