The Inner Smile: Increasing Chi through the Cultivation of Joy

by Mantak Chia

A guide to the foundational practice of “smiling to the organs” to promote deep relaxation and internal health • Presents exercises that dissolve the physical and mental tensions that can cause energy blockages and unhealthy chi flow • Shows how to recognize illness at its inception on the organ level and how to balance the emotions to heal it The Inner Smile is a practice that focuses gratitude and joy on the internal organs to resolve the physical and mental tensions that can lead to illness. In Taoism negative emotions--anger, sadness, depression, fear, and worry--are seen as low-grade energy that causes chronic disease and steals our major life force by creating energy blockages. Master Mantak Chia shows that the internal awareness produced by the simple yet powerful Inner Smile meditation practice flushes the organs of poisonous negative energy that may be blocking chi energy flow in order to nourish the entire body. Just as a genuine outer smile transmits positive energy and has the power to warm and heal, an inner smile produces a high grade of energy that promotes powerful internal healing, deep relaxation, happiness, and longevity. Smiling to the organs and thanking them for the work they do helps to reawaken the intelligence of the body, which, once activated, can dissipate emotional imbalances and inner disharmony before serious illness manifests.

Genres: Health, Philosophy, Self Help, Spirituality, Taoism

90 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 15, 1989

About the author

Mantak Chia is a Taoist Master. He is best known for teaching his Taoist practices under the names of Healing Tao, Tao Yoga, Universal Healing Tao System and Chi Kung. Throughout decades of teaching, he has run numerous workshops, written a series of books, and published a number of training videos. For this reason, some people call him an author, a teacher or a healer. He views himself primarily as a teacher, "who helps his students empower themselves through cultivation of their chi energy." (-wiki)

Reviews

[Chris Healey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short book summarising one of the basic meditations for the authors universal Tao system. It’s bookended by an explanation of the basic concepts of Taoism & there’s a summary of the microcosmic orbit meditation too. I’ve gone through a few of his books in the wrong order & there’s a lot of repetition, I’d like to see them compiled in volumes according to level instead of spread out over disparate very short texts.

I think he has some background in printing/publishing so I wonder what his strategy was by taking this route. The graphics are always good & sometimes raise a smile.

Still, I have an appreciation for Chia, I enjoy his language & presentation.

[Kathy Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Inner Smile is the perfect introduction to the 8,000 year old teachings of Taoism. It does not matter what you are as far as religion goes, Taoism is not a religion it is a healing art taught for thousands of years. I highly recommend this book as the starting point in your journey in the healing art of Taoism!

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice quick read. Some great exercises in here. The Microcosmic Orbit meditation and the Inner Smile Meditation. I'm enjoying them.

[Mark Austin · Rating 3 out of 5]

★ - Most books with this rating I never finish and so don't make this list. This one I probably started speed-reading to get it over with.
★★ - Average. Wasn't terrible, but not a lot to recommend it. Probably skimmed parts of it.
★★★ - Decent. A few good ideas, well-written passages, interesting characters, or the like.
★★★★ - Good. This one had parts that inspired me, impressed me, made me laugh out loud, made me think - it got positive reactions and most of the rest of it was pretty decent too.
★★★★★ - Amazing. This is the best I've read of its genre, the ones I hold on to so I can re-read them and/or loan them out to people looking for a great book. The best of these change the way I look at the world and operate within it.

[Tu · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple understanding of a healthy appreciation for the mechanics of every organ and a good lead into the cosmic meditations.

[Brian Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Inner Smile is or me an essential art to empower Tai Chi practice or energy healing.