A mudra is generally a
hand posture or gesture,
but doing it with intensity,
sincerity and utter focus
may lead you to a very
different dimension.
space, not to an outer one, although the
two are interconnected. I need to
transform the fabric of my own
consciousness in order to lift the
vibrations of all the participants who
attend. Let me talk about how I do this.
The first step is that when I step out of
my office, I have to quickly "connect". I
usually have about ten minutes before
the class starts. So I go into the
washroom, and perform a powerful
mudra routine. A mudra is generally a
hand posture or gesture, although it can
involve other parts of the body as well.
The reason it works is that I do it with
intensity, sincerity, and utter focus. The
effect is that my consciousness gets
opened, and I then operate from a very
different dimension. The fact that I can
do this in a washroom completely
blows away any concepts I have about
where a human being can open up
spiritually.
The mudra I use is simple. My arms are
to my sides. I sweep them up in a wide
arc while inhaling and they meet above
my head. I then lower them to the level
of the brow on the out-breath, the
fingers pointing upwards, the palms
together. This is known as the
salutation, or anjali mudra. I also say a
brief prayer, asking that the class be
conducted with vigilance, that everyone
stay safe, and that the space gets lifted
as well.
The fact that I place the hands in front
of the ajna chakra is significant. When I
perform this exercise, I can often feel it
stirring, a sign that the kundalini energy
has started to rise and that the
consciousness has lifted in my nervous
system. When I step out of the washroom,
I feel more "blown". Even if I don't have
that feeling, and I still retain some of the
office vibrations, I will know that there is
still opportunity to shift gears.
For instance, before a class, I try always
to meditate in the room where I will
conduct it. Even if it is only for five
minutes, I find my meditation lays the
groundwork for cultivating a sacred
space. The meditation lifts the vibration
of the entire room. Also, I find that when
the students arrive, they will respect my
efforts, and will start to meditate as
well. We routinely meditate for at least
five minutes before the start of the class.
I don't expect that in this initial
meditation, the participants will be able
to slow their minds down sufficiently.
So, when the meditation is over, and
before doing warm-up stretches, we do
a mudra that I find is one of the most
powerful and direct ways for
participants to ground their energy and
get into the space. I sometimes perform
this mudra at the end of the class as
well. It is similar to the anjali mudra I
referred to above, but has an extra step.
The participants are seated with their
legs crossed. On the inhalation I ask
them to sweep their arms up slowly in a
wide arc, bringing their two palms
March 2019 www.yogicherald.com
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