On the second day of Christmas, yoga gave to me... a hand gesture to help me connect to my heart and feel compassionate, tender and free.
If you have attended one of my classes before, chances are you will have practised a "hasta mudra" with me.
"Hasta" is Sanskrit for "hand" and "mudra" means a "gesture" or a "seal" that helps to channel your body's energy flow. So a "hasta mudra" is a hand gesture that helps to direct prana in a specific way around the body for a specific energetic effect.
Each of the fingers and thumb relate to one of the five elements.
"Hridaya Mudra" or "Heart Mudra" assists in opening up the emotional heart centre found at the centre of the chest. It revitalises energy to and from the heart centre and has a warm, nourishing and tender effect when practising.
Today, I invite you to practice this mudra.
Just five breaths can be enough to shift your energy into a more compassionate and tender place.
DIRECTIONS
Curl your index finger down into the root of your thumb. Let the tips of your middle two fingers gently rest on the tip of the thumb. Keep your little finger out to the side.
From a comfortable seated position, rest the back of your hands on your lap and form the mudra.
Inhale and visualise prana (energy) being drawn in through the centre of your chest, directly into the heart centre, diffusing like a starburst throughout the body
Exhale and visualise this soft heat energy moving across the collar bones, along the upper arms, down the forearms and out through the fingertips into the space around you.
You may wish to send this loving energy out to a loved one/friend/the wider community.