“. . . He suggests bringing a slight but real smile to our lips many times throughout the day, whether we are meditating or simply stopping for a red light. The power of a smile to open and relax us is confirmed by modern science. The muscles used to make a smile actually send a biochemical message to our nervous system that it is safe to relax the flight, fight, or freeze response. A smile is the yes of unconditional friendliness that welcomes experience without fear.” (p.84 Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach, PhD)
I came across this while flipping through Tara Brach’s most excellent book “Radical Acceptance” and at first I was skeptical. Really, just paint a smile on my face and this is going to help how? But I was feeling kind of desperate because once again all of my tricks to lift myself up out of my gloom into the light of joy and gratitude were failing miserably. And I really don’t like to be depressed all the time. That’s a hard thing for people who are naturally prone to joy to understand. We depressed ones don’t actually like feeling this way. We want a way out of the dark funk and it’s not always easy to find.
So anyway, I start paying attention to how everyone has a grumpy look on their face when they are in their car driving – including me. And I decide what the heck, I’m going to start smiling in the car. So I do and this is what I have discovered:
- my smile muscles are very weak (this is noted by the spastic twitching after just a few minutes of smiling)
- I like the look of my face better when I am smiling
- there is a self destructive diatribe that goes on in my head while I am in the car driving AND smiling actually cuts it off…it is very difficult to continue down the dark mental path while I am smiling
- when I see myself smiling, it makes me want to keep smiling
I am still working with this “smile yoga” thing. I highly recommend it. It’s free, it’s scientifically proven to be effective, it’s easy, and can be practiced anywhere for any amount of time.
Here’s smiling at you!
(ps – find me on Facebook to see a list by Mark Stibich, PhD on the top ten reasons to smile. He has a PhD so you know it’s reliable)
