Can we smile even if we do not feel like smiling. What about our inner Crying Child?
Many of my students and I relate to the Swami Satyananda writing, that 'deep inside each of us is a little child sitting in a corner and crying. And no one is there to take care of it'. He also wrote, that 'I am the child who suffers, and I am the one who takes care of that little child. In addition to kindness and understanding the ‘fearless attitude of a hero’ is required to become a master of one’s emotions.
Part of this heroic practice is understanding that we do have a choice. Our own Reticular Activating System (RAS)—the nerve bundle in your brainstem that filters out information and highlights exactly what we think is in charge of it. If we unconsciously scan for negativity, we trap ourselves in a loop of confirmation bias. But if we scan for joy and gratitude, the RAS readily presents it to us. The Buddha taught, "What you think, you become," and this is the biological mechanism behind it. Ultimately, we can not think positive and negative at the same time. We must consciously choose our mental filter.
When shifting our thoughts feels impossible, we can use the Annamaya Kosha (the physical body) to hack our neurobiology. Both ancient yoga philosophy and modern science affirm this profound connection: our body language actively shapes how we feel, and vice versa. When we are deeply connected to the crying child within, trying to force the mind to shift its perspective is a lost battle.
Instead, it is much easier to start with the physical dimension by simply turning up the corners of the mouth into a smile. That simple mechanical movement physically lowers stress and makes the brain to release "feel-good" chemicals like dopamine and serotonin. Also, taking up physical space in a "Victory Pose"—arms raised in a wide "V"—is a universal, hard-wired expression that instantly signals the brain to feel empowered, directly increasing confidence and reducing anxiety. Because low levels of the feel good chemicals are linked to depression, the active, deliberate choice to smile and raise arms serves as a chemical joy-generator, actively elevating our mood from the outside in. Also dancing and chanting 'Every Little Cell in my body is happy, Every Little Cell in my body is well.'
I have being practicing 10 min Happy Baby meditation for the last month on a regular basis. Check the link below for the meditation recording
. It is very simple tool to shift from crying child to happy child and master within. If you did not get chance to do it, give it a chance.
When we feel overwhelmed, we do not have to rely on mental willpower alone. We can smile and dance to invite a subtle shift to our brain chemistry, and consciously direct our RAS to scan for Joy. By integrating these physical practices with modern neuroscience, we begin to feel that we have everything to act with the fearless attitude of a hero and become friends with our own incredible and deeply resilient mind.
LINK TO MEDITATION ON YOUR INNER HAPPY BABY
(Want to dive deeper? The complete "Transforming Power of Joy" workshop, including a 1-hour deep-dive lecture and Yoga Nidra practice and additional guidance, is now available on-demand.
Click here to learn more and register for the online workshop on a sliding scale!
What did resonate with you the most when you were reading the blog. Did it inspire you to smile even when you do not feel like smiling?