Look at this face! Look at this smile!
When I went to India with my dear friend and inspiring Yoga Teacher Tracy, we gave figurative names to most of the characters we saw around Rishikesh and in the Anand Prakash Ashram. We had among others: “Freddie Mercury”, the cranky Italian that tried in vain to give rhythm to the Kirtan sessions at the Ashram (which by the way in India is mission impossible as they have a different sense of rhythm); “the chip guru”, sitting always with a bag of chips in his hands; “the mini-guru”, who promised he could make us see the light; “the guru wannabe”, with his 3-D stereophonic cough and the unbearable smell of ash; and not wonder why…“Smiley Face”, the guy in the picture.
He was one of the people behind the amazing delights we were eating at the Ashram each and every meal. Every morning, I waited for his eyes to meet with mine because I knew that beautiful and happy smile will always follow. That simple gesture that can totally twist your day to make it definitely… BETTER! Maybe he will never know the effects of his simple smile, or maybe he’s pretty aware of it and that’s why he does it each time before he heads back into the kitchen disappearing with a shy but loud: Hari Om!
Have you ever tried smiling at your self in the mirror to start your day with? You should! It can make a big difference. This gesture resets your brain leaving you ready to face things with a complete different attitude. You should not underestimate the way your brain works, but instead you should learn how to… “fool it” for your own wellbeing. And with this, I don’t intend to make you believe that life is only laughs and flowers, but even in the toughest times, I’m sure a smile will help you more than a frown. It is such a powerful concept, that you don’t even need to do it in front of the mirror. It is enough for your brain to read a frown on your face to start sending the message to the rest of your body that there is something wrong, that something is upsetting you! While with a relaxed face and a soft smile it goes the other way around!
So…have you smiled to anyone today? You still have time to change somebody’s day!