All you need is love. So the song goes.
This simple, beautiful heart mudra meditation practice creates a feeling of loving warmth, wellbeing and gratitude. It brings a sense of connection, with an energy that radiates far and wide.
With the use of a hand mudra – a yogic hand ‘gesture’ or ‘seal’ – our energy or prana (life force, breath) is drawn from our hands to our heart centre. Our annahata (heart) chakra is energised, bringing with it a realisation of the bounty of the heart space as well as vitality to the physical heart.
To practice this meditation:
Sit comfortably with the spine straight. Take whatever support you need: you can sit on a chair if you prefer, or on a cushion or bolster on the floor. If on the floor, ensure that your hips are higher than your knees, both for comfort and to give your spine a good chance of being straight.
Take hridaya mudra (the heart gesture seal) with both hands, as shown here:
The tip of each index finger is nestled into the root of the thumb. The tip of the thumb touches the tips of the second and third fingers. The little finger is free and straight. Rest the hands on the knees (or thighs depending on your seated posture) with the palms facing upwards.
Allow the physical body to settle. Feel stable and strong through the spinal column and grounded through the sit bones. Breathe through the nose and focus the mind on the natural, gentle, uncontrolled breath. Feel the breath in the heart space, at the centre of the chest. Maintain your focus here, and whenever your mind wanders (it will), gently and kindly bring it back to this space – your heart centre – as many times as necessary.
If you are fairly new to meditation, sit for just a few minutes – three would be fine. For seasoned practitioners, stay for up to half an hour or 45 minutes.
At the end of your meditation, release the mudra, open your eyes, take a few breaths and slowly get up to continue with your day.
Meditation is traditionally practised early in the morning or in the evening when our surroundings are quiet. I find, however, that this heart mudra meditation can be practised at any time of day.
Focusing on the heart space in this way is ideal when life is more challenging and our emotional centre is in need of support and compassion. It is also perfect when we would like to connect with the heart rather than the head, or to simply pause for a while to appreciate all the good things in life. When we meditate consistently we feel a love unlike any other.
May you enjoy this heart mudra meditation and may it bring you what you need.
Love is all around – and within each of us. Why not share this with your loved ones and tap into the infinite source of love?
To extend your meditation practice, Carol offers this foundational audio course.
Photos: Bellanova
You might also like:
The 4 essentials of daily meditation
Morning meditation audio
Walking meditation
Mudras – their practice and power