Balance your right and left brain

Bring your palms together in a prayer or Anjali Mudra, then press the finger tips together and separate the palms. You are now in Hakini Mudra -used often for memory and/or recall. This hand position helps to activate connections between the right and left sides of the brain. You can use this mudra when you are concentrating on something you want to remember later, or when you are trying to recall something.

Apan Vayu Mudra

Apan Vayu Mudra is used for healing and strengthening the heart. I find it good for calming down the heart rate when feeling stressed or anxious.

Bend the index finger and let the tip rest on the ball of your thumb, or what I like to call the drum stick. Then take the tips of your middle and ring fingers to touch the tip of the thumb. Extend the pinky finger. Do this on both hands. Use this mudra to find inner stillness.

Jnana and Chin Mudras

One of my biggest battles in life is insomnia so I wanted to write about a mudra that can be used for it. If you practice yoga you've probably done it already because it's so common and also found in different religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Catholicism.

How to do it: Join the tips of your index finger and thumb. The rest of the fingers are extended. Place the hands on the knees in this Mudra while sitting. Pointing up its called the Jnana Mudra, fingers pointing downward its called the Chin Mudra. The Jnana Mudra can also be practiced held in front of an open chest.

Both are good for countering stress and tension, as well as useful in concentration and meditation.  I find it to have a calming and quieting effect on my mind when I have insomnia. I lay down in my bed, flat on my back and use the Jnana Mudra with hands laid on my thighs and do some type of breathing exercise. Another helpful exercise I complement this practice is to keep my eyes relaxed but open in the dark, staring at the ceiling and count at an even pace up to twenty. Then close my eyes gently and count to twenty and continue. Usually I find that at some point I fall asleep.

P.S. Why do some of these horrible PhotoBooth images make me look like I have chin hair?! NOT COOL cause I DON'T!

Chin Mudra

Jnana Mudra

Variation

Both hands! Variation in front of the chest.

Zombies eat your brains

Obviously, I've been gearing up and getting ready for my trip to Thailand, hence random Muay Thai posts...but before I leave a few things...So everyone around me has been sniffling, coughing, looking all zombie-like... and I have been taking all kinds of preventative measures because who wants to be sick on vacation? Or worse...sick on a long flight to Asia.

I've been doing the obvious: drinking tons of water, Emergen-C packets, zinc, multi-v's, coconut water, ginger, resting, sleeping and keeping distance from those already infected by the T-virus. Some other things that I SWEAR are working:

Drinking Bird's nest. Maybe it was on one of those shows in which some guy -who is not Asian, goes to different Asian countries to eat dead bugs and other weird things...but its supposed to be so good for you according to my Chinese grandmother who is no longer with us. It doesn't really have much taste to it, and it at least doesn't taste bad. Plus you can knock it back quick in small doses like a shot. I had 4 of them this week and I SO believe its helped me when I was in the "almost getting sick" mode.

Mudras:
Linga Mudra. Interlace the fingers with one thumb up with the thumb and forefinger tips touching of the other hand and encircling it. Said to increase the powers of resistance against colds, coughs and chest infections. It loosens mucus caught in the lungs. Not to be weird but I've used this everyday for a week and a half and I swear it works though I've also been taking ginger which could be contributing.

Shankh Mudra. Wrap the four fingers of your right hand around the thumb of the left hand, then touch the right thumb to your left middle finger. Hold the hands in front of the sternum. This is also called the "shell mudra" because it looks like your conch shell. This mudra is said to help with any type of throat problems. It can also be useful and great for people's singing voices (not mine), especially when you are singing "om" while doing it. I've been using this particular mudra at the beginning and end of classes these last few weeks when we "om" and I will tell you it has a calming effect on me as well as helps promote better posture and having a more open heart/chest which I need to improve for myself!

Ushas Mudra

So I haven't been posting lately. Trying to tie up some loose ends before going on vacation! But wanted to share Ushas Mudra.

Its so easy peasy. Interlace your fingers. Important for women to have the right thumb between left index finger and left thumb, press on right thumb with left thumb. This mudra is great for waking up in the morning when you're laying in bed and still feeling sleepy. I place my hands in this mudra on my belly and do a square breathing exercise. Which is inhale for a count of 4, hold for 4, exhale on a count of 4, hold for 4 and repeat. Another variation is to put clasp hands behind the head while laying in bed. Inhale and exhale vigorously with eyes and mouth wide and pressing the elbows back into the pillow or bed.

In case you're wondering, I get my mudras mostly from this book and some online research. I only write about the ones I've tried using myself. The thing about my Yoga practice is that its always  been more asana than anything. So I am quite behind when it comes to meditation and such, though I am delving more into it nowadays.

Some help with insomnia

Shakti Mudra is great for when you have trouble falling asleep.
How to do it: Put the tips of the ring fingers and little fingers together. Middle and first finger are bent downwards and the thumb is placed over them. Done with slow breathing and focus on the pelvic area.

I took great Yoga class today at Atmananda. We worked on lots of advanced poses like bird of paradise, peacock and scorpion. I didn't expect to, but I actually got my scorpion today! I was working so much on focusing that BAM! There it was. But I got kinda scared and got out of it right away. AHH that weird "AHA moment, it strangely freaks me out. Check out my break down of scorpion in a previous post here.

TRX and Prithivi Mudra

Last night I took a TRX class. It was so hard! If you check out the link, its basically suspension straps that you use to do exercises with your own body weight. Basic ones are planks, push-ups, and lunges. But there are lots of other cool exercises that can really kick your ass. Just started offering it at Five Points! I also tried it at Nimble Fitness which is expensive but more of a semi-private type of studio.

And now onto Prithivi Mudra aka Earth Mudra. Join the tips of your ring finger and your thumb together, then extend the other fingers. Same on both hands. This is great for restoring equilibrium and self assurance. And for fun, the last picture is my half bound, kneeling lunge. One day I will make the full backbend!

Because I love Mudras and am obsessed with Mayurasana.

Just a few mudras

This is a mudra a friend of mine taught me.  Press the middle finger and thumb together and interlock both hands in this position. Other fingers are flexed. Wards off negativity. I don't know what its called though.

Shunya mudra. Bend the middle finger down and place the thumb on top. Straighten out the other fingers.  This mudra is said to relieve ear aches, nausea and vertigo.

  

Reverse Namaste

I find that training in Muay Thai creates a caved posture in my chest which is HORRIBLE for my shoulders/back. My muscles get terribly locked up and I need to maintain some backbends and heart openers in my everyday life. Eagle arms and reverse prayer mudras seem to do a lil something.