Mudras

It's okay.  It's Jnana mudra!

I have been doing a lot of yoga lately.  I haven't been practicing asana everyday, but pretty darn close.  As you regular readers know, I have to be a student in 52 yoga classes and an observer in 8 yoga classes by the end of my teacher training (it ends in APRIL, people.  4 short months away!  Oh I have so much to do before then...) and I have crammed in about 8 classes since December 17th...and I have big plans to do "Hangover Yoga" tomorrow.  Should be interesting...
I have also been caught practicing a Yama or two lately (ha ha....I'm observing one per week), in between learning about the chakras, some anatomy, and thinking about creating class outlines.  My brain has been scattered all over the Yoga "Map", as it seems, and I don't think my asana has been as "spot-on" as it usually is.  Perhaps studying the proper alignment for postures has made my foundation a little less confident, perhaps I've just been too tired to focus on my poses, perhaps I've had a bit too much wine this holiday season (ahem.  maybe I should just go with the last one and call it a day).  Whatever the reason, I've felt the need to find something to help me ground my practice and get the poses bit more on target.  I've found that Mudras can help!
Mudra is a Sanskrit word that means "seal", and mudras are simple hand gestures that convey messages or a focus within your practice (no, I'm not talking about THOSE types of hand gestures!).  As part of our teacher training, we are expected to know ONE mudra.  I know that "one" doesn't seem like a whole lot, but there's a lot of other stuff we need to know, including entire phrases in Sanskrit, so cut us some slack.  Mudras are often visible in Hindu statues and icons, and the position of the statue's hands convey great meaning.
Anjali mudra (hands held in prayer with thumbs resting together on the sternum/breastbone) is commonly used during practice, so I already "know" a mudra, but me being me, I'd like to know more than one.  Some mudras are quite challenging to form with the fingers.  I personally have a hard time with Vishnu mudra, where the first and middle fingers bend forward, while the ring and pinkie fingers remain flexed and the thumb rests alongside the fist.  Basically, I can't straighten my ring finger in this position; it's really uncomfortable for me.  One mudra that I have come to appreciate, however, is Jnana mudra, or as people in the western hemisphere might say, "the OK sign!".  This is a simple and comfortable mudra, but it also has a wonderful meaning for your yoga practice.
The Jnana mudra is often seen when a figure is sitting in a comfortable cross-legged position, and the hands are making the "OK sign" with the backs of the hands resting easily on the knees.  Each finger has a meaning, and the position of the fingers has a great deal of symbolism for this mudra (and your yoga practice).  The thumb represents the energy of the universe, and the index finger represents your true "Self".  By bringing your thumb and index finger to touch, you are bringing together your self with the universe, effectively uniting them (the ultimate expression of Raja yoga).  The remaining three fingers represent the "Ego" (middle finger - rather telling, don't you think, when flipping someone the bird?), the "Mind" (ring finger), and "Worldly goods" (the pinkie).  By opening these fingers and resting the hands on the knees, we allow these aspects of ourselves to drip away from our practice, to drip away from our true selves and the energy of the universe.  No one needs an ego on the mat, you can forget about the mind because your body will guide you - you just have to listen to it!, and worldly goods are of no use to you when you're practicing asana.
So, as 2013 approaches, with it's first 4 months filled with "yoga everything" for me, Jnana mudra will be a wonderful symbol to come back to.  I can allow it to guide my teacher training - I'll find the energy to finish, I'll let my ego get out of the way, I'll try to forget about worldly goods (I really DO have plenty), and I've already lost my mind, so I won't miss it!

Happy New Year!  May 2013 find you joyfully on your mat!  Thanks for reading! - Megan