BELLY LAUGHTER IN RELATIONSHIPS

Psychology/ Relationships/Self Help

Want A Lifetime of Love?

The secret ingredient in love is laughter. In this informative and sensible book, Enda Junkins, a renowned relationship expert who specializes in Laughter Therapy, provides all the important information needed to keep laughter and love in relationships. The book explores all the serious aspects of relationships from a lighter point of view and shows how couples that laugh together develop vital, life-long friendships in which they never fall out of love.

You will discover:

How to keep laughing and having fun with your partner.

How and why laughter is vital for long lasting, loving relationships.

How to utilize laughter and humor to achieve effective communication.

How to use laughter to tolerate behavior.

How to use laughter to ease, enrich, and revitalize the four issues of sex, money, children, and housework.

How to laugh to maintain a relationship with a serious partner.

"Belly Laughter in Relationships shows that love may make the world go
‘round, but laughter keeps us from getting dizzy! Enda helps us look at the
love-laughter link while learning ways to transform "serious relationships"
into relationships that last with laughter." -- Dr. Joel Goodman, Director, The
Humor Project, Inc.

“It has been said that laughter is the best medicine. As this innovative book so delightfully
demonstrates, it is also one of the best prescriptions for making relationships last.” -- Allen Klein,
author of The Healing Power of Humor and The Courage to Laugh

“Belly Laughter in Relationships is a unique and revolutionary book. It takes the issues in relationships,
fills them with laughter and voila! We have friendships for lifetime. --Lilly Walters, Executive Director,
Walters International Speakers Bureau

"Laughter Therapy has brought a renewed life and excitement in our relationship and marriage."--Darlene
and Larry.

Author:
Enda Junkins is one of America’s leading experts and professional speakers on Laughter Therapy.
She is also a marital expert with over thirty years experience and has been featured on numerous radio
and television shows nationally and internationally. Enda lives and laughs in Dallas, Texas.

This book is for people who want relationships that last—full of love and full of laughter.
What is your relationship full of?

________________________________________________________________________

If you don’t learn to laugh at trouble,

you won’t have anything to laugh at when you grow old.

--Pat McManus

________________________________________________________________________

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter One- Belly Laughter in Relationships: Something Else Positive Below the Belt
The Importance of Laughter in Relationships

· Laughter Is Part of Attraction · Laughter Puts Us Intensely in the Moment · Laughter Is Marvelous for Love · Laughter Makes It Easier to Cope · Laughter Helps You Enjoy Life More · Laughter Eases Conflict · Laughter Adds Enjoyment to Ordinary Things · Laughter and Humor Are Different · In Laughter We Are Not Alone · Exercise—Belly Laughter for Couples ·

Chapter Two- In Our Face
Using Laughter to Handle the Power Struggle

· Laughter and Fun Are Essential in Relationships · The Biological Love Bug · Bonding Through Laughter and Touch · We Seek to Be Whole · We Need to Resolve Old Issues · We Love Because It’s Fun · What Happens to All the Fun? · The Power Struggle for Love · We Can Be Playful While Seeking the Love We Need · The Fight for Happiness · Yelling Is Telling · Silence Is a Golden Opportunity · Let Me Tell You · "Love Without Lunacy Is Impossible" · Hello Mother, Hello Father · Laughter and Play in a Serious Relationship · "If You Take Life Too Seriously, You’ll Never Get Out Alive" · Exercise—On Our Face ·

Chapter Three- Dance With the One Who Brung You
Using Laughter to Cope with Patterns of Behavior

· The Survival Pattern · The Mind Says Work It Out · The Determined Ones · Identifying Patterns Can Be the Key · The Patterns of Childhood · Frozen Needs · Identifying a Pattern · Playing With Patterns · Exercise—Laughter Affirmation for Couples ·

Chapter Four- Talking, Talking Happy Talk
Using Laughter to Improve Communication

· What Happens to the Happy Talk? · Communication Is Learned · The Dilemma of Expression—Thoughts or Feelings? · Playful Ways to Communicate · Criticism Ain’t No Way to Communicate Feelings · The Importance of Listening · Resistance to Change · Reflect This! · I Love You—What Do You Mean? · Don’t Assume! You’ll ASS-U-ME!?! · SPEAK UP, MY DEAR, SPEAK UP · Exercise—Speak to Me! Tell Me! Duh, What? ·

Chapter Five- In the Big Inning There Were Sex, Money, Children, and Housework
Using Laughter to Cope with the Four Major Issues in Relationships

· Whipped Cream, Silly String, and Sex · In for a Penny, In for a Pound · Hanging from the Family Tree · A Maid! A Maid! Our Kingdom for a Maid! · Exercise—Pla-a-ay Ball!! ·

Chapter Six-You Can’t Rain on My Parade
Laughter in a Relationship with a Serious Partner

· Living with a Serious Partner · The Search for Laughter Reborn · Focus on Your Own Laughter · Laughter Doesn’t Change the Facts— It Changes the Way We Relate to the Facts · A Relationship Is Possible When Only One Person Laughs · Exercise—Liberated Laughing ·

Chapter Seven Laugh Together Each Day and Your Partner Will Stay
A Daily Laughter Workout Plus Additional Laughter Exercises for Specific Issues

