What are mudras?
Mudras are hand positions that help the flow of energy move through the mind-body-soul system. The hands serve as the conductor of the energy which help to awaken the five elements in the body (earth, air, fire, water, and space).
Mudra means “seal” or “closure” in Sanskrit. In yoga and meditation, the practice of mudras goes back centuries.
Some of my favorite mudras are those that activate, direct, and create inner space like the Akasha Mudra. They are simple and easy to implement in our daily lives and can serve as core anchors in our meditation and prayer practice.
Position: Palms face upward. Bring the tips of the middle fingers to touch the thumbs. Rest the backs of the hands on the thighs.
Benefits of the Akasha Mudra: Creating expansiveness, opening, and intuition. Directs energy to the thyroid and parathyroid glands. Relieves chronic tension in the neck and shoulders. Enhances intuition and hearing.
Mantra: Spaciousness allows me to open to new possibilities.
Viktor Frankl said, “Between the stimulus and response, there is a space. And in that space lies our freedom and power to choose our responses. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."
Are you someone who when arrives at the edge, plows right through? Or when you reach the edge, do you back away?
When we come to the edge and soften, we find where we truly want to be. We discover the essence of spaciousness and the value it has to offer us.
Coming to the edge and softening into the vastness of emptiness is a power center. It's where all goes quiet. The noise decreases. It's where our internal ears hear all in stillness. It's where the natural process of listening enhances.
I've spent far too many past years talking with nervous chatter. When I encounter others who do not practice the beauty of listening, I see an old version of myself.
Quieting the mouth and grounding oneself into a listening state is where wisdom awakens in the soul. Only from there can we begin a conversation with the Supreme.
This is the essence of true power.