Daily movement
The Inner Smile Practice
This practice cultivates internal harmony and a felt sense of warmth and well-being.
This practice cultivates internal harmony and a felt sense of warmth and well-being.
qi gong · Universal Healing Tao (Mantak Chia) · This meets states of stress, anxiety, or emotional dysregulation by promoting a sense of inner peace and self-acceptance. · 5–10 minutes, daily
Why it works
The Inner Smile works on the nervous system by activating the parasympathetic response, specifically through intentional gentle facial muscle relaxation which sends signals of safety to the brain. This calms the amygdala, reducing the fight-or-flight response. Concurrently, focusing attention inwards and on positive emotional states, such as smiling, releases endorphins and neuropeptides that promote well-being. On a tissue level, the gentle engagement of facial muscles and intra-abdominal pressure from deep breathing improves circulation and energetic flow (Qi) through the fascial nets, particularly those connected to the face, skull, and peritoneum. This subtle engagement helps release chronic tension patterns stored in the myofascial matrices, fostering a more fluid internal environment conducive to relaxation and balanced organ function.
How to practice
Find a comfortable seated position. Close your eyes gently.
Bring your awareness to your face. Imagine a gentle, warm smile beginning in your eyes, feeling the softening around them.
Let the smile descend to your cheeks. Feel them relax, releasing any tension in your jaw.
Guide this inner smile to your mouth. Allow a subtle, soft smile to form, feeling the corners of your lips gently lift.
Next, direct your inner smile to your throat. Sense any constriction dissolving, inviting openness.
Continue to guide the smile down into your heart. Feel warmth and compassion radiating from this center.
Expand the smile to your internal organs – lungs, liver, kidneys, stomach – imagining them bathed in this comforting energy. Breathe deeply and slowly throughout the practice, maintaining the gentle inner smile.
Find a comfortable seated position. Close your eyes gently.
Bring your awareness to your face. Imagine a gentle, warm smile beginning in your eyes, feeling the softening around them.
Let the smile descend to your cheeks. Feel them relax, releasing any tension in your jaw.
Guide this inner smile to your mouth. Allow a subtle, soft smile to form, feeling the corners of your lips gently lift.
Next, direct your inner smile to your throat. Sense any constriction dissolving, inviting openness.
Continue to guide the smile down into your heart. Feel warmth and compassion radiating from this center.
Expand the smile to your internal organs – lungs, liver, kidneys, stomach – imagining them bathed in this comforting energy. Breathe deeply and slowly throughout the practice, maintaining the gentle inner smile.