Reading the title of this post, I wonder: did the corners of your mouth turn up a hint? Even thinking about smiling can release the ‘feel good’ hormones of the body. Try it now: Let the corners of your mouth ever so slightly lift… Notice anything else shifting? Maybe you let out a sigh… Maybe you sensed your shoulders drop back and down… Maybe you can sense your eyes softening as you read. Isn’t the body miraculous?

Did you know there’s another smile line in your body? It’s the one that we trace with our tailbone when we shift our weight from one foot to the other. Try it next time you are standing in front of a mirror: bring your weight to one whole foot, using the opposite ball of the foot for support. In this position, sense the hip joint over the supporting leg. Now shift your weight, allowing your tailbone to lower slightly as it travels across the space laterally until you are resting on the opposite whole foot. You just traced a ‘smile line’ with your tailbone!

This subtle movement, when done with awareness, brings our attention to the position of our pelvis in space, and the unique mobility of each of our ball and socket hip joints. Next time you are waiting in line, I invite you to think about this smile line… maybe it will bring a smile to your face to shift your weight and leave a trace of your smile in space. The more we listen to the voice of the body, the better choices we make for living sustainably and with pleasure.