11 Powerful Reasons To Smile

Mother Teresa said "peace begins with a smile," but is it true for health too? I was in my office and couldn't help but laugh when a patient walked in. He was a relatively new patient visiting for a checkup that revealed good news.

I could tell he had a twisted and energetic sense of humor. He was biting on a blue plastic stick that was about six inches long, creating a gigantic grin on his face. I tried to ignore it (just to irritate him), but I had to break down and ask,"What the heck is that?"

It turns out that he had become a student of the health benefits of smiling, so I humbled myself and listened. He had designed the stick -- called, simply, a Smile Stick -- as a tool to help achieve the most therapeutic smile called a Duchenne smile. A Duchenne smile involves the whole face all the way up to the eyes.

Whether you feel like smiling or not, there are at least 11 benefits that can improve your health and life success. Continue reading.

Originally posted on Mind Body Green.