Happiness Break: Smiling From The Inside Out

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Jul 10, 2025

Discover how a simple, soft smile can transform your mood and reduce stress. Learn to embrace joy through the Inner Smile Meditation, a practice that connects breath and awareness for emotional well-being. As you sit comfortably, breathe deeply, and let your smile radiate from within, you'll feel a profound sense of connection and peace. This refreshing approach is all about appreciating and acknowledging every part of your body while carrying that smile into your day for lasting happiness.

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INSIGHT

Smile Your Way to Instant Happiness and Lower Stress

Smiling can literally change your emotions. Psychologist James Laird's study showed that people unknowingly made to smile felt happier, while mimicking a frown shifted moods toward anger.

Holding a subtle smile lowers stress and boosts connection to yourself and the world around you. The Inner Smile Meditation invites you to soften your face and breathe deeply while directing a gentle smile inward through your body.

Guide this inner smile to your heart, lungs, stomach, and the rest of your body, relaxing tension and fostering ease. This practice of interoception deepens your sense of connection and joy in the present moment.

INSIGHT

Smile’s Power on Mood

Smiling unknowingly makes people feel happier and frowning increases anger.
Holding a subtle smile can shift emotions, reduce stress, and boost connection to others.

ADVICE

How to Do Inner Smile Meditation

Settle in comfortably, breathe deeply, and soften your gaze to start the inner smile meditation.
Guide a gentle smile inward through your heart, lungs, stomach, and entire body for relaxation and joy.

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Just a soft smile and a few minutes of breath can shift your mood, lower stress, and deepen your sense of connection.

How To Do This Practice:

Settle In: Find a comfortable seat, rest your hands gently, and soften your gaze or close your eyes.
Breathe and Soften: Take a few slow, deep breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth, relaxing your face, jaw, and neck.
Form a Gentle Smile: Let a soft, effortless smile form at the corners of your mouth. Think of something or someone that makes you smile.
Turn the Smile Inward: Imagine that smile radiating inside your body, through your face, throat, and chest.
Send the Smile Through Your Body: With each breath, guide the smile to your heart, lungs, digestive system, and spine, acknowledging and appreciating each part.
Close Gently: Let the smile spread throughout your whole body, take one final deep breath, and slowly open your eyes, carrying the smile into the rest of your day.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Happiness Break Guide:

DACHER KELTNER is the host of The Science of Happiness podcast and is a co-instructor of the Greater Good Science Center’s popular online course of the same name. He’s also a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.

Related Happiness Break episodes:

Take a Break With Our Loving-Kindness Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/2kr4fjz5

A Meditation on Original Love: https://tinyurl.com/5u298cv4

Embodying Resilience: https://tinyurl.com/46383mhx

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Are You Remembering the Good Times: https://tinyurl.com/483bkk2h

Make Uncertainty Part of the Process: https://tinyurl.com/234u5ds7

Why We Should Seek Beauty: https://tinyurl.com/yn7ry59j

We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/s4wk4x4y