You were born with unique healing abilities. These gifts are always with you. Most people don’t appreciate them, because they don’t understand the power behind them and their ability to help the body rebalance itself. So, what are these gifts? They are the ability to scream, cry and smile!

Different vibrations or energy frequencies are associated with different emotions. Taoist emotional cleansing is a three-step process that uses the vibration of the voice as well as the action of smiling to help emotions exit the body naturally. This way, emotions are not held in, where they can create disharmony. On an energetic level, this cleansing practice allows you to transform emotions and release stress. So what’s the first step? Screaming!

Screaming is a natural process, and likely the first thing you did when you came into this world. When children are frustrated, they don’t say, “I’m frustrated.” They simply scream to release their energy and express their emotions. We can learn a lot by watching children! Vocal vibrations carry energy and help frustrations exit the body.

Chances are you’re not as in tune with your body and its messages as you were as a child. So when you first begin this cleansing process, don’t use your voice at full volume. Start slowly, and ease yourself into a scream. Your voice should start as a deep exhale, not a surfacy sound from your throat. See if you can recognize the difference. Feel your voice and the power and energy behind it.

Next, release more tension and stress by going deeper. The goal is to cry, as tears are one of the most powerful healing tools we have. Think about the gamut of emotions that are held in tears—people cry when they’re sad, angry, frustrated, worried, scared, excited, and happy! And did you know? Modern science has discovered that not all tears are the same. Your body is so smart that when it creates tears of sadness, they have a different chemical composition than tears of happiness. You’re turning this emotional energy into a physical substance, and allowing it to exit the body—for good. Tears are powerful, beautiful things.

The third step is smiling. Take time to really smile from your heart. Do this consciously with love and compassion. Take twenty minutes or so in a quiet time and place to practice all three steps slowly, at least twice a week.

So what do these steps actually achieve? Screaming helps the Liver release anger and frustrations. Tears help the Lung release sadness and grief and work to increase its Qi. And smiling helps the Heart, the king of organs, which controls the mind, to let its Qi flow. This Taoist practice opens the door to using sound and emotions simultaneously to tune up the body and mind. This practice doesn’t involve any complicated techniques. And you don’t need to practice until you get it right.

These actions are in harmony with Nature and the Universal flow of life. Everyone knows how to scream, cry, and smile. Ask any child.