Let's begin by finding your most relaxed comfortable position.
This practice is to help you find a sense of peace and brighten your mood through smiling in a quick easy way that can fit into your lifestyle.
Smiling can bring us health benefits such as reducing anxiety and lowering blood pressure and heart rate but Stanford research scientist Nicholas Kohl's also found strong evidence that posed smiles like in a picture can actually make us happier.
We often forget to smile when we need it the most so taking smile breaks during the day can be helpful.
This practice was inspired by Taoist master Mantok Chia who has taught the Chinese practice of smiling for over 40 years.
Let's begin by just softening your face.
Let go of facial tension.
Relax your body.
Take a deep breath in and release it through your mouth.
Just a soft relaxed expression on your face.
Now bring a bright smile to your face like you're posing for a picture and notice that yes energy and then frown and notice what the energy of the frown feels like.
Is it a no energy?
Interesting right?
So think of this practice as a loving expression to yourself.
We'll start with the quick version and add on.
So you'll be inhaling through your nose with a bright smile like you're posing for a picture.
Do that with me now and you'll exhale through your mouth with a soft relaxed smile with only the edges of your lips turned up like a Mona Lisa smile.
Now let's do it together.
Exhale with me.
Breathing in through your nose bright smile.
Breathing out through your mouth soft smile.
Breathing in through your nose bright smile.
Breathing out through your mouth soft smile.
Breathing in through your nose bright smile.
Breathing out through your mouth soft smile.
Continue at your own breathing rate finding your rhythm.
Good.
Now we'll add a mantra.
Exhale with me.
Breathing in bright smile.
I relax my body.
Breathing out soft smile.
I speak peace to my heart.
Breathing in bright smile.
I relax my body.
Breathing out soft smile.
I speak peace to my heart.
Breathing in I relax my body.
Remembering to smile.
Breathing out I speak peace to my heart.
Breathing in I relax my body.
Breathing out I speak peace to my heart.
Continue this practice on your own finding your rhythm.
Now let go of your smile practice.
Notice any shifts in your body-mind.
Turn toward yourself with a sense of loving kindness.
I will leave you with a quote from meditation teacher Thich Nhat Hanh.
Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile but sometimes your smile is the source of your joy.
Wishing you so much peace and happiness my friends.
