The word mudra translates as attitude or gesture. The word chin comes from the word chitta, which means consciousness. So, Chin Mudra is the gesture of consciousness. In Chin Mudra the index finger represents our thinking brain or ego. It is bows inwards to meet the thumb, which represents the part of our selves that is connected to higher consciousness. Chin mudra is a gesture that we are surrendering our ego in order to connect to universal consciousness, sometimes called intuition.
You wave your ice cream cone in front of your friend’s face when you know she is on a diet…and it falls flat on the ground.
You notice that the tire that needed constant filling with air—and which you ignored—is now flat just as you are heading out the door to attend a special event. You won’t make it there in time, now.
You try to keep up with the flexible person next to you in yoga class, and wake up the next morning with a sore back and neck.
Mudras are the hand gestures of Yoga. They can be practiced during meditation, asana, or pranayama to help focus the mind and open the energy centers. The lotus mudra gently encourages opening in the heart chakra.
Running with your dog is one of the most rewarding ways to spend time together. Many runners dream of having a canine companion capable of running five, ten, or even 20 miles—a dog lean and strong, but also fast and nimble. Luckily, many dogs can make running partners.
One of the goals of Yoga is to help the practitioner set aside the Ego, which can only care for itself, and step into our true nature as collaborative beings. Through devoted practice, Yoga reveals the bonds that tie together all living things. But when the Ego becomes inflamed, which can happen for any number of reasons, it is impossible for the practitioner to experience the truth of unity.
Folks looking to be active may think of working on some muscle strength, but let’s not forget about those important bits that actually hold us up and let us move…our various connective tissues. Tendons, ligaments, cartilage as well as our bones are all, technically, connective tissue. Tendons connect muscles to bone, which is why we can move. Ligaments connect bone to bone, which is why we don’t just collapse into a pile on the floor. Joints are a collection of connective tissues (cartilage and ligaments) that also let us move.
