A few years ago, I read that smiling while meditating could energize and deepen's one's meditation. I haven't done a lot of research one this, but I have learned that some psychological researchers and doctors such as Dr. Kathleen Hall, encourage people to smile intentionally, (even if they don't feel like it) because smiling releases "happiness hormones" know as serotonins and endorphins and lowers the stress hormone, cortisol.
I was a shy, reticent young girl and teenager. Unceasingly, people told me, "you need to smile more," or asked me, "is everything okay?" Being a pensive person, I guess I tended to smile less than the average person. (Who knows, maybe I looked like actor Orson Welles as the brooding Mr. Rochester in the 1940s movie, Jane Eyre.) In recent years, however, I have learned that intentionally smiling raises my "vibration." My happiness hormones get activated and I feel like my cells are dancing around - doing the hip hop. Granted, when I feel really ticked about something or down in the dumps (for a few hours at most), it's not so easy to switch into a smiling mode. But, I have noticed if I make the effort, I can start turning things around. Recently, I thought, what would happen if I smiled while doing yoga?
I tried it and felt my energy jump up by at least five notches. If I smile intentionally during my yoga practice, it seems easier to get into the "mood" of fully focusing on my movements and it deepens the yoga experience. Any type of smile will do. My smiles are more of the Mona Lisa type. I don't smile as if I'm about to laugh hysterically - that would probably be distracting. The key is to smile genuinely because I know that I am doing something wonderful for my body, mind, and spirit. So, tomorrow, try it for yourself. Smile during your practice and note how your feel.
Wisdom of the Day: "A smile has the power to radiate the qualities that make you beautiful inside."~ Catherine Oden Fulton, DDS
Smile as you stretch,
Laura Venecia Rodriguez
Comments