Simply Smile Away Stress

"Turn a smile into an exercise. Breathe in  and simply smile - your tension will disappear and you will feel considerably better," is the recommendation of Thich Nhat Hanh, the famous Vietnamese monk and life coach. A recent study carried out by psychologists confirms that his "mouth yoga" can indeed help to keep your calm in stress situations. "Tensing certain muscles to form a smile can be sufficient to lower the heart rate during and after a short-term stress situation," says Dr. N. Smetak, national chairman of registered cardiologists in Germany. His advice: Give it a try when you are caught in a traffic jam next time :)
(BIO magazine no. 1/2013)