In a previous chapter, I mentioned how important laughter can be when I was discussing the inner child that lives inside us all. Well, that is an understatement. Laughter is actually a necessity for emotional survival in this oh-so-serious and sometimes ridiculously stressful world.

Even though this book is about tickling, laughter is important to have in our lives too, even when tickling is not involved. If we have enough laughter in our lives, we can use it to invite tickling in. If we laugh on a regular basis, we are releasing tons of stress and making ourselves more ticklish and our bodies more open to tickling.

Laughter actually burns calories, is a great form of exercise and a terrific stress reducer.

In fact, one thing that is really necessary in relationships is laughter. Try laughing together. Laughter can help to break the ice and loosen things up. Don’t be so damn adult all the time! Be children. Be youthful and alive again. Laugh! Roll around on the floor or on the bed while you tickle and tease one another. Let all your nervousness out with laughter. Let all your uptight feelings be released with laughter. Had a hard day at work? Laugh it out with your partner. Ask your partner to tickle your feet while they give you a bath. Tickle your partner’s sides and don’t stop until they are laughing hysterically. Even then, there is really no reason to stop, provided the safewords have not been used.

Share your fantasies over a bottle of wine and laugh together. Laughter without tickling is just as important because it can lighten the mood and eventually lead to tickling.

Enjoy the laughter. You should laugh until you feel it deep down inside your gut. Watch a funny movie or an episode of I Love Lucy. Play This Little Piggy and your partner will giggle in ticklish anticipation before you even reach the final toe. Just the thought that they are going to be tickled will cause a smile to form in their brain and on their lips.

I have noticed that some people have responded very negatively to the thought of laughing for no apparent reason or to using laughter as a stress releaser. People like that seem to be very close-minded about laughing for any extended period of time. What I have found is that non-laughing people seem to be extremely uptight and maybe even a bit angry deep down. I believe that angry, uptight people need to be tickled often and need to learn how to laugh more.

It is very torturous for angry, uptight people to be tickled. They just are unable to freely let go, so the tickling forces them to let go. I must admit, I find that to be a big turn-on. With an angry uptight person, laughing is necessary for their release.

Laughter is necessary for everybody’s release. Remember, laughter releases endorphins, relaxing the body and yet stimulating the senses and nerve endings. Laughter before a tickling session can very possibly make a person doubly ticklish. Laughter energizes and relaxes a person at the same time. A more relaxed body with increased nerve ending sensitivity is exactly what tickling needs to truly work its magic.

Some people are more ticklish after they workout. Laughter can actually be a form of exercise. You are actually working your abdominal muscles while you laugh and sometimes your entire body gets a real workout. Laughter can really help an insomniac fall asleep, especially if they laugh a lot right before going to sleep.

I am going to give you my friend Tyler’s personal cure for insomnia.

Insomnia can definitely be a sign that we are not in touch with our inner tickle and that there is unreleased energy inside of us. Sometimes before we go to sleep, we need a good physical release of all that energy that tickles us inside. Sure, a workout might help some people, but Tyler’s idea is also a workout in a sense.

Now of course, a good tickling session is a great way to release enough endorphins to get a good night’s sleep, but if tickling is not available, try this idea that Tyler came up with.

Here is Tyler’s way of releasing his inner tickle before he goes to sleep, so that he can relax and let go.

Tyler is a writer like myself and is often unable to sleep. He says that his inspiration has been churning inside of him every evening, starting at around 10 pm and going straight through to morning. His heart pounds, his pulse races, in short, he is one restless creative night owl. It feels as though there is this fire inside him, tickling the bottoms of his feet with its taunting flame.

He finally let go one night and allowed his creative energy to materialize as laughter. He laughed so hard, he thought somebody would hear him and complain. He recorded himself laughing on a tape recorder. When he can’t sleep at night or he feels tense, he plays the tape back and listens to himself laughing hysterically. In his brain, the memories of the feelings that brought on the original laughter are triggered. The sound of his own laughter pushes him right back into hysteria, every time he plays that tape.

He told me that it sometimes feels as though he is being tickled from within and it makes him laugh even more. He laughs for about 10 to 15 minutes and then he falls asleep from exhaustion. The laughter actually tickles him and causes a feeling of euphoria, as if he has taken a Valium. He feels a nice mellow high and totally released from stress. No drugs are needed, just old-fashioned laughter and his inner tickle keep it going long enough for him to let go and go to sleep.

He has actually been able to sleep again, without taking medication. That is a huge deal for Tyler because he couldn’t get to sleep without medication for quite a long time. I recommend recording yourself laughing hysterically and listening to it before going to bed, with the hope that it will trigger more laughter and a good night’s sleep.

Having laughter in your life will definitely add to your tickling experiences. It will also add to your life in general and promote good health by helping you release energy that must come out in order to sleep well and find a sense of inner peace and well-being.

We all know laughter is healthy. It releases cortisol, which is a stress hormone. We need to get rid of all that extra cortisol that is building up in our systems from all of the worry and stress. Cortisol can weaken our immune systems. We need laughter to help us give our immune systems a natural boost. It is something joyous and fun. Tickling is also joyous and fun. Laughter and tickling entwined is simply one of the most delightful experiences you can have with a partner.

Copyright © 2015 Veronica Frances