Guided Meditation: Embracing Life with a Smile

Introduction (1-2 minutes)

Let’s begin by finding a comfortable seated position. You can rest your hands gently in your lap, allowing your body to settle into stillness. When you’re ready, softly close your eyes, bringing your awareness to the natural rhythm of your breath.

Take a deep inhale through your nose… and slowly exhale through your mouth. Allow each breath to bring a sense of calm. Let’s do this together two more times: deep inhale… slow, easy exhale.

Now, allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm, noticing how it feels to simply breathe in and breathe out. With each outbreath, gently release any tension you might feel in your body, allowing yourself to fully arrive in this moment.

Breathing Technique: Grounding the Body and Letting Go (2-3 minutes)

On your next inhale, feel the breath filling your lungs, expanding the chest and the abdomen… and as you exhale, imagine that any tension or stress is melting away. Continue to take slow, mindful breaths, and with each outbreath, let go a little more—releasing any tightness in your body, letting go of any thoughts that are crowding your mind today.

As you continue to breathe, notice the weight of your body being supported by the ground beneath you. Feeling rooted, grounded, as you inhale deeply and exhale fully. Letting each breath carry you deeper into a state of calmness and relaxation.

Inviting the Smile (3-4 minutes)

Now, begin to shift your awareness to the concept of a smile. And here I want to invite you to bring to mind a Picture the compassionate Buddha. It is super hard to find a statue or a picture of the Buddha not smiling.. often depicted with this serene wise and calm smile on his face.. That no matter what, embracing both the joys and sorrows of life with that serene smile. And so today in this meditation, we are welcoming the smile, inspired by the Buddha eternal smile, as a symbol of radical acceptance, love, and openness. To whatever we are going through, in any moment.

So just imagine a soft, curved image of a smile forming in your mind. As you visualize this smile, feel a sense of gentleness, openness, and ease arising as you are picturing this smile.

Allow this mental smile to gently expand and expand, outward, filling the space around you. Feel its warmth and kindness spreading.

Smiling into the Eyes (3 minutes)

Now, imagine that smile settling into your eyes. Picture the corners of your eyes gently lifting as if they, too, are smiling. Feel how the smile softens the muscles around your eyes, smoothing your brow, allowing the area to be at ease.

As you breathe in, feel the gentle, relaxed brightness in your eyes. As you breathe out, let any tension release. Imagine your eyes floating gently, as if resting in a pool of warm water. Continue to soften and let go in the space around your eyes, allowing a feeling of peaceful relaxation to settle in.

Smiling into the Face and Throat (3 minutes)

Now, bring a small but real smile to your lips, the gentle half-smile of the Buddha. Feel the muscles in your face relax as you embrace this feeling of a smile. Let your jaw loosen, your cheeks soften, and your lips rest lightly together.

Now, move your attention to your throat. Imagine the curve of a smile settling gently into your throat. If you feel any tightness there, allow it to be held in the warmth of the smile, and let that tightness melt away with each breath.

Smiling into the Heart (4-5 minutes)

On your next breath, guide the smile down into your chest, into the area of your heart. Picture the feeling and shape of a smile spreading through your heart center, opening and softening the space within. If you feel any heaviness or gripping in your chest, simply allow it to float in the openness of this smile.

Now, bring your awareness to your heart’s rhythm as you breathe in and out. Let each breath expand the sense of ease, kindness, and openness. Imagine the smile in your heart becoming more vibrant with each breath, sending gentle ripples of relaxation throughout your body.

Smiling Through the Body (3-4 minutes)

As the smile expands in your heart, let it drift down into your torso. Feel the smile radiating into your abdomen, filling your belly, your navel, and even down to the base of your spine. Notice how the openness and aliveness of the smile spreads through your body, touching every muscle, every organ, every cell.

Feel this sense of ease traveling down through your legs and into your feet, and spreading through your arms and hands. Allow your entire body to be filled with the warmth and lightness of this smile.

Resting in Awareness (3-4 minutes)

Now, let the sense of a smile expand even further, filling the whole space of your awareness. Imagine that this smile has no edges—it is boundless, open, tender, and alive. Simply rest in this space of openness, allowing yourself to be held by the warmth of the smile.

If thoughts, emotions, or sensations arise, notice them, but allow them to be held with unconditional friendliness. There’s no need to push anything away—just let everything be as it is, held gently in the space of a smile.

Closing and Returning to the Present (2 minutes)

As we begin to close this meditation, take a moment to reestablish the smile in your mind. Feel the eyes smiling, the mouth smiling, and the heart smiling. Remind yourself that this smile is always available to you, a source of openness and tenderness in your life.

When you’re ready, take a deep breath in… and slowly exhale. Gently begin to bring your awareness back to the space around you. Wiggle your fingers and toes, and when you feel ready, softly open your eyes, bringing the energy of the smile with you as you move through the rest of your day.