Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Natural Medicine Of Humor Lets You Perform Just Like Mary Lou Retton

Do you remember watching a great gymnast, like Mary Lou Retton? You've never seen such amazing ability to flip and twist in the air. And then, after all the mid-air gyrations and a fancy dismount, she lands squarely on her feet.

Except when she doesn't.

You've seen what Mary Lou Retton does when she lands off balance, right? She tries to maintain a precarious off balance "freeze," with her arms spread, and a big grin. She strikes a pose as if to say, "I meant to do that!"

You don't think the judges are fooled by that, do you? Me neither. But it's a great model for all of us and it invokes the natural medicine of humor.

Well, we all land off balance like that sometimes. Especially when you are incorporating something new, like humor, into all areas of your life. Sooner or later you do or say something embarrassing.

During such moments, you could attack yourself. But I want you to try something else; I want you to adopt the "Mary Lou Retton." Which means you tell yourself, "I meant to do that!"

The "Mary Lou Retton" amounts to being kinder to yourself. Which reinforces my Fun Commandment of Taking Yourself Lightly. And, if you allow yourself more slack in this way, you will soon find yourself becoming more tolerant of others as well.

Tolerance and kindness are, after all, always welcome in our social interactions and their roots can be traced right to your humor nature!


Cliff Kuhn, M.D.
The Laugh Doctor
"it all starts with a SMILE"

The Natural Medicine of Humor
"Discover a unique, FREE, and incredibly powerful prescription created out of desperation by a (formerly) stressed-out Kentucky psychiatrist"

The Blog Directory

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Wednesday, January 11, 2006

The Natural Medicine Of Humor Can Take You To Zen

A friend of mine, recently retired, told me he signed up at our community college for a course in meditation. I told him that was better than him sitting around and doing nothing!

Meditation rests your brain, right? But do you find it difficult to sit still for extended periods of time?

I have good knews for you! Did you know that laughter gives your brain a vacation? Sounds wild, but it's true. Once again, the natural medicine of humor provides your health a big boost.

I've watched the rate of cerebral blood flow using PET scans. When you are sad or crying, your brain works overtime. When you laugh, however, your brain doesn't work as hard.

If fact, when you laugh your PET scan looks the same as if you are in a deep state of meditation or relaxation. Yes...it turns out that laughter is both a natural medicine and a mini-meditation for your brain.

And frequent bursts of laughter add up, over time, to have the same effect as lengthy meditation. So break out your favorite humor props and get enlightened with the most fun form of meditation known to humankind!


Cliff Kuhn, M.D.
The Laugh Doctor
"it all starts with a SMILE"

The Natural Medicine of Humor
"Discover a unique, FREE, and incredibly powerful prescription created out of desperation by a (formerly) stressed-out Kentucky psychiatrist"

The Blog Directory

Listed on Blogwise

Saturday, January 07, 2006

Humor's Natural Medicine Kicks In When You Merely Have The Right Attitude

A subtle shift in your attitude is all that is required to experience the boundless energy of the natural medicine of humor.

An attitude of willingness...of lightness...is all that is necessary. This attitude is more subtle, yet more pervasive, than a posture of "always joking around." It communicates receptivity, flexibility, and a trusting fondness for the human spirit.

Even when outright laughter is not particularly welcome of appropriate, the attitude of lightness and kindness usually is.

You see...creating an atmosphere for fun all around you is the goal. Establishing this atmosphere is much more important than laughing to experience the amazing natural medicine of humor. Not everything that's fun, after all, is funny!

Fun can mean the simple appreciation of a sunset, a beautiful passage of music, or a baby's precious smile. None of these events need provoke outright laughter - yet they are positive experiences that contribute to your health.

Even a slight shift in your attitude in the direction of indulging your sense of humor, permitting your childlike playfulness to emerge, will produce massive influxes of the natural medicine of humor. Make this a deliberate goal and prove it to yourself today.

Cliff Kuhn, M.D.
The Laugh Doctor
"it all starts with a SMILE"

The Natural Medicine of Humor
"Discover a unique, FREE, and incredibly powerful prescription created out of desperation by a (formerly) stressed-out Kentucky psychiatrist"

The Blog Directory

Listed on Blogwise

Monday, January 02, 2006

How To Use The Natural Medicine Of Humor To Distinguish Between Healthy And Unhealthy Humor

Healthy humor will make you healthy. Unheathly humor will make you...well...sick.

Healthy humor is usually more subtle and gentle. It occurs naturally. Unhealthy humor, since it is based on a lie (the lie that we are different from one another), must be contrived and more forcefully set up.

To exploit the apparent differences between us, unhealthy humor must distract you from a basic truth, which is that we are all a lot more alike than different.

The good news is that since healthy humor reflects the truth, it is more abundant. It is all around us. Healthy humor is like an undercurrent that runs through everything.

You need only train yourself to become more aware of it and receptive to it. Furthermore, since it is healthy humor that you are seeking, you can drop some of your apprehensions and reluctance based on the fear that your laughter will be offensive or painful to others.

Hopefully, this will increase your willingness and freedom to dip into the natural medicine of humor, moving you closer to my prescribed thirty minutes a day of laughter.


Cliff Kuhn, M.D.
The Laugh Doctor
"it all starts with a SMILE"

The Natural Medicine of Humor
"Discover a unique, FREE, and incredibly powerful prescription created out of desperation by a (formerly) stressed-out Kentucky psychiatrist"

The Blog Directory

Listed on Blogwise