A little information about "Anjali Mudra"

Anjali Mudra (ON-jol-ly MOO-drah)

anjali = a gesture of reverence, benediction, salutation (from anj, "to honor, celebrate")
mudra = seal (The gesture "seals" energy in the body and "seals" your relationship with the Divine.)

Step by Step
Sit comfortably or stand in Tadasana (mountain pose).
Inhale and bring your palms together. Rest the thumbs lightly on
your sternum.


Press the hands firmly but evenly against each other. Make sure that one hand (usually your right hand if you are right-handed, your left if left-handed) doesn't dominate the other. If you find such imbalance, release the dominant hand slightly but don't increase the pressure of the non-dominant hand.


Bow your head slightly and lift your sternum into your thumbs. Lengthen down along the back of the armpits, making the back elbows heavy.

Practicing Anjali Mudra is an excellent way to induce a meditative state of awareness. Start your practice sitting in meditation in Anjali Mudra for 5 minutes. You can also use this hand position in Tadasana prior to beginning the Sun Salutation sequence, contemplating the "sun" or light of awareness the yogis say is resident in your heart.

It is important when we do our yoga practice to understand the reasons why we are doing what we are doing, and not only doing it just to follow a procedure. You may find that the Anjali mudra sign has many meanings. However, the explanation given by Krishnamacharya is a good one:

This gesture signifies the potential for an intention to progress to greatest spiritual awakening. When done properly the palms are not flat against each other; the knuckles at the base of the fingers are bent a little, creating space between the palms and fingers of the two hands resembling a flower yet to open, symbolizing the opening of our hearts.

We can apply this gesture to many asanas instead of keeping our hands separate; it can be a reminder for us to keep an inner attitude of peace during our practice.

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Let's Pause for a Pose...

The other day in class we were discussing HERO pose.
Below is some information from "Yoga Journal" that might help us understand what it takes to be a yogie "hero"...

HERO Pose (veer-AHS-anna)  vira = man, hero, chief


Getting into the Pose
1. Kneel on the floor (on a folded blanket to pad your knees, shins, and feet if necessary), with your thighs perpendicular to the floor, and touch your inner knees together. Slide your feet apart, slightly wider than your hips, with the tops of the feet flat on the floor. Angle your big toes slightly in toward each other and press the top of each foot evenly on the floor.
2. Exhale and sit back halfway, with your torso leaning slightly forward. Wedge your thumbs into the backs of your knees and draw the skin and flesh of the calf muscles toward the heels. Then sit down between your feet.
3. If your buttocks don't comfortably rest on the floor, raise them on a block or thick book placed between the feet. Make sure both sitting bones are evenly supported. Allow a thumb's-width space between the inner heels and the outer hips. Turn your thighs inward and press the heads of the thigh bones into the floor with the bases of your palms. Then lay your hands in your lap, one on the other, palms up, or on your thighs, palms down.
4. Firm your shoulder blades against the back ribs and lift the top of your sternum like a proud warrior. Widen the collarbones and release the shoulder blades away from the ears. Lengthen the tailbone into the floor to anchor the back torso.


At first stay in this pose from 30 seconds to 1 minute. Gradually extend your stay up to 5 minutes. To come out, press your hands against the floor and lift your buttocks up, slightly higher than the heels. Cross your ankles underneath your buttocks, sit back over the feet and onto the floor, then stretch your legs out in front of you. It may feel good to bounce your knees up and down a few times on the floor.

Anatomical Focus
• Upper back
Benefits
• Stretches the thighs, knees, and ankles
• Strengthens the arches
• Improves digestion and relieves gas
• Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
• Reduces swelling of the legs during pregnancy (through second trimester)
• Therapeutic for high blood pressure and asthma
Contraindications and Cautions
• Heart problems
• Headache: Practice this pose lying back on a bolster.
• Knee or ankle injury: Avoid this pose unless you have the assistance of an experienced instructor.
Beginner's Tip
Often the inner top feet press more heavily into the floor than the outer top feet. Press the bases of your palms along the outer edges of the feet and gently push the pinky-toe sides of the feet to the floor.