Hi dear friend:

You are probably like most of us, under a lot of stress. And you might be wondering what a mudra is, how to use it for meditation, and are not sure about the benefits it can bring you.  I have found that this practice has helped me a lot to cope better with anxiety and also in order to prevent stress.

Why should you meditate?

First of all, to help cope better with stress. A growing body of research shows that this is an effective form of stress reduction. If I had to use an analogy, meditation would be similar to how the sea looks calm after a storm.

Intro to mudras, with the number one mudra to open your heart chakra

Once we learn to change our mood, we can change our lives.

What are mudras?

Today I want to teach you about this simple way to influence energy in the physical, emotional, and spiritual body.

They are symbolic and ritualistic hand gestures, used to seal energy and to affect mood employed in the spiritual practice of Indian religions.

About the word ‘mudra’: it is derived from the Sanskrit words MUD (delight or pleasure) and DRA (to draw forth). Mudras move us toward joy, reconnecting us with our highest selves.
Mudras can be done anywhere and anytime.

While some mudras involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers. Today I will show you a mudra that involves the use of your hands.

Anjali Mudra — Practice Gratitude

Anjali means “offering,” and in India this mudra is often accompanied by the word “namaste.”

Begin by coming into a comfortable sitting position like Sukhasana (Easy Pose).

Lengthen your spine out of your pelvis and extend the back of your neck by dropping your chin slightly in.
Now, with open palms, slowly draw your hands together at the center of your chest as if to gather all of your resources into your heart.  Fold your hands into prayer at your heart, the lotus hands merge together into a Namaste.

Broaden your shoulder blades to spread your chest open from the inside. Feel space under your armpits as you bring your elbows into alignment with your wrists. Stay here for some time and take in your experience while you breathe in fully and breath out fully.

This is a familiar gesture for all of you who have attended a yoga class before. At this moment our hands become instruments for healing mind, body, and soul. We are bringing the right and left sides of ourselves, strength, and tenderness into wholeness.

This is the perfect moment to practice gratitude.

Ask yourself: What am I happy about in my life now?
What am I excited about in my life now?

Focus on what you have and end with a THANK YOU!

I recommend you use this Intro to Mudras video and use this heart-opening mudra in the morning for 21 days.

Start the day setting the mood and 21 days is the time it takes to create a new habit.

New to meditation? Or if you would rather follow a guided meditation, this is a great option to experience deep meditation.

It is best if you do this each day for a minimum of 21 days as it takes this amount of days to create a new habit. 

I hope these words of my personal experience and that this Intro to Mudras,  will inspire you to start or to continue helping your body recharge and release tension. Thus, prevent other diseases linked to stress.

Additional resources

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Want to share some of your experiences with this mudra to prevent stress, or ask Cristina some questions below?