The Hint of a Smile

I’ve been practicing yoga since January. I follow a thirty minute program on DVD two or three times a week. Each session ends with a ten minute meditation guided by the instructor. In the beginning, it was easier for me to stretch my body and breathe. The meditation was harder because my mind jumps around like a hyper Jack Russell and seven months ago, I was still very much controlled by my thoughts.

For instance, at the end of the practice, the instructor invites us to bring our hands together at our heart centre, close our eyes, and breathe. “Feel the hint of a smile on your face,” she says—and when I first heard that, I nearly blew apart resisting the urge to laugh. Oh, puh-leese! “The hint of a smile?” Seriously? Come on!

But I did it because a) I was alone, and b) I was determined to adhere to the practice no matter what, and guess what? Something strange occurred.

I felt happier. Instantly. And not just because the brutal floor poses were over. What the …?

Over the next few months, I continued to persevere and gradually my cynical snotitude melted away like the tension in my neck during the ear-to-shoulder pose. Even now, today, after completing the practice and listening to the meditation, I summoned a smile to my face. And you know what? It never fails! Calling a smile equals instant happy!

I’m not talking goofy grin here; just a little curve to the lips in a peaceful moment. They say it takes fewer muscles to smile than it does to frown. If the path of least resistance is your preference (as it is mine), you might want to give it a try, just for fun. Just to see what happens.

I bet you’ll feel better for it.

With love,