The key to good health and happiness lies in your smile. It’s a simple movement that opens almost any locked door. It transforms your face, lighting it up to the impact of a 1000 bulbs ... what it does for your body defies description. This one single practice can make you look and feel young, bring romance into your life and connect you to the whole world. What lies behind this amazing technique is your hormone production.
Hormones are chemical messengers or the mood makers in you. They are your control panel. Who you are or can be is determined by your hormones; who you cannot be or what you cannot do is also the work of your hormones. So if you produce more of the ‘can do’ hormone, very obviously the can’ts get eradicated from your life. While the secretion of hormones is not a conscious process, you cannot just produce it sitting in your living room or at will. But the yogis of yore have managed to do exactly this.
Yoga is a science that is capable of streamlining your bodily functions to such an extent where you attain the right hormonal balance and keep smiling.
The more you smile, the more you feel like following good routines and healthy lifestyle practices. Just by remembering to smile you trigger a chain reaction or just by doing yoga for an hour you trigger the release of happy hormones in your blood stream and they keep you perpetually smiling, laughing, enjoying. What more could you ask for?
A smile is your gateway to a natural high. Next time you are depressed or in a bad mood, try putting on a smile even if you don’t feel like it, and watch your mood change. Smiling soothes the nervous system, boosts immunity, lowers blood pressure and eases your breath to flow unobstructed.
TIP OF THE WEEK: Move the spine around and connect to your happy side instantly. Just by following this smile-a-mile yoga routine you’ll find abundant reasons to smile in your life.
While you may incorporate the tips into your life, the yoga techniques are to be practiced only under direct supervision of a qualified yoga teacher. If you suffer from any ailments, get a “go ahead” from your doctor before commencing your practice.
Next week: Readers’ queries
This is an interactive series, in which we will bring you practical tips that you want to get on daily living, inspired by the vision of yoga. Write in to tabloid@gulfnews.com with your questions and doubts about how to enhance your lifestyle through yoga. For more information, call 800-YOGA (9642) or log on to artisticyoga.com
