What is an inner smile?
An inner smile is a gentle smile brought to your inner world. It is felt rather than shown on the face. The worksheet below describes it as a way to lighten up where we feel contracted or resistant, and to meet our experience with more kindness, warmth, and openness.
It does not mean denying difficult emotions. The invitation is to hold whatever is here, even if that is pain and ease together.
How to cultivate an inner smile
- Wherever you are, seated, standing, or lying down, taking a moment to bring a gentle smile to your inner world.
- Noticing where the inner smile shows up. Is it spread throughout the body, or in one place, such as the heart, the face, or the belly?
- Imagining the energy of the inner smile filling you for two to three minutes, and noticing any thoughts or emotions that arise.
- If challenging feelings come up, tending to them with compassion and patience, and seeing whether they can be met with a soft, compassionate smile. There are no right or wrong thoughts or feelings here.
- After a few minutes, or whenever you feel ready, resting attention on the breath for three to five cycles and opening the eyes.
Reflection questions
- What was this practice like for you today? Did it feel natural or unnatural to cultivate an inner smile?
- If difficult or heavy feelings were present, how did it feel to invite an inner smile into your experience?