· The Weekly Laughter Workout · Fill Yourself with Laughter · Laughter Training to Laugh More · Hump Day · I Love You When You Are Irritating · The Laughter Sanctuary · The Laughter Reflection · Toning Up Your Week · Tools, Glorious Tools, More Tools · Laughing and Loving · Laugh Along With Me · We Laugh Because We Hurt · Face Off · The Bullet Point Tantrum · Personal Advisor · Talk To Me, Baby · Love Letters with a Twist · Little Bitty Notes of Love · Thank You, Thank You, Thank You · Exaggerate Your Needs · I Need You · Sh-h-h-h, You Can’t Talk About Sex · Silly Sex · Mister, Can You Spare a Dime? · Just You and Me and Baby Makes Three · Have Fun · What You Practice Is What You Become · All Good Things Must End ·

More about the Author

Enda Junkins is one of the country’s leading authorities and foremost speakers on Laughter Therapy. She has spent over thirty years laughing and counseling with others. Enda has personally interviewed hundreds of singles and couples, listening closely to their issues in relationships. For the last twelve years, she has focused on laughter in therapy and developed effective, lighthearted laughter techniques for people to integrate into their lives and relationships.

Enda received her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Baylor University and a Master in Social Work Degree from the University of Illinois. She has applied her professional skills in the practice of psychotherapy for adults and adolescents.

In the past twelve years, Enda has spoken on Laughter Therapy to thousands of people. She has brought her laughter approach into the workplace for issues with stress, communication, employee retention, and as a motivational coach. She has also encouraged the need for more laughter in relationships and has developed the tools to provide it.

Enda has produced three videotapes on laughter and has authored The Belly Laughter Workbook for couples.

Enda has lived and laughed in Dallas, Texas for thirty years. She aspires to leave the Texas heat one day in order to live in the mountains of southwest Colorado. She is an enthusiastic sailor and enjoys the challenge of "jeeping" the mountains around Ouray, Colorado. She is an avid "Star Trek" fan and deeply regrets the fact that she will never go into outer space. She remains firmly "grounded" in her speaking, writing, and psychotherapy practice, all of which she enjoys.

Enda’s products may be purchased at PO Box 684, Ouray, Colorado 81427, 970-325-0050, or at www.laughtertherapy.com.

What Others Are Saying About Belly Laughter in Relationships

"Enda Junkins manages to take a serious topic like relationships and remind us that laughter came first...at birth... and then we connect with others. Through her writings, couples can learn how laughter can create a level of acceptance to bond them through the good times and restore them through the difficult times. Sprinkled with anecdotes, this book is a breakthrough in understanding the art of laughing from the belly with one another." –Lynn Shaw, MSW, LCSW

"Belly Laughter in Relationships shows that love may make the world go ‘round, but laughter keeps us from getting dizzy! Enda helps us look at the love-laughter link while learning ways to transform "serious relationships" into relationships that last with laughter." -- Dr. Joel Goodman, Director, The Humor Project, Inc., Saratoga Springs, New York

"In my pediatric practice approximately fifty per cent of my patients live in single parent homes. Any approach to lessen the stress of growing up under these circumstances is welcome; Enda Junkins takes a very pleasant look at resolving differences, enjoying life, and keeping relationships fun and vital. Using humor daily with specific exercises may seem forced, but if you’d like to add some laughter to conflict resolution, what better way to communicate with your partner? –Eric J. Ruby, M.D., Board Certified Pediatrician

In Belly Laughter in Relationships, Enda Junkins provides an innovative approach for couples to revitalize their relationships. Her creative Laughter Therapy techniques and problem-solving methods not only provide practical solutions to helping couples resolve conflicts but, also, greatly enhance their ability to build healthy committed relationships. This book will provide insight for both professionals and couples. Patrick Tiner, LMSW-ACP, Director, EAP Services, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

"Laughter was one of the reasons we fell in love, thanks for reminding us! –Helen and Mark.

"It has been said that laughter is the best medicine. As this innovative book so delightfully demonstrates, it is also one of the best prescriptions for making relationships last." -- Allen Klein, author of The Healing Power of Humor and The Courage to Laugh

"Belly Laughter in Relationships is a unique and revolutionary book. It takes the issues in relationships, fills them with laughter and voila! We have friendships for a lifetime. Enda Junkins provides a thoughtful discussion of the power of laughter in relationships --Lilly Walters, Executive Director, Walters International Speakers Bureau and Best Selling Author: Secrets of Superstar Speakers (McGraw-Hill)

"...a delightful witty, yet insightful book, that offers couples a most important key to the happiness everyone seeks while growing together in an intimate relationship." Dr. Keith A. Robinson, President, Health Media Network, L.L.C.

"Enda’s counseling and guidance in Laughter Therapy has brought renewed life and excitement in our relationship and marriage. We have learned new and successful ways to express our true feelings about serious issues and to refocus our energy on our relationship by applying Laughter Therapy techniques. Laughter Therapy has also allowed us to gain a better understanding of ourselves as individuals and as a couple." –Darlene and Larry.

"Belly Laughter in Relationships is one of the only self help books that gets of the real "heart" of the matter, putting fun back into your relationship. The tools that Laughter Therapy teaches you makes it easy to "Fit Fun" into your busy schedule. We would highly recommend Belly Laughter for any couple serious about improving their relationship." –Jeff and Heidi.

"Belly Laughter in Relationships was the perfect book for me to read as I embarked on a new relationship. It reminded me I was making a friend, to find joy in it, and to let the other stuff go. It was a beautiful way to start something and avoid sabotaging in the old way" –Laura.

"Laughter Therapy really works! When I add humor to the situation, it gives me the proper perspective on the issues I face in my relationships. When your world looks out of control and your problems seem larger than life, I recommend you try "tee hee" and "doodah." Randy.