15 Shades of Laughter"

By Gay Merrill""

“Hearty laughter is a good way to jog internally without having to go outdoors.”"

--Norman Cousins!"

It starts with the feeling that one corner of your mouth is upturned.!

1

You Smirk"

Next, your mouth widens so that it resembles the shape of an orange wedge.!  A release of endorphins makes you want to dance...but you resist.!

2

You Smile"

You experience a tightening of your facial muscles as your eyes widen and your smile expands.!

3

You Grin"

A soft throaty sound emerges from your tightened lips. (If you try to stifle it, you risk gas buildup.)!

4

You Snicker"

Now you’re half way to laughing. The sound you make is amusing. Any effort you make to suppress the laughter only increases its strength.!

5

You Giggle"

Your chest muscles engage and your pitch deepens.!

6

You Chuckle"

You sound like a cross between Chuckles the Clown and Miss Piggy.!

7

You Chortle"

You emit a full force sound of glee. Head is back and mouth open wide. You might be contagious causing others around you to make similar sounds.!

8

You Laugh"

You sound wicked, but you’re really laughing with a higher pitch.!

9

You Cackle"

Now you’re whole body is set in motion. You stomp your feet, wave your arms, or slap your thighs. Tears of joy stream down your face.!

10

You Guffaw"

You feel like a wolf during a full moon.!

11

You Howl"

You sound like you’ve seen a ghost when you’re really just overcome with hilarity.!

12

You Shriek"

You can’t distinguish your laugh from the sound of a crowd laughing.!

13

You Roar"

You’re on the floor in a fit of laughter.!

14

You Convulse"

You experience the final shade of laughter with flushed cheeks and a sense of elation and renewal.!

15

You Die Laughing"

15  Shades of Laughter Recap"

1 Smirk! 2 Smile! 3 Grin!4 Snicker! 5 Giggle! 6 Chuckle!7 Chortle! 8 Laugh! 9 Cackle!10 Guffaw! 11 Howl! 12 Shriek!13 Roar! 14 Convulse! 15 Die

Laughing!

Credits"Inspiration"Reference: Kuhn, C. (1994). The stages of laughter. Journal of Nursing Jocularity,4(2), 34-35.  "Photos"Slide 8: Flickr/Peter Funnell/Smile!/May 2011 !Slide 10: Flickr/Baxton/What’s So Funny?/Jan 2008!Slide 28: Flickr/John Willis/Laughing Lion-2/Feb 2009!Slide 30: Flickr/Kevin Hamm/ROGL/June 2008!!http://touchofhumor.wordpress.com/"