The power of a smile
Grin, smirk, beam or smile, whether you call it, this happy facial expression has the power to bright up your day, and today that we celebrate World Smile Day, thanks to the creator the smiley face symbol in 1963, graphic artist Harvey Ball, we do not want to miss the chance to emphasize the many virtues of bringing a smile to your face.
Have you noticed that babies are born with the ability to smile? Children smile an average of 400 times per day. Apparently, as time passes the reasons to smile slow down the pace, as researches show that self-declared happy adults who smile 40-50 times per day. Not to mention the typical adult who smiles only 20 times per day.
Why is smiling so important?
People who smile, experience a mood boost but at a deeper level, smiling helps our body to release cortisol and endorphins.
- Reduces blood pressure
- Increases endurance
- Reduces pain
- Reduces stress
- Strengthens the immune system
And that’s not all! Smilers appear more courteous and competent, and tend to be more productive at work.
Interesting facts about smiling
According to recent studies published in Psychological Science, the act of forcing yourself to smile helps relief stress and promotes vital energy to flow throughout the body. This vital energy, known as qi in traditional Chinese medicine, gets to every corner of our organism with the help of the circulatory system. Once the blood reaches the liver —responsible of regulating qi—, it undergoes a detoxifying process allowing the energy to circulate around the body to support organs, limbs and tissues functioning.
The liver is also home to the hun, or soul, which gives us our consciousness and sense of purpose.
Smiling meditation time!
Having revised the importance of the liver on sending renewed energy around, we invite you to practice a 5-minute meditation to smile with your liver and let the feel-good power be spread.
- Sit comfortably and close your eyes.
- Be aware of the sensations in our body and notice the flow of your breath and the state of your mind.
- Bring your attention to the right side of your body, at the bottom of the ribcage, which is where the liver is found.
- Focus on this area as you breath in and out and visualize your liver smiling. Gently, let that bright smile reflect on your face as well.
- Continue with the meditation as you keep a vivid visualization for 5 minutes.
Smiling is contagious; so let’s bring some smiles to the faces of those around us!
