Mindful smile exercise.
Ding!
Sit in a really nice warm and cosy place where you feel safe and comfortable.
Take a few moments to stretch your arms and as you do so,
Gently smile.
Come back to a relaxed,
Seated posture or any other posture that feels right for you.
Gently close your eyes and hold that gentle smile on your face even if you don't actually feel happy or smiley at the moment.
Enjoy the feeling of each in and out breath.
Imagine your breath has a quality of happiness within it.
With each in breath,
You're breathing in the quality of a smile.
As you breathe in,
Say to yourself,
Breathing in,
I calm my body and mind.
As you breathe out,
Say to yourself,
Breathing out,
I smile.
While you continue this exercise,
Simply say to yourself,
Breathing on each in breath and smiling on each out breath.
The process may feel fake,
Contrived or maybe even uncomfortable or it may feel great.
Either way,
I invite you to persevere for a few minutes to see what happens.
Breathing,
Smiling,
Kind,
Kindly bring your attention back each time it wonders,
Which it naturally will do.
Seeing if you can find any pleasure in the act of breathing itself and allowing that pleasure to gently express itself in your smile.
Each in breath,
Calming your body and mind.
Each out breath,
A sense of rest,
Rejuvenation,
Cultivating peace in your heart.
And when you're ready,
Gently bringing this exercise to a close.
But perhaps holding that gentle smile as you go about any other activities that you need to do.
