You Always Move Better with a Smile

I see all kinds as I run along Meguro river every morning.

There's the man who sleeps on the bench, sleeping bag covering his face, bags packed neatly by his side, snoring. There's an old woman who sweeps the leaves away, and sometimes offers me a sad half-grin. And dogs, lots of them: puffy poodles, little Brushwoods with their razor-sharp faces, and some ancient dogs - plodding along with their ancient owners, who also plod along.

And there's me – Thump! Thump! Thump! – passing them all while I try to run back into my youth. There's a lot to see and think about on my morning run.

But one thing stands out above all else: who smiles, and who doesn't.

And the smilers are the ones I love most.

Because I am energized by a smile, SO MUCH.

Is it a quirk of my personality, or is it a deeply engrained ancient brain thing?

I am going for the latter because the effect on my physiology is so profound. It's like I am wired to want that, wired to feed off that. A genuine smile from a passer-by can fill me with joy and energy for 2 or 3 minutes. Running is easier, life is nicer and I am happier.

Which goes to show how much state-of-mind influences your postural movement.

But the runners worry me the most.

Almost none of them smile. 

In fact, almost none of them even look at me. (I guess a big hairy foreigner thumping towards them is not the most inviting to look at, there's that.) I do try to look at them. Once I understood the power of a smile, I wanted to gift that to them, to celebrate the insanity of us both thumping away at 6 am – heading nowhere! It is rather funny when you think about it.

How do you smile when you run? How do you smile when you breathe? If your task is full of anxiety and concern – by itself, that will cause postural stress. My experience is that your postural mechanism gets nourished by connection; it craves community.

So next time you have something "serious" to do – remember this: 

You always move better with a smile.

If you watched the video of a previous Golden Week residential in Japan, you will see how smiling, play, having fun is a consciously intended part of the learning experience. In May 2020 you can spend a week with me, Lucia Walker the dancer, Sharyn West the thinker and a plethora of talented, experienced Japanese teachers for a week that can change your life.

More about that here – only three rooms available, two looked like they are already taken. Hurry up and decide!

https://atsuccess.com/alexander-discovery-workshop-japan-jeremy-chance.html