Smile Yoga

Source teaching · Alex Julian, 2024

The original lesson

I once attended a laughter yoga workshop at Kripalu in Western Massachusetts. Hey! Don’t laugh at me for attending a laughter yoga class! I’m glad I attended. The teacher was great, and the benefits are real! However, there is a major problem with laughter yoga — you really have to force it. If you are in a bad mindset, this may be impossible to do.

Thanks to my good friend, Tabauhris, I have discovered an easier way — smile yoga. Forcing yourself to laugh can be tough, but anyone can force a smile. Smiling is easy. Even if you are in a bad mood, you can do it. Remember, the mind-body connection is a two-way street. There are legitimate benefits of smiling more. It will literally make you happier and healthier. It will be easier to focus. Life itself will seem easier.

This is a simple thing to do that will have a drastic positive effect. Treat it as a challenge. How long can you hold a smile for? In the beginning, you will find that your face will start shaking after just a little bit of time holding that smile. This is you “building up your smile muscles”! Trust me, it gets easier, and pretty soon smiling will be your default.

Don’t be weird about this and freak people out. It is actually a very good look to be smiling more often than not, and it really can become your default setting. However, don’t do it at inappropriate times. Don’t be smiling if your friend tells you his cat died. Don’t make it awkward for people in public. There is something to be said about respecting the peace of others. I think the best application of this is during remote work. No one is around you often. Why not practice smile yoga for a few minutes? I know it sounds too good to be true, but it really does work wonders!

© 2024 Alex Julian Yoga. All rights reserved.