Week Twelve: Smiling As A Practice

Each morning, as I walk through Central Park on my way to my office, I have many opportunities to smile at people who are in the park at the same time each morning. I notice that on mornings when my smile is readily available, more people smile at me and say good morning. I also notice how, when I return a tentative smile from someone I’m passing, this can be the beginning of a habit of saying good morning each time we walk by one another in the park. I also notice that when I smile to myself in response to the beauty in the park, I have a greater sense of well-being and connection in general. When these experiences arise, I think of the teachings of the Vietnamese Buddhist monk and mindfulness teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh. He talks about the benefits of “mouth yoga” – smiling as we move through the world. And, whenever I think of practicing “mouth yoga”, I smile automatically!

And so, this week’s experiment offers an invitation to explore your relationship to smiling. Notice what happens when you have a ready smile in response to the smiles of other people. When you see something beautiful, pay attention to your smile. Enjoy it as it arises naturally in those moments when delight surprises you. Notice the difference in how you feel when you’re having a day that your smile comes easily compared to a day when it’s hard to smile.

As with all the experiments, there’s no right answer, no “way” to be. There’s just an opportunity to be curious about the quality of your experience when you have access to your smile and what it’s like when you don’t. It’s useful to notice your mood and physical sensations when you smile and when you don’t. You may notice a natural openness when you smile and discomfort of some kind when you can’t smile. You might even see what happens when you smile at a time you don’t feel like it, as when you see a puppy or kitten playing, or when you notice a beautiful flower you hadn’t seen before, or when you think of something that usually brings a smile to your face. Explore the possibility that smiling even when you don’t feel like it may shift your mood. Remember that this is only an experiment. There are times when we truly cannot smile, don’t want to smile, and shouldn’t even try. Honor yourself and play with this experiment as it feels okay to do so.

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