Can you relate to feeling so busy, scattered, or focused on other people, places, or things that you lose a sense of yourself? Yes? Don't worry, you are not alone!
When you're feeling overwhelmed and it feels like you will never return to a centered cohesion, or on the other hand, when you are feeling content and you want to feel even more open-hearted and in touch with yourself- there's a very simple way to go inward, get quiet and connect to the place that is still and full within you.
It's by connecting to your breath.
The heart center is located deep in the center of the chest and is surrounded by the lungs. We all know the lungs are a vital part of the respiratory system, which allows us to breathe. As the lungs surround the physical pumping heart and the energetic heart chakra taking in a nice, deep inhale through your nose and filling your lungs, instantly brings energy to your heart center, to the place of quiet stillness and balance within you.
One Minute Practice
I invite you to try this right now for one minute-place both hands on your chest, close your eyes if possible, and take in a nice deep breath through your nose. Feel the sensation of your chest gently rising and expanding under your hands. Exhale fully and completely through your nose. Feel your hands following your chest back in towards your heart. Repeat this a few more times. Notice how you feel.
If you want to add a hand position or a mudra as it is called in Sanskrit, the Lotus Mudra is a beautiful one that mimics the shape of a blossoming lotus flower. The word mudra translates to "seal". Making these specific handshapes brings energy into an area of your body and either seals and contains energy into that area or opens energy up in that area. The Lotus Mudra (seen in my photo above) symbolizes purity and helps to open energy in the heart center.
Here's how to practice:
Bring your palms to meet
Keep both edges of your hands pressing together – along the pinky side and the thumb side
Keep the base of your palms pressing together as well
Separate and peel your index fingers, middle fingers, and ring fingers apart from each other like a blooming lotus flower
Hold the mudra at the heart center or draw your forearms together and lift them above your head to open the back of your heart
Benefits of this mudra:
Grounds yet also uplifts
Helps to maintain an open heart to all that life brings
Keeps an essence of purity while opening the Heart Chakra
Helps to combat feelings of inadequacy, isolation, sadness, and loneliness.
I hope you found this useful. Of course, you do not have to add a Band-Aid to your pinky finger as I have. I had my knives and scissors sharpened at Mike's Knife Sharpening Truck this past weekend and he did a very good job!
Send me a quick email and let me know how you are doing these days. I appreciate you all and would love to hear from you in the comments below.
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