A smile reflects a kind and compassionate attitude to the recipient.
This traditional Taoist practice will help you take the loving energy of a smile and turn it inward toward yourself.
There are many variations of this meditation,
And in this particular one,
We'll use the loving energy of the inner smile to soften the energy of difficult emotions to create space for self-compassion.
Taoist meditations are traditionally practiced in an alert but relaxed posture.
For this meditation,
Sit on the edge of a sturdy upright chair with your feet flat on the ground.
Simply press into the feet and feel the rise of energy up through the legs and into the spine.
Feel your spine lengthen up through the crown of the head.
The spine should have an uplifted yet relaxed quality to it,
Just enough energy to remain straight but no more.
If it feels okay,
Close your eyes.
Otherwise let your gaze rest softly on a fixed point in front of you.
Then place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth just behind your teeth.
In Taoist energetic practice,
This helps to keep your chi or life force contained within your body.
Swallow any excess saliva in your mouth.
Now begin to focus on your breathing.
Flowing your breaths down bit by bit.
There is a relaxed quality to your slow breathing.
No force or strain as that will undermine the benefits of this practice.
Let your outgoing breaths relax tension in the body as if any unnecessary holding in your muscles is released with the wave of your breath.
Now bring your attention to the space between your eyebrows.
Follow an imaginary line into the center of your head and imagine a warm pool of golden light gathering here.
As your awareness sinks deeper into this pool,
Feel yourself settling and growing more comfortable,
More relaxed.
From this point in the center of your head,
Gaze outward to the image of a smiling face in front of you.
It could be your own face,
That of your beloved,
Or someone else who loves and cares for you.
Feel the loving and joyful energy of this smile pour into the center of your head.
Feel how your body relaxes even more as you receive the energy of this smile.
The golden light that is pooling here grows brighter and more comforting.
Feel yourself sinking deeper into the center of your head.
Now let the warm pool of energy flow out from the center of your head to your eyes and the muscles and skin around your eyes.
Feel your eyes relax as this golden light envelops them.
Let light now flow to the inside of your nose.
Watch as the life-giving energy of your breath flows in and out of your nose.
Feel your nose relax.
Next move the energy to your mouth,
Lips and teeth.
Relax your mouth and tongue.
Moving down to your chin and jaw,
Part your teeth slightly so your chin and jaw can relax.
Now direct this energy back up into your whole head and face.
Your whole head and face are completely relaxed.
Bring your attention back to your lips,
Noticing the corners of your mouth.
Start to gently lift the corners of your mouth into a relaxed smile.
Let this smile be natural and easy,
Nothing forced.
It may not even be perceptible on the outside.
Stay here for a few moments,
Settling into the gentle quality of this easy,
Natural smile.
Maintaining the smile on your lips,
Bring your attention back up to your eyes.
Let your eyes also lift slightly,
As if smiling to yourself.
Your eyes and mouth join together in the light of your inner smile.
If it helps,
You can reimagine the face of your loved one to help accentuate the loving warmth of the inner smile.
We're going to move the warm golden light of the inner smile around the body,
Bringing comfort and ease to every corner of your body.
You can imagine filling each part of your body with this light or your organs and tissues smiling back at you.
If you encounter stuck energy or pain or tension somewhere in the body,
You can gently breathe into that area.
Bring the energy of your inner smile to the center of your chest at the thymus.
As you shine the light of your inner smile here,
Feel your energy level rise and your immune system grow.
Now smile to your heart organ,
Visualizing it glowing bright red with your loving energy.
As you smile to your heart,
Feel the difficult energies of hatred,
Jealousy,
And coldness flow out with your breath.
Feel joy start to grow within you.
Now smile to your lungs,
Visualizing your lungs glowing bright white with your loving energy.
As you smile to your lungs,
Feel the difficult energies of grief and depression flow out with your breath.
Feel the energy of your inner smile rise and your immune system grow.
Feel courage start to grow within you.
Now smile to your liver organ,
Visualizing it glowing bright green with your loving energy.
As you smile to your liver,
Feel the difficult energies of anger and resentment flowing out with the breath.
Offer your liver gratitude for the work it does to filter your blood and circulate chi efficiently around the body.
Feel compassion start to grow within you.
Now smile to your kidneys,
Visualizing them glowing bright blue with your loving energy.
As you smile to your kidneys,
Feel the difficult energies of fear and stress flow out with your breath.
For your kidneys gratitude for the work they do to store chi and blood.
Feel ease and wisdom grow within you.
Now smile to your stomach,
Visualizing it glowing bright yellow with your loving energy.
As you smile to your stomach,
Feel the difficult energies of worry and anxiety flow out with your breath.
Offer your stomach gratitude for the work it does to extract nutrition and chi from the food that you eat.
Feel confidence start to grow within you.
Now smile to your nervous system,
Your bone marrow,
Your bones,
Your muscles,
Skin and hair.
And now smile to any place you may have missed or that needs a little extra time.
Now imagine a cascading waterfall from the center of the head down to the center of your belly just below the navel.
This is your hara,
Your body's home.
Stay here for a little while.
Then maintaining the inner smile and when you're ready you may open your eyes.
Now smile to your stomach,
Visualizing it glowing bright yellow with your loving energy.
