It’s DAY 11 of our 28 Day Yoga Challenge and I’m feeling very grateful for my life exactly as it is. It’s amazing that depending on our perspective, we can be deeply content or absolutely distraught, with the conditions of our life being exactly the same.

I watched Oprah’s Lifeclass last night featuring Sean Penn’s charitable work in Haiti. I was incredibly touched and reminded to be thankful for all I have.

If you are looking for a focus for your meditation today, try incorporating this hasta mudra with an intention on abundance and giving (to yourself or someone else).

Pushpaputa mudra
See below for general information on hasta mudras (hand postures)

The translation for pushpaputa is “a handful of flowers” which is àpropos for this lovely symbol of giving to another.

Meaning/Benefit:
Pushpaputa is a gesture of offering. This beautiful mudra signifies openness and acceptance — of ourselves, others and the gifts of life. This gesture can help you remember the wealth the Universe has to offer and allow you to connect with abundance. It allows you to be receptive in receiving. You can also use this mudra to meditate on sending an offering to someone else.

How to form the mudra:
The palms are open in the gesture of giving. Rest the back of your hands on your thighs. The thumbs and fingers are relaxed. The fingertips point slightly towards each other.

A hasta mudra is a gesture or positioning of the hands to channel and direct energy in the body. Mudras come from the over three thousand year old tradition of yoga originating in India. Hasta means “hand” in Sanskrit and “mudra” comes from the Sanskrit word “mud”, meaning to delight. A mudra is a seal as in sealing your connection with the Divine or sealing energy in the body. There are many forms of mudras, such as with the eyes and the tongue.

Yoga is a spiritual practice and offers practical healing applications that benefit even those who aren’t spiritually oriented. Hasta mudras work in a way that can be compared to acupuncture or reflexology. By activating parts of the hand, a hasta mudra opens up channels of energy and sends messages to the brain.

Since hasta mudras work to change the energy in the body and spirit, it’s best if you incorporate conscious breathing with your practice. Breathe full and free on the inhale and exhale the breath out completely. Find a rhythm with the breath. Try to make the inhale and exhale the same length.

Mudras can be held for various lengths of time. You may find that today’s mudra may only need to be held for 30 seconds until you feel refreshed or try holding the mudra throughout your meditation. There are no set rules. Let your intuition guide you. Have fun and explore!