I want to share this simple practice with you from Thich Nhat Hahn, from his book Be Free Where You Are.
In the exercise “Breathing in I smile,” you may ask: Why should I smile when there is no joy in me? The answer to that is: Smiling is a practice. There are over three hundred muscles in your face. When you are angry or fearful, these muscles tense up. The tension in these muscles creates a feeling of hardness. If you know how to breathe in and produce a smile, however, the tension will disappear – it is what I call “mouth yoga”. Make smiling an exercise. Just breathe in and smile – the tension will disappear and you will feel much better.
What could be more wonderful than this? What could be more simple? Breathe and smile. That’s it.
Even behind the mask.
Much love
Paula
