Inner Smile Meditation

Many patients want to know what else can be done–outside of the treatment room–that will balance their energy.  My answer is always the same—meditation!  This may sound scary/impossible/weird to some people, but the ancient practice of Qi Gong offers “instructions” on how to meditate.  For me, this is easier than traditional meditation for 2 reasons.  First, the goal is not to quiet the mind.  Instead, the qi gong practice gives instructions on how to cultivate and move your energy, or qi.  Second, in regularly performing qi gong exercises, you begin to cultivate and move your own qi.  (I tell many people that qi gong is “self- acupuncture”)  In general, qi gong allows each person to ask their body what it needs and use one’s own energy to bring the body back into balance. 

Below is the Inner Smile meditation.  It can be performed while seated or laying down—just find a comfortable position.  For this exercise, the goal is not to control the energy but rather to thank the body for all of its hard work.  The only time that people begin to consider their internal organs is when bodily functions begin to go awry.  This practice is prevention for misbehaving organs by thanking them for functioning properly and maintaining wellness. 

 To Perform Inner Smile Meditation:

Find a comfortable position and close your eyes

Focus all your energy at your third eye (between your eyebrows).  Breath a few deep breaths here. 

Next, guide the energy:

1. To your brain.  Thank your brain for all its good work. (Includes pineal and pituitary glands)  Breathe a 5-10 deep breaths into your brain.
2. To your heart.  Thank your heart for all its good work.  Breathe 5-10 deep breaths into your heart.
3. To your lungs.  Thank your lungs for all their good work.  Breathe 5-10 deep breaths into your lungs.
4. To your liver.  Thank your liver for all  its good work.  Breathe 5-10 deep breaths into your liver.
5. To your spleen.  Thank your spleen for all its good work.  Breathe 5-10 deep breaths into your spleen.
6. To your kidneys.  Thank your kidneys for all their good work.  Breathe 5-10 deep breaths into your kidneys.
7. To your stomach.  Thank your stomach for all its good work.  Breathe 5-10 deep breaths into your stomach.
8. To your bowels.  Thank your bowels for all their good work.  Breathe 5-10 deep breaths into your bowels.

When you have completed, circulate the energy up the spine, over the head and back into the third eye