There is magic in it and it brightens everyone’s day.

What is it?

A smile.

“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

We have all heard how it is good to smile. I have noticed many mornings while running on the waterfront, seeing a variety of different faces from smiling alive looking faces to those with a frown of sadness. With a “good morning” and a smile, it brings a spark into the darkest of eyes. It turns out when I smile the world smiles back.

I have noticed on a day when I didn’t feel the cheeriest and someone smiled and said “hello” I felt better, and I could actually feel my mood and energy shift.

What happens to our brain when we smile?

When you have a positive experience it sends neural signals from the cortex of your brain to the brainstem and then to the cranial muscle that then signals towards your smiling muscles in your face.

Once the smiling starts our face contracts and then there is a positive feedback loop that goes back to the brain reinforcing the feeling of joy.

Smiling reduces stress in your body, mind and nervous system, stimulating the pleasure centers of your brain, generating more happy and positive emotions.

Smiling activates the release of neuropeptides that work to fight off stress in the body. Neuropeptides are tiny molecules that allow the neurons to communicate. The feel good neurotransmitters dopamine, endorphins and serotonin are all release when a smile flashes across your face. No only does it relax your body, it can also lower your heart rate and blood pressure.

Endorphins also act as a natural pain reliever without any negative side affects like medications. Candice Pert has written a book, Molecules of Emotion, where she goes into much more detail.

Happy people smile 40-50 times per day while the average person smiles about 20 times.

Smiling can be learnt, or shall I say re-learnt. As children we naturally smile. Over time, a child will adapt and start to lose their smile. Remember how when a child is in trouble and they smile, the adult will give them what for and say “wipe that smile off your face right now!” Innately we know we feel better when we smile, because when the child loses the smile they feel sad and their energy shifts, often loosing their power and succumbing to the adult.

You may have even noticed just reading this and thinking about it, your smiling desire has waned. If so, breathe and smile. 🙂

Researcher Andrew Newberg has some words of wisdom:

“We just asked a person, before they engage in a conversation with someone else, visualize someone they deeply love, or recall an event that brought them deep satisfaction and joy. It’s such an easy exercise, and we train people to do it in our workshops.”

Here are 3 easy to ways to Practice Smiling:

Experiment – notice how you feel in your head and body before you smile and then take a breath and smile for a bit while breathing and be aware of what you are feeling through out your body, see if there are new sensations.

Practice looking in the mirror – notice what happens when you look at yourself in the mirror. Again breathe and be aware, notice more light coming from your eyes.

Visualize – you can sit comfortably in a chair and just imagine smiling at yourself and allowing yourself to get your happy on. You may even want to imagine seeing your best friends circling each other and smiling looking into each other’s eyes with joy. Notice what happens.

My teacher, Master Choa Kok Sui, taught us that smiling helps to open our hearts which in turn makes it easier for giving and receiving.

Next time when you are sending out an email or making a phone call, try putting on a smile and see what happens!