Weekly Forum - "Inner Smile" Friday 12pm

Inner Smile 

Everyone is in need of a smile. I know I am! There is something  that is so raw and contagious about seeing others smile. But what makes  us smile and what effect does smiling have on us?

When you smile to yourself, you become your own best friend.  Connecting with this inner friend helps you feel grounded, settled, and  stable no matter what else goes on around you. Finding that harmony  within yourself cultivates contentment.

Smiling releases endorphins, natural painkillers, and serotonin,  three neurotransmitters that make us feel good from head to toe.  Consider smiling a natural drug. These natural chemicals elevate our  mood, relax our body and reduce physical pain.  Studies have shown that people who smile often live an average of 8  years longer.

The Inner Smile meditation is a popular Taoist practice in which we  use our breath to smile inwardly to each of the major organs of our  body, activating the energy of loving-kindness within us. A technique  used for thousands of years by Taoists  for healing.

In this weeks forum we will look at how we can awaken our  compassion and really smile from within, take this smiling energy into  the rest of our day.