Each and every day is a different experience. Some days smiling is easy, and other days simply waking up may be hard. But, it is important to remember not only the benefits of smiling but also the power of a smile.
When I am teaching a yoga class, I frequently tell my students to turn up the corners of their mouths, and I do not say that simply because I want to see a room full of smiling faces. Yes, I want my students to enjoy class, and yes, I want to see them smile. However, yoga classes can be hard, so smiling may not come naturally. Lots of people hold stress in their faces and forget to breath. As an instructor, I am there to help counteract that practice.
I want my students to smile because smiling has health benefits. It has been shown that smiling can improve your mood and reduce stress. Additional studies have shown that smiling will help train our brain to create a loop of happiness. There are numerous benefits to smiling, even if the smile is not organic.
On top of this, smiling has been shown to be contagious. Usually, if I can get one of my students to smile in the middle of the ab portion of class (which most students dread), then more students start smiling, which makes the hard work easier. Smiling becomes a powerful tool to use to help others reduce stress and improve their mood.
Knowing all of this, I try to remind my students to not only smile in class but also outside of class and to take notice of what happens. There is a poem I read in class to help with this:
A smile
Author Unknown
“Smiling is infectious,
You catch it like the flu,
When someone smiled at me today,
I started smiling too.
I passed around the corner,
And someone saw my grin,
When he smiled I realized,
I’d passed it on to him.
I thought about that smile,
Then realized its worth,
A single smile, just like mine,
Could travel round the earth.
So, if you feel a smile begin,
Don’t leave it undetected.
Let’s start an epidemic quick,
And get the world infected.”
We all have our ups and downs, but we also all have the tools to help ourselves and others. Smiling is a small way to make a little difference in your life and the lives of others. When times are easy, smile. And, when times get tough, keep smiling.
Namaste,
Nea <3
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