Pran Mudra
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Pran Mudra
Pran Mudra is the life mudra. You practice this mudra by connecting the thumbs, ring and pinkie fingers together. The index and middle fingers extend outwards.
Pran mudra activates the root chakra called Muladhara which is the chakra associated with the earth element. Pran Mudra reduces nervousness and increases assertiveness. It gives us the self-confidence and courage to start something new and the strength to see it through. This mudra is often used in conjunction with the mantra "so ham." Inhale to "so" and exhale to "ham." It translates to "that am I" or "I am that. that = the conscious spirit, all of creation. This mantra can also be inverted to "ham sa."
“I have a healthy appetite for the small and large adventures of life. I digest the challenges with great pleasure and joy.”
Mantra of the Day: "From my roots, I surrender to the earth." Surrender is hard for me. I think for a long time I wasn't aware or able to face my competitive drive. I remember when a friend mentioned the personality test, Enneagram, and after I took it, I got varying types depending on the test. But when I took the test on the Enneagram Institute's site, I got the "individualist" and the "achiever." I don't think the test can fully encompass all that is me and definitely had some limitations; however, I do think I wasn't recognizing my achievement mentality. I don't want to surrender or admit I wasn't capable of something. I've expected perfection from myself and allowed that to permeate my relationships as well, expecting those around me to be perfect. I've learned how to not imbue my own conquest of self onto those around me, but I'm still having trouble with expectations for myself. Ayurveda has helped me to understand my constitution and my natural proclivities. This illuminated those shadowy sides of myself so I could examine and magnify them. Tools like meditation, yoga and pranayama have helped me to carve out the mental space needed to heal.
3/6/2016
QOTD: “What aspects of your life make you feel nervous? Where do you feel unsteady and who/what or where do you draw strength and courage from?” I have a lot of new adventures on the horizon and there is always a bit of nervousness that goes along with that. Starting my Ayurvedic Wellness Counselor certification, my Etsy store, upcoming craft fairs, establishing an Abhyanga practice, and starting to plan what's next after my Ayurveda certification. I have a pages long to-do list and each time I cross something off, a new task gets added. I had big plans this winter to finish a ton of projects and while I've completed many, new plans have gotten in the way of getting them all done. Sometimes I feel nervous that I won't get everything done, but if I take a deep breath and recognize that worrying won't make anything better, I realize it's all good and things will get done when they get done. Also so many decisions can't be rushed. It's important for me to really take my time and meditate so I make a decision from a place of clarity. I can fall prey to hasty and indiscriminate decision-making when I feel rushed to get things done so I need to remind myself to slow-down and think clearly. As for things I draw strength from, I'd have to first say my PIC my husband, and of course my family and friends. Also my business, Ayurveda, yoga, cooking, my yoga community, meditation.