Smiling in Meditation Practice

A slight half-smile is more than an aesthetic detail in meditation — it's a somatic cue that orients the practitioner toward openness and receptivity. I consider the smile an embodiment of friendliness toward all experiences.

This isn't spiritual bypassing or suppression of difficult experience. It's a subtle postural orientation that can support equanimity and non-reactivity, particularly in the presence of discomfort. In the following linked brief video, I revisit the half-smile as a meditative technique, drawing on the influential teachings of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, who has taught me that Joy can be a foundation for meditation itself.

Smiling in Meditation Practice

© 2026 Larry Cammarata, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist and Mindfulness Educator

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