Have You Tried This Instant Mood Shifter?

Did you know that our facial expressions can actually open and quiet our minds? This helps us during meditation and anytime we need to shift our mindset. Meditation is a practice we cultivate all year long, but primarily in the winter when the natural world is becoming quiet and still. To start meditation we purposely shift how we breathe, transitioning from involuntary breathing to a conscious long slow breath. Then we add the inner smile.

The inner smile is the expression of the Buddha, which provides us with Buddha nature; an open receptive state of mind. This slight smile shifts the mind into a neutral state, where wisdom resides. When sitting in meditation this subtle smile helps transition from the incessant thinking mind to the observing mind, as the impartial witness. This part of the mind is known as the sage mind that rests in a neutral state of BEING. It’s neither for nor against anything. It doesn’t judge, it discerns. Discernment sees the difference between things without comparing.

Try it right now, just expand the corners of your mouth and slightly lift them. This actually shifts the chemistry of the mind. It’s like drawing open the curtains of the mind to let the sunshine in. We feel brighter! And it’s instantaneous. This is helpful in any state of stress or negativity.

When we practice this expression we have the ability to observe the emotions that are present without being controlled by them. When we name it we tame it meaning that when we name the emotion, we tame the sensation and reactivity. Then once we’ve realized that this emotion is present, we expand the mouth and lift the corners, and shift: from upset to reset. This is how we can master our emotions and remain calm and centered wherever we are. 

This is especially helpful during the holidays. This time of year carries a lot of pressure and expectation as “the most joyful time of the year”. Unfortunately, for many, it’s a difficult time. It’s a time that we are often forced to be in situations and around people that are challenging. The inner smile is a tool to have in your back pocket to help you navigate! When we’re in an uncomfortable situation, try counting your breath to an even rhythm:

~ 4 count inhale,

~ 4 count exhale

I do this while driving on my way to a stressful event. Add in the inner smile: wide brow, wide eyes, wide mouth, wide throat, wide sternum, wide belly and this will shift how you relate to wherever you are. When we can maintain this, we’re no longer resisting but rather BEING with whatever is.  

To be in a state of BEING is to stay neutral. We don’t puff up - we don’t shrink down -we stay in our sacred center. 

The inner smile reminds us that now is ok. Now is always ok, as it is the present moment….and it’s still now. 

The inner smile is a Taoist practice that increases our endurance. We use it especially in the winter, as it’s the time of year to endure the long cold months.

Research on endurance with the inner smile was tested by submerging willing participants' hands in buckets of ice-cold water. When they did it a second time, with an inner smile, they doubled and tripled their times! The inner smile = Endurance! Endurance to sustain a calm peaceful mind in the midst of discomfort. We need this in the winter, especially with the holiday madness and pressure. 

Endurance is the benefit of strong kidney energy. The kidneys are energetically running the strongest in the winter, along with the urinary bladder. It’s the time of year that is easiest to strengthen kidney chi or deplete it. 

We can continue to spread this feeling of well-being into the organs. An ancient Taoist practice works with a smile, which elicits a feeling of gratitude. In our meditation, we can energetically find appreciation towards our internal organs and shift physical and mental tension which can lead to disease. Each organ holds an energetic frequency of either a negative or positive vibration.

When we smile into the liver we can shift anger and aggression into generosity and inspiration.

Smiling into the heart can transform anxiety into a peaceful joyous attitude.

Smiling into the spleen helps shift the mindset of worry and doubt into trust and maintains an easy-going balanced nature.

Smiling into the lungs creates emotional endurance and integrity, rather than being weighted down by grief.

Smiling into the kidneys moves us from fear to willpower and endurance so we can maintain a peaceful state regardless of the circumstances.

All of these negative emotions arise when there's an imbalance of chi in the organs. Anger, anxiety, doubt, grief, and fear all have a low-grade energy that causes chronic disease which depletes us and creates energy blockages. The internal awareness produced by the powerful inner smile meditation flushes the organs of poisonous negativity that may be blocking our life force flow from nourishing our body.

The renowned Taoist Master Mantak Chia writes about the inner smile:

"Just as a genuine outer smile transmits positive energy and has the power to warm and heal, an inner smile produces a high grade of energy that promotes powerful internal healing, deep relaxation, happiness, and longevity. Smiling to the organs and thanking them for the work they do helps to reawaken the intelligence of the body, which, once activated, can dissipate emotional imbalances and inner disharmony before serious illness manifests."

The Inner Smile:

The Expression of the Buddha

• Allow the brow to be smooth and the space between the brow to open and soften.

• The outer eyes expand wide and slightly lift into smiling eyes.

• The outer corners of the mouth expand wide to the earlobes and slightly lift.

• The root of the tongue, deep in the throat, softens and opens.

• The skin on the sternum energetically expands wide.

• The skin around the navel energetically expands and softens.

• This expression of the Buddha provides us with a serene and open awareness.

I used this inner smile practice one day when I was in the city. I was feeling lonely surrounded by millions of people yet disconnected. I remembered the inner smile.

As I was walking down the street, I took on the expression and started gently smiling at everyone I passed by. It was an interesting experiment, noticing the different reactions from people. I then sat down on the bench and watched people walk by, observing their facial expressions. When I noticed a stressed-out face, I silently said, “Oh stress, I know you.” When I noticed an irritable face, I said to myself, “Oh irritability, I know you too.” When I saw someone laughing, I said, “Oh joy, so good to see you.” I continued to do this. This awareness practice shifted me from feeling lonely to feeling connected to every one that passed me.

This exercise brought me back to seeing how we are all the same, experiencing the full gamut of emotions, and I felt a profound love and compassion for the human condition.

Try it next time you’re at a holiday party, notice the expressions and behaviors and see if you can relate, rather than judge. This will help you to feel more connected rather than separate and disconnected, even to those who might be the most challenging. And when we shift our dynamic, the entire dynamic shifts.

What we practice gets stronger, so start now…corners of the mouth wide and lifting. 

Enjoy winter!

From my heart light to yours~

Namaste,

Maggie