en 
And it certainly does help: not only the world, but your own mental and physical well-being.
Brain research has found that smiling actually increases the ‘feel good’ chemistry in the brain by stimulating the activity of neurotransmitters—the chemical messengers—that facilitate the flow of neuronal effects such as dopamine and serotonin, Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that increases the sense of pleasure, while serotonin boosts positive emotion.
So smiling appears to be nature’s anti-depressant.
Apparently, you can ‘fool’ your brain into creating a happy mood whether your smile is real or not. But no doubt it works better when your smile is genuine. One study found that genuine, intense smiling is associated with a longer life span. Other research found that smiling was able to decrease stress. A smile sends a signal to the brain that ‘all is well’, even if it’s not. But keep it up and you will benefit. Even a tiny smile, hardly seen by others, will help if you do it often enough.
Just practice and see.
When I am out walking with a smile on my face, many times a complete stranger in a city street seemed impelled to wish me a “Bonjour” (even in France!) or “Bom dia”” as they passed me by. This occurs because of a practice I created years ago, when I was feeling very dispirited. I began visualising a loving sun in the centre of my being that radiated out into the world and shone from my eyes. It helped my mood enormously. And it seemed to be contagious. I later taught it in my workshops and students found it a heart-warming practice.
Several years later, I was astonished to discover that this practice was actually an ancient yoga technique named Surya Dhyana (Sun Visualisation) that I had somehow reinvented. Realising its value, I developed a method of breathing to enhance the effect, and recorded the practice on a CD, which is now helping many people who need a way to boost a gloomy mood.
I often make a point of smiling at old dears, who may be feeling lonely and unnoticed. It could give someone a boost to feel worthy of being ‘seen’ and smiled at. During my years as a psychotherapist I have had confirmatory evidence of this effect. Just a smile of recognition may lighten someone else’s day.
During the plandemic (and no, that’s not a typo) we were deprived of smiles for over two years of masked-over minimal human relationship.
We learn so much about others from their facial expressions, no matter what they might try to pretend otherwise. Unfortunately, so many children in their developing years were deprived of that capacity.
So unless you are still wearing the mandatory mental blinkers provided by the Big Pharma-funded media, you will be aware that subsequent research has since proven that masking and lockdowns made no difference whatsoever to reducing the spread of the virus. And in fact, the masks did more harm than good.*
However, it’s now on the cards that the ‘powers that be’ will soon want us all back in masks again for some further manufactured outbreak of pharmaceutical fear-mongeritis.
Are you going to fall for that again? And obey?
We need a new SOS – Save Our Smiles!
Here’s an easy New Year Resolution: this year I will smile more every day.
“Smile” is a poem often mistakenly attributed to Spike Milligan, as it is very much in his style. However, it was not written by him, but by Jez Alborough, a best-selling children's author of 48 books. He wrote it in 1990 and it has been published under his name in at least three anthologies. Much as I loved Spike, I am happy to put the record straight here and give credit where it is due.
Smile
Smiling is infectious, you catch it like the flu,
When someone smiled at me today,
I started smiling too.
I passed around the corner and someone saw my grin.
When he smiled I realized I'd passed it on to him.
I thought about that smile, then I realized its worth.
A single smile, just like mine could travel round the earth.
So, if you feel a smile begin, don't leave it undetected.
Let's start an epidemic quick, and get the world infected!
..................
*SURYA DHYANA—A Guided Visualisation on the Inner Sun
Surya (Solar) Yoga is an ancient practical method of focalising consciousness (dhyana) at the spiritual heart centre, awakening loving warmth in spirit and giving the lustre of light to your eyes to which even strangers respond. While visualising an Inner Sun in the centre of your being, coupled with the natural flow of your breath, loving radiations pour out your soul’s warmth to all creation. At the same time this also protects you from absorbing any negative energies from the environment and attunes you to a feeling Oneness with the world.
It is advantageous to practice simple Sun-conscious breathing by focalising on the breath and the Inner Sun before going to sleep at night and then mentally visualise it again before your head is off the pillow in the morning. Remain conscious of that sun-space throughout the day and walk and talk from there. You will soon appreciate the difference it makes to your life.
Review: “Muz describes a simple mental exercise which anyone can perform, designed to induce a state of ‘sun-consciousness’, or ‘spiritually-illumined intuitive receptivity’. It is an exercise which, having tried it, I can say it works.”
Linda Williamson—Light magazine
CD or download available here: https://bit.ly/2zHyekQ
*Refs re Masking:
1. Mask experts speak out
2. Graphene Oxide in the Masks exposed by Researchers
3. New World Study shows no advantage in wearing a mask:
https://swprs.org/face-masks-evidence/
British mystic, author, psychotherapist, spiritual counsellor, mantra yogi, fine artist and illustrator, theatrical set and costume designer. Founder-editor of Gandalf’s Garden magazine and Community in the London Sixties, and 3 years as columnist for Yoga Today magazine, BBC 4 Scriptwriter, author of four spiritual self-development books and two storybooks for children.
English
Nederlands
Deutsch
Français
Español
Italiano
Svenska
Pусский
Română
中文
Türkçe
हिन्दी
Português
Українська
اردو
Polski
عربي
Suomi
עִברִית
Afrikaans
Português (Brasil)
many thanks for this awesome, healing message and generously shared techniques --arriving right on time when the world seems shrouded in gloom.... I'm now reminded of the innate power we all have to change ourselves and the world around us, starting with our inner sun generating and sharing smiles all around !
keep on smiling, muz murray...
By victoria from Algarve on 15 Jan 2024, 21:19
This is a message to all Muz's supporters, who may be reading this but who may not be aware of his current situation. Muz was recently taken seriously ill with pneumonia and ended up in a hospital in Faro where he was treated with oxygen and antibiotics. He was kept in the hospital longer than was originally thought to he necessary but he was discharged last week. He was very weak and needs home care. A crowdfunder has been set up to raise the money needed to pay for his medical treatment. Deborah Botterill, who organised the fund-raiser, and who has flown over from the UK to help Muz said: "Now Muz is still left with €5,000 to pay in hospital funds so please help if your in a position to donate a small amount this would be amazing." Full details of what happened, two recent posts from Muz, and how to contribute to the crowdfunder can all be found on his Facebook page. Please help if you can!
By Steve Andrews from Other on 09 Feb 2024, 13:52