Welcome to the smiling meditation.
I invite you now to sit in any way that's comfortable for you.
Let your hands rest on your thighs or your knees or legs,
Wherever they're comfortable.
And when you're ready just slowly let your eyes close.
Let's begin with a few deep inhales and full complete exhales so that you fully connect with your breath.
Inhale and exhale.
And as you connect with this aware breathing let the body soften.
Make sure to keep your back straight while at the same time softening the shoulders.
Relaxing the shoulders,
Relaxing the eyebrows,
The cheekbones and the jaw into this beautiful space you've created in the body.
You inhale awareness and exhale softening.
Inhale awareness and exhale softening.
Slowly,
Gradually allow a smile to spread on your face.
I invite you to really feel how the muscles around your mouth move as the smile grows and it grows and it grows.
Such a beautiful incredible feeling of joy as the smile grows.
Keep on smiling while bringing your awareness to your heart.
How does your heart feel now as you smile?
You might want to bring the palm of your hand to your heart and feel.
Breathe into the heart while keeping the smile open,
Joyful and feel what happens in your heart.
How does your heart feel as you smile broadly and now gradually let go of the smile and allow the muscles around the mouth to move back to the neutral position.
Once your mouth is in the neutral position,
Move your awareness back to your heart.
How does the heart feel now when you're not smiling?
What is the feeling?
What is the sensation in your heart and around your heart?
And now I invite you to smile again.
Reconnect with that joy,
With this bubbling happiness from within.
Again let that smile just gradually grow and as it happens bring your awareness back to the heart.
Feel the heart.
Feel the joy that you express through the smile in your heart.
And now I invite you to visualize that your heart is a lake and the water within this lake is the joy and happiness that are connected to the smile of yours.
Invite the water to overflow from the lake into your whole body.
Imagine how the water spreads from your heart.
The water of joy and happiness and connect with every blood cell in your body.
Every bone,
Every muscle,
Every part of your being is filled with this incredible feeling of joy and happiness.
If you find that your mind is wandering to a thought,
An image,
An idea,
Bring it back to these sensations in the body.
This feeling that starts with a smile goes into the heart and spreads into your whole body.
The joy and happiness from within.
I invite you now to reconnect with your whole body.
Connect with the sound of my voice,
Your presence,
My presence.
You can then take as much time as you want and when you feel ready you can slowly open your eyes.
Namaste
