Try it, no matter what mood you are in right now, smile. I bet you will feel better in just a few minutes. If you continue to smile over the next few days, your stress levels will decrease and you may find that your breathing is easier, your belly feels lighter and even your digestion improves.
I would like to share the following with you. My favorite author, P.G. Wodehouse (from the “Jeeves and Wooster” fame) in 1931 published a short story: “The Smile that Wins”.
It is about Adrian Mulliner, private detective who suffers from indigestion due to the fact that he is in love with a young lady whose father is afraid of detectives and so, will not allow the marriage. Heartbroken, Adrian visits a doctor, who advises him that the ingestion is caused by stress and that in order to feel better, Adrian must smile. The kicker is that Adrian has a sinister looking smile that seems to say “I know all about you”. This causes all sorts of mayhem and pandemonium amongst those who have something to hide and creates a great deal of laughter for the reader.
What I love about this particular story, in addition to the humor and Wodehouse’s command of the English language, is the idea of curing stress-induced indigestion by smiling.
This mind-body connection makes perfect sense. Think about the body language of a depressed person. He is likely to slouch, drag his feet when walking, scowl and have a general posture of one who is protecting his heart. A happy person, on the other hand, will stand with his shoulders back, chest forward and head up. There will be a lightness and bounce in his step and… a smile on his face.
It follows that if our emotions can influence our body language then our body language can influence our emotions. What a great concept– increasing joy and happiness just by taking our shoulders back, opening through the heart and smiling. And so, let do some yoga for joy! The following is a mini routine you can do pretty much anywhere.
Tadasana- Mountain Pose variation with hands clasped behind the back
Stand in Tadasana, feet hip width apart, parallel to each other, hips over ankles, shoulders over hips, head reaching toward the ceiling. Clasp your hands behind your back, or hold a strap or a towel if you cannot yet clasp. Inhale your heart up toward the ceiling, spread across your collarbones as you reach your lower ribs toward your hip flexors. This dual action of heart up – lower ribs down will help to bring the opening into your upper chest and also protect your lower back. If you have fairly open shoulders, keep spreading across your collar bones as you reach the clasped hands up, otherwise keep your hands where they are while actively spreading across the collar bones. Spend 30-60 seconds here, using your breath to open up your heart. Return to Tadasana. Change the clasp of your hands so that the other thumb is on top. You may find this alternative clasp feeling like you are holding someone else’s hand, preferably someone you like. Repeat the pose with the alternate hand clasp, finishing in Tadasana.
From Tadasana, lift your arms overhead with the palms facing each other, elbows straight. Keep the hands shoulder width apart or clasp your fingers. On an inhale, shift your hips forward, lift your heart up toward the ceiling and reach your hands toward the wall behind you, coming into a standing back bend. Keep all four sides of the neck long as you take 5 deep breaths. Exhale back to Tadasana.
This is a variation on Downward Facing Dog. Come to the floor onto your hands and knees. Place your forearms flat on the floor, elbows shoulder width apart and directly below the shoulders. Place your knees right underneath your hips. Press your palms together, press the forearms into the floor firmly, curl your toes under and begin to straighten your knees as your hips lift up toward the ceiling. Firm your shoulder blades against your back as you continue to press the forearms into the floor lifting your sternum away from the floor. Hold your head between your upper arms. You may straighten the knees or keep them slightly bent. Take 5 deep breaths, then bend your knees and gently bring them back down to the floor.
Lie down on your belly. Place the tops of your feet on the floor and stretch your legs back. Bend your elbows and place your hands on the floor next to your lower ribs. Press your feet into the floor firmly and engage your belly. Inhale as you straighten your arms, drawing your elbows in toward your ribs. Your shoulder, torso and thighs will lift off the floor. Firm the shoulder blades against the back and take your heart forward through your arms. Keep all sides of the neck long by looking straight ahead. Take 5 deep breaths here and on your 6th exhale bend your elbows and gently bring yourself back to the floor.
Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you. Bend your right knee and put the right foot flat on the floor outside of your left thigh. Inhale, lengthen through the spine and exhale twist toward the inside of the right thigh. Place the right hand on the floor behind you and gently hug the right leg with your left arm. Inhale, lengthen your back and exhale hug the right knee in, twisting deeper. Stay in this pose for 5 slow breaths, lengthening with each inhale and deepening the twist with each exhale. On your 6th inhale, release the twist coming back to your starting position with both legs extended out in front of you. Repeat on the other side.
Enjoy this little pick-me-up and remember to always smile.