“Silence is the great teacher and to learn its lesson you must pay attention to it. There is no substitute for the creative inspiration, knowledge, stability that come from knowing how to contact your core of inner silence.” -Deepak Chopra

Photo: colored by Mary Breath

Want to be more connected to the universe through your own hands? Mudras are hand gestures, which can be a powerful tool for enhancing the psychic, emotional, devotional and aesthetic gestures or attitudes. Incorporating mudras are a powerful way to connect individual pranic force with the force of the universe or cosmos. They are subtle and can alter perception and deepen the connection with ones self. They are also a great tool for strengthening awareness and concentration. 

Below I have uploaded a photo of ‘Mandala Mudra.‘ 

Mandala Mudra is used to center the self as well as deepen ones connection with universal source. Offering a mandala represents the willingness to give everything in the universe to receive teachings, vows, or empowerment. Mandala Mudra symbolizes an offering that is intended for the benefit of all beings. 

Lastly, It’s also used as a way to connect with ones individual self when one knows they need to incorporate more meditation into their individual practice.  

To learn how to practice this Mudra. Check out the link below. 📿

http://www.yogawiz.com/yoga-mudra/mandala-mudra.html

To learn more about mudras as well as to learn more mudras to incorporate into your practice, check out the book: 

Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha by Swami  Satyananda Saraswati. 
   

Take some time to meditate today in honor of the Capricorn ‘new moon.’ Practice asanas that will ground you such as mountain, chair, tree or butterfly pose -just to name a few.  

Meditation is another great option for grounding. 

Check out: Mandala meditation

Mandala means ‘circle.’

A mandala is a visual tool that is used by many diverse cultures across the world. They are used as a tool for both spiritual renewal and awakening. 

The process of designing or coloring a mandala is helpful for calming the mind and bringing one back to their center. 

This personal and transformative process is always available. Life itself is like a mandala. Check out Life is a mandala

I not only use the above process as a form of meditation, but I also sit 20 minutes a day in meditation. 

Last night after spending a couple of hours coloring a mandala, I sat down for my evening meditation. As I sat there I began to notice my own center as the shape of a mandala. I began to see the center of my brow a.k.a ‘third eye’ metamorphosising into a mandala. 

If you wish, try this subtle meditation on accessing your inner mandala. Keep in mind we all experience things in a unique form- so your experience may be different than mine. 

Sit crossed legged on a comfortable pillow. Begin to notice your breath. As you focus on your breath begin to draw your attention to your ‘third eye’. This is the subtle place where your light shines. Although it appears dark at first- notice the light. As you focus there begin to notice your own mandala. Notice the center and then begin to notice the subtle shapes and lines begin to form. It may appear to be like a web. This is the web of your being.  Notice it. Notice your thoughts, feelings and sensations. Each of these contributes to the mandala or the web of your being. 

Continue to sit, center and breathe. 

Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life. -Omar Khayyam

I woke up this morning thinking of mandalas. I’ve been working with mandalas for the past few years, but lately they’ve become a big part of my life. I don’t just color them, I design them with things such as leaves, rocks, shells or just about anything I can get my hands on. 

I woke up contemplating my existence and my connection to this world. Ever since I was a small child  I have contemplated this. I have many memories of myself contemplating life, but one memory that sticks out today is me at the circus when I was very small. I sat there watching the circus and all the people and animals performing when suddenly I began to rub my eyes. I remember rubbing them so hard that I began to see the same shapes as the kaleidoscope that I was holding in my hand at the circus. I became fascinated at the swirls, colors and shapes that I was creating with my own eyes. 

As I’ve grown I’ve continued to appreciate shapes, but especially geometric shapes. They represent more than the eye can see. They are spiritual and purposeful just like a mandala. 

I love this quote below by Pema Chodron. 

Life is like a mandala. 

 “Each person’s life is like a mandala- a vast, limitless circle. We stand in the center of our own circle, and everything we see, hear and think forms the mandala of our life. We enter a room, and the room is our mandala. We get on the subway, and the subway car is our mandala, down to the teenager checking messages on her iPhone and the homeless man slumped in the corner. We go for a hike in the mountains, and everything as far as we can see is our mandala: the clouds, the trees, the snow on the peeks, even the rattlesnake coiled in the corner. We’re lying in a hospital bed, and the hospital is our mandala. We don’t set it up, we don’t get to choose what or who shows up in it. It is, As Chogyam Trungpa said, “the mandala that is never arranged but is always complete.” And we embrace it just as it is.

Everything that shows up in your mandala is a vehicle for your awakening. From this point of view, awakening is right at your fingertips continually. There’s not a drop of rain or a pile of dog poop that appears in your life that isn’t the manifestation of enlightened energy, that isn’t a doorway to sacred world. But it’s up to you whether your life is a mandala of neurosis or a mandala of sanity.”

(From Pema’s newest book, Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change)

http://pemachodronfoundation.org/store/buy-books/#livingbeautifully

Image colored by Mary Breath

I choose to exist in a world that is constantly distracting me from ‘being.’ I choose to serve instead of ‘do.’ If I’m going to ‘do’ anything it’s going to be to live in the moment. #existence #being #human #presence #moments  

I choose to seek the unexplored territory of my life this year. I am open to exploring new territory within my inner being and my existence in this world. Here are ways to seek new territory. 💫Yogis: explore a new pose or style of yoga. Also try exploring a new place within your body while practicing your favorite pose. 💫Readers: explore a new section of the bookstore or local library. 💫Writers: explore a new voice or practice a new style of writing. 💫Artists: explore a new medium or a new art technique. 💫Adventurers: explore a new destination or method of travel. 💫Whatever you do – seek the unexplored 💫  

I headed to Asheville for my annual New Years trip with Will. While he was driving and I was sitting shot gun, we came upon this intense golden sunset. I immediately came to the conclusion thatwe were watching 2015 dissolve before our eyes while the golden sun burned away all that no longer served the planet. 

Check out the video. Be sure and watch the whole video.   

I’m always heading into the new year with a positive perspective. Always thankful for what I’ve learned whether it’s negative or positive. 💫🌟💫🌟💫