Mudra Monday: Padma Mudra
To begin:
1. Close your eyes, take 3 deep breaths. Let go of something that isn’t serving you on each exhale.
2. Return to normal breath. Clap hands together three times
3. Gently massage the backs of hands and forearms. Tune into the sensations of the hands: Are they cold? Warm? Do they ache or feel prickly? What do you notice?
4. Slowly rotate wrists in both directions, stretch fingers, massage each finger from bottom to top. Take the thumb and gently rub the center of each palm. You can make circles and rub up and down.
5. Without straining, tilt the right ear toward the right shoulder, getting a gentle stretch in the left side of neck. Let the left shoulder drop away from the left ear. ANY amount of tilt is good here. Do what feels comfortable to you. If you like, you can let the left arm float up to increase the stretch. Take 2-3 breaths and then do the other side.
6. Pick a mudra to try
Padma Mudra
Bring hands to Anjali mudra, prayer hands, in front of your heart.
Create the lotus blossom: Keep heels of hands touching, pinkies touch, thumbs touch. Gently open pointer fingers, middle fingers and ring fingers. The thumbs are gently touching the breastbone here. Take a few gentle breaths at heart center. Allow your breath to be slow and deep. Sometimes, I visualize a ball of white light filling my hands on the inhale. On the exhale, I see the light pouring into my heart and spreading throughout my body. This mudra is said to encourage the opening of the heart and the settling of the mind.
If you like, you may float the mudra to the crown of your head and take a few breaths there.
Padma mudra recalls the lotus flower. Its roots are in the mud, but it is constantly striving towards the surface of the water and the light. Be blessed.