You may hear the word “mudra” from time to time. Maybe you’re familiar with the concept of mudras, or perhaps it’s a word you hear and your finger joints bend into some sort of dinosaur-claw-shape as you try to form whatever gesture you’re going for. Regardless of your experience with mudras, it’s always good to come back to the roots and name it, simply, as a seal.
A hand mudra is an energetic seal that focuses in on a specific intention. We do this when we place our palms together in front of the heart (Anjali mudra), offering gratitude; or when we make an infinity circle by connecting the tips of our index finger and thumb (Gyana mudra), the mudra of wisdom and grounding.
As we enter the New Year, shedding old skin and welcoming things to come, it’s helpful to start off with an intention or resolution. It’s the same thing we do at the beginning of a yoga class, we set an intention for the practice which we focus on to keep us grounded. This is the whole purpose for a New Year’s resolution, right? To keep us focused and stable and we enter the unknown.
Just as we use the Gyana mudra in class for balance, and the Anjali mudra for gratitude and centering, we can enter the New Year by sealing our resolution with the Sankalpa Mudra, or the mudra of intention.
You can use this gesture for any resolution, be it to travel more, be a more conscious eater, to drink less alcohol, spend more time with the family, do something outside of your comfort zone, etc. Or maybe you don’t want to have a resolution for the New Year. Maybe by not having a resolution, your intention can be to live more openly and enjoy the changes and anything new that comes your way.
Whatever it is, specific or vague, we can seal it with the Sankalpa mudra and enter the New Year on grounded feet.
How to make the Sankalpa Mudra:
Start by sitting in a comfortable position, either on your mat or in a chair. Adjust your posture so that your chest is open and the crown of your head naturally lifts.
Have both hands open and lifted to shoulder height, elbows bent like your arms are a scale.
Turn the left fingers to face the right and guide the left hand across the heart from left to right. This left hand represents bravery as it travels through the heart currents.
Place the left hand, palm face-up on the top of the right thigh.
Turn the palm of the right hand down and let it hover over the left palm. The right hand in this position represents grounding and manifestation.
Slowly, lower the right palm down to meet the left and meet the palms so that your fingers hook on to the tops of the hands (like a handshake). This is the seal of your intention.
Give the hands a gentle squeeze and rest in this intention with a sense of openness, stability, patience, and contentment.
All of us at YogaHub are so happy to have you in our lives and we wish you an amazing New Year x
