A Powerful Mantra for a Simpler Life

“Smile, breathe, and go slowly.”

Photo by Radu Florin on Unsplash

The Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh said many wise things during his life.

But one piece of advice that he shared was particularly jam-packed with good ideas:

Smile, breathe, and go slowly.

This short statement is a powerful mantra to keep in mind.

To understand why let’s break the quote down and take a close look at each idea within it.

Smile

We all know that when we feel good, we tend to smile.

But what’s less intuitive is that this works the other way around, too.

When we smile, we tend to feel good.

Deliberate smiling releases tension in your face, mind, body — and everyone around you.

So, as you go about your daily business, it’s a good practice to do it with a gentle smile on your lips.

Breathe

It’s surprisingly easy to fall into incorrect breathing patterns.

And suboptimal breathing negatively affects your health, energy, and well-being in many ways.

Luckily, you can learn how to breathe optimally by following three simple rules: