This month, weâre participating in Savvy Serenity Yogaâs Mindful March, a month-long exercise in mindfulness and living in the present.Â
There are lots of tools for meditatingâŠmala beads to move through your fingers, coloring books to occupy your gaze, labyrinths to walk to focus your mind. But some of the most powerful tools for meditation are with you all the time â mudras. These simple gestures, made with your hands, face and body, are a way of communicating with your core being. They direct the flow of energy in your body, creating balance and helping focus your attention within. This Mindful March, weâre going to introduce you to mudras and show you how to use them to quiet distractions so you can listen to the important things.
Letâs start with ishvara mudra..Â
Imagine youâre at a party, trying to have a conversation with an old friend you havenât seen in ages. There are people all around, thereâs a band playing, there are waiters walking around with trays of food â there are just too many distractions, so you end up talking about the weather and what youâre binge-watching on Netflix and then youâre interrupted and on to the next conversation. Wouldnât it be great if, instead, you and your friend could sneak off to a quiet corner and have a good catch up?
Cultivating mindfulness has that same challenge. In theory, weâd all love to listen to our inner voices and better angels, but, in practice, the distractions of living our lives demand our attention instead. Ishvara mudra is that quiet corner you need to tune out the noise so you can have a good conversation with yourself.
Ishvara represents harmony, order and calm in the world - sort of a âCalgon, take me away!â for the mind. It silences the outside noise and draws your senses inward. Instead of getting your âfood for thoughtâ from the outside world as you process the cacophony around you, youâre nourished by thoughts, emotions, impressions and memories that reside within, allowing you to process them and to cultivate inner silence.
Letâs start by bringing our hands into the mudra. Interlace your fingers on the outside, with the base of your palms touching. Extend your index and pinky fingers, and let your thumbs come to rest along the top of your hands as your fingers point away from your body. Let your forearms and shoulders relax, close your eyes and settle into your breath. Sit up tall, so your breath can move freely. Take five or six breaths here to start to feel the effects of the gesture. Think about what happens to your breath, and your body.
You may notice that your breath begins to settle into your belly, and that the pace of your breathing slows down. If so, relax into this breath, and let yourself feel more at ease, more connected to the floor. Now, listen to the world around you. Find the sound thatâs furthest away. Find sounds closer to you. Keep bringing your hearing closer and closer, until youâre listening to your breath and your heart beating.
Now notice the air on your skin. Notice your clothing, the floor beneath you. Then focus on the feeling of your breath as it moves in and out. The coolness or heat of the air entering your body. The feeling of expansion of your body as your lungs inflate. Visualize your body sitting quietly, holding this gesture. Visualize the breath as it flows freely. Let your vision draw inward, maybe even letting images, colors or shapes appear. Just notice what you see in your inner world.Â
Activate your senses of taste and smellâŠimagine flavors and fragrances that make you happy, that comfort you, or bring you peace. Let your senses go where they want to go, and enjoy learning what hey have to say to you today.
And now notice the silence and peace that awaits you when you bring your attention inward. Savor it, rest in it, and let yourself experience that serenity inside.
Whenever youâre ready, begin to follow your breath and bring your senses back out into the world. Feel the air on your skin. See yourself sitting comfortably, hear the sounds around you and, when youâre ready, open your eyes.
So how was that? Even if you didnât bring all your senses inward, were you able to tune out at least some of the world around you? Donât stress if it wasnât easy or didnât work this time, just keep trying. You can use the mudra for a longer meditation session if youâd like, or even just try it when youâre needing a moment of peace in your day. And remember â thereâs another mudra coming next week. Even if ishvara wasnât great for you, the next one might be!
Mudra image courtesy of âMudras for Healing and Transformationâ by Joseph and Lilian LePage.
