In our busy, often fragmented world, smiling is often misunderstood. It is reduced to a polite gesture, a social habit, or even a mask. But in many shamanic traditions, smiling holds a deeper, sacred meaning.
A true smile is not forced. It is not performative but real. Such a smile can soften the walls we build within ourselves. It can open channels of healing we didn’t know were blocked.
As a shamanic healer, I’ve seen this many times.
A single, quiet smile during a session can be more powerful than words. It can release grief, restore balance, and invite spirit to return to the body.
☀️ Smiling as an Energetic Act
In shamanic understanding, everything is energy. Emotions, thoughts, even the way we hold our faces — they all shape our energetic field. And a smile, especially one that arises from within, is an energy transmitter.
It says to the body: “You are safe now.”
It says to the spirit: “You are welcome here.”
It says to the world: “I am open to connection.”
Smiling gently activates the heart centre and allows light to flow more freely through the body’s energy system. In many indigenous teachings, it is believed that smiling:
- Opens the channels between the physical and spiritual worlds
- Invites guidance from ancestors or spirit allies
- Helps ground us during deep healing work or inner journeys
- Softens trauma stored in the body’s subtle layers
It’s not about pretending to be happy. It’s about reclaiming joy as a birthright — even if it arrives in small, quiet moments.
🌬️ A Practice to Try: The One-Minute Smile
This is something I offer clients often, especially those who feel disconnected or heavy.
Find a quiet space. Sit comfortably. Close your eyes.
Now bring a soft, genuine smile to your face. Not a big grin — just a slight upturn of the mouth, like your soul remembering something beautiful.
Breathe.
Notice what happens in your body, in your heart, in your breath.
Most people start to feel a shift within seconds. Some feel warmth. Others feel tears. That’s the body saying, thank you for letting me soften.
🌿 Smiling Through Pain
Some of us have been taught that smiling is only for those who are “fine.”
But in shamanic healing, we know the opposite is true:
The smile can be the bridge from pain to presence.
It does not deny suffering. It transforms it.
This is why in ceremonies, journeys, and rituals, the smile is often part of the medicine. Not loud. Not forced. Just quietly powerful — like a beam of sunlight breaking through cloud.
💫 You Don’t Have to Smile Alone
If smiling feels impossible right now — if your face and heart both feel frozen — know that it’s okay. That, too, is sacred. And it can shift.
I offer gentle, guided shamanic healing sessions — in person and online — to help people reconnect with their soul, their body, and their joy. If you feel called, I’m here.
You are not broken.
You are on the path.
And even the smallest smile can be a return to yourself.
With warmth and presence,
Gudrun 🌙
Shamanic Healing 