by Morgan Bell

Created on: January 19, 2009

A no-no? No!

Sex should be fun - smiling and laughter are part of fun. Smiling and laughter also indicate that your sexual partner is relaxed and comfortable, which should be the ideal outcome of any physical encounter.

Of course that is presuming there is no malice or ridicule involved.

Laughing at a partners body or specific body parts with the intention of making them feel uncomfortable is a definate no-no.

However, on the whole, laughter is a form of expression and should not be inhibited. Sex should not be an exam or a job or hard excercise, it should an enjoyable experience which promotes intimacy. Expressing joy with laughter is simply a method of communication.

Funny things often happen during sex. Creaky bed springs, strange interuptions, minor phyical injuries, absurd pillow-talk, reminiscing about past, tickles, difficult clothing, furniture collapse, foreign objects, outside noises, etc. Keeping it light-hearted will increase personal closeness and remove the anxiety that comes with impossibly high expectations.

Laughter and humor and playful banter can be useful tools for foreplay. Couples can bond over happy experiences and consider their sex-lives fondly.

A laugh in the bedroom may spark a fond memory in everyday life and cause partners to think of each other when they are apart.

It is often said that the longest-lasting marriages are those between best friends. The presence of laughter may be a tell-tale sign that the relationship has a bright future - a couple that has fun no matter what they are doing.

Another popular expression is that laughter is "the shortest distance between two people". If this is true there is no more appropriate place for laughter than between the sheets of a couple trying to achieve intimacy.

Expert in human behaviour agree that joking surpasses even music as our most common art form. Laughter transcends cultural boundaries. Laughter is innate to humanity. Laughter is the ultimate expression of pleasure.

Laughter can relieve nervous tension - it is an excellent ice-breaker. New or inexperienced couples may find laughter of great help when first taking the plunge. Laughter will muffle stressful self-critical thoughts and mask the pressure and pain of performance.

What about uncontrollable laughter?

Well you're either one nervous nelly or you're subconsciously trying to avoid the act altogether. A quiet chuckle or intermitted giggle can be nice but fits of howling hysterics ora continuous crazy cackle may dampen the mood more than a cold shower. Everything in moderation!

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