Happy Valentine's Day!

As you read this, I am in Palm Springs, CA for a couple of days for a meeting. Some of you are probably saying "lucky girl" but I'm one of those odd people that prefers the cold! I figure the cold preserves me longer! At least, that's my story!! But I do love to travel -- even these days -- so I'm looking forward to it.

In keeping with this "season of the heart," this month's article is Laughter (and Breathing) is the Best Medicine written by Andree-Maryse Duvalsaint. The tip in this article will help you keep your mind, body and spirit healthy. Read on and enjoy!

Until next month -- breath deeply and laugh often!

Happy Valentine's Day.

P.S. Almost 50% of the newsletters that were emailed to AOL addresses bounced back. To make sure it gets through your spam filter, please add AgeWiseLiving@mail.vresp.com to the address book in your email program.

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ARTICLE: LAUGHTER (& BREATHING) IS THE BEST MEDICINE

Let me start by stating the obvious. Caregivers are under a great deal of stress and at risk for burnout. Burnout occurs when we give too much of ourselves over time without enough replenishing. The good news is in this age of wellness and self-care there are also options to manage the stress in our lives and they don't have to cost a thing.

Let's first identify what stress is just so we are on the same page. Stress is a response by your body to any demand made on it. It is what you experience when you believe you can't cope effectively with a perceived threatening situation. This means you experience stress whenever you are faced with an event or situation that you perceive as challenging to your ability to cope.

Some activities that combat the negative effects of stress are actually free! I consider these techniques to be some of the tools for finding happiness. Yes, you can actually find your happiness.

Finding positive ways to let off some steam could help you live a longer life. In a recent study of caregivers, chronic stress appeared to depress the immune systems function, opening the door to aging and disease. Believe it or not, people who laugh on a regular basis are healthier! Learning to react to stressful situations with a sense of humor instead of letting stress fester may help you maintain your good health.

First it requires learning how to breathe.

OK, so you have been breathing all of your life, longer then you remember but you may have been doing a lot of bad breathing. Breathing comes in many forms. Some of you are chest and shoulder breathers, bringing air into your lungs by expanding your chest cavity and raising your shoulders. Or you might be breath holders, stopping your breathing entirely when distracted or lost in thought. These are inefficient and stress-producing forms of breathing. Under negative stress your breathing patterns deteriorate even more. Changing the way you breathe will change the way you feel. Remind yourself that it doesn't have to be done exactly "right" or with perfection. Give yourself room to experiment with your breathing and don't overdo it. If you have been breathing inefficiently for years it will take some time to make some changes.

Here is a form of deep breathing that should put you in a more relaxed state:

1. Sitting up straight, keeping your shoulders from slouching inhale slowly through your nostrils, taking in a very deep diaphragmatic breath, filling your lungs and filling your cheeks.
   
2. Hold that breath for about six seconds
   
3. Gently and slowly exhale through your slightly parted lips; release all the air in your lungs
   
4. Pause at the end of this exhalation. Now take a few "normal" breaths.
   
5. Repeat . . . often!

The second tool is laughter.

Some of the benefits of laughter are:

• Laughter relaxes tense muscles
• Laughter boosts your immune system
• Laughter exercises muscles in face, diaphragm & abdomen
• Laughter causes body to release the pain fighting hormones endorphins
• Laughter reduces heart rate & blood pressure
• Laughter helps you get some emotional distance from a stressful situation and allows you to see humor in it

Here is an exercise you can do to get your laughter back:

1. Find a laugh partner
2. Face each other
3. Place both feet flat on the ground
4. Grab your Belly
5. Open your eyes real wide
6. Show great big toothy grin and
7. Laugh for 45 seconds
8. Do it again -- and keep doing it!

The more you work on the skill development of laughter, the deeper your laugh, the greater the effect on your attitude. The more ready are to laugh, the deeper you will laugh. The more you do it, the more it will be a part of your life. Change your life by recovering your sense of humor. You will become an agent of relaxation when you share a joke by breaking down inhibitions, uniting others. Go ahead find your laugh partner and laugh!

Andree-Maryse Duvalsaint, LCSW, is a graduate of Columbia University School of Social Work. She is a licensed certified social worker and has been practicing pysychotherapy for over sixteen years. Ms. Duvalsaint maintains a private practice in the Manhattan called AGAPE MOMENTS, where she provides individual, group and couples therapy. Andree-Maryse enjoys teaching people about using humor as a stress management technique. She loves to laugh and believes in living in the moment.

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