"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: 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); simply keep your eyes and ears tuned for funny events.

If you need more serious help, you can even take a course on laughter at: www.higher-self-studies.com.

I haven't taken that course but if you do, let me know how if it was good!

Darlene Hull, www.mom-defrazzler.com

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Darlene Hull is a local, ordinary, imperfect mom who sees her mission as helping moms look after themselves so that they can better look after their families. Darlene is married to Tom and has two children ? Simon (12) and Christina (10.5) whom she home schools. You can find out more about her on her website at http://www.mom-defrazzler.com and even download a free "Mom-Defrazzler" while you're there.