So in the sitting position, you may prefer the lotus position, or the half-lotus position. The half-lotus position is one leg placed on the other. Like this. [Thay indicates listeners with his hand.] Like this! And if you find that the full lotus position or the half-lotus position is a little too difficult, then try the chrysanthemum position. What is the chrysanthemum position? It is any position in which you can sit with solidity and stability.

You are seated, firm and stable like a mountain. The stability of the body brings about the stability of the mind. So we have to learn to sit with stability. In your living room, at the foot of a tree, on the grass, anywhere, but always learn to sit in stability. The stability of the body, I repeat, helps the stability of the mind a great deal.

And when you are seated, you must relax all the muscles. You must let go of all effort. Effortlessness, that is the principle. You should not struggle in the sitting position. With the back completely straight [Thay places his forearm in a vertical position.] and with the head held like this, in a straight line, like this [Thay holds his fist aligned with his arm.] and not like this. [Thay tilts his fist relative to his arm.] But not rigid at all. You let yourself go. Relax.

First of all, smile! So that the hundreds of muscles on your face can relax. You know, when we are angry, when we are worried, something like three hundred muscles on our face have become rigid. And when people look at us, they see that very clearly. We are in that... sort of like a bomb ready to explode. So, if you take an in-breath and if you can make a smile, then there is relaxation on your face and the three hundred muscles will soon relax.

So, the smile is a very important practice, and easy. And perhaps you say to yourself: "I do not have any joy, why do I have to smile?" But here, it is not... It is a matter of practice. It is the practice of mouth yoga. Just smile! And it is a kind thing that you are doing for your body. Smiling is in order to relax. And when you can smile like that, there is relaxation in many muscles on your face.

And then you pay attention to your shoulders. You must relax your shoulders. You must smile to your shoulders too, the muscles of your shoulders. "Breathing in, I am aware of my shoulders. Breathing out, I smile to my shoulders." With a lot of friendship, a lot of tenderness towards your shoulders. And you let everything go. And relaxation takes place in the whole body.