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The most important part to meditation is the breath. It is not a cliche to say that breath is life. To start you will need to be in a comfortable position; the best being what is called "easy pose" which is just sitting cross-legged on the floor. The spine should be straight, shoulders back and head level. If easy pose is difficult, sitting in a straight-backed chair works well too. The important part is to keep the spine straight. Your most basic breath is long, deep breathing -- breathing through the nostrils, slowly inhaling and exhaling. The slower you breathe, the calmer you get. You should close your eyes, with your palms resting on your knees or in what is called "gyan mudra" (a mudra is a hand position). Gyan mudra is having the fingertips of your thumb and middle finger touching, then resting the backs of your wrists on your knees. Just relax into it and breath. You can focus your eyes up to the third eye (your point of intuition) located between your eye! brows and slightly up. Some meditations will use the tool of a mantra. We may get to that in a future column, as not everyone is comfortable with the idea of chanting either vocally or non-verbally. Sit for as long as you are comfortable, with the optimum length of time being 11 minutes, but I suggest you start with a shorter period of time. When you are ready to end, inhale deeply, exhale, inhale again and then a bit more, hold the breath for a second or two and then exhale powerfully. Sit for just a moment before getting up and going on with your day.

This is the most basic of meditations and can be exceptionally helpful when you are feeling overwhelmed, for example, sitting in traffic when you are already late for an appointment, when the kids are making you feel as if you are losing your sanity, getting ready for a big meeting at work, or anytime when you just need to stop and center yourself.

Try it and you just might find yourself becoming a calmer person and feeling just a bit better. If anyone has any questions, feel free to talk to me at any time, or email me I'll be happy to help.

Peace,
Susan Morgaine
First published in Bird's Eye View, newsletter of Foxborough Universalist Church, May 2004.

Well, it appears to be that special time of year again.....time for giving, time for joy and happiness, time to be opening our hearts and homes, time for sharing good times, time for........stress?!? Yes, you bet. Along with all of those wonderful, joyful things, this time of year is beset with tension and stress. Who do we need to buy gifts and wrap gifts for, whose house (and family!) are we going to be with and for how long, can we see everyone we want to see in such a short time, can I get the house clean, what am I going to cook for the holiday feast......all of this and so much more can contribute to holiday patience running thin. We can find ourselves not enjoying the holidays so much as getting through them and breathing a sigh of relief when they are finally over; this I can attest to from personal experience.

The one thing we all forget to do, and especially at this time of the year, is to take some time for ourselves. When I was teaching, the most important thing, I believe, that I told my students is "listen to your body". Your body is a remarkable thing and, if you know how to listen, it will tell you when you need to slow down, relax and even just STOP for a while.

I am going to outline a couple of breath meditations that will help with stress and tension release. As always, I am here if anyone has any further questions or needs clarification on how something is done. Remember to always start with the long deep breathing exercises outlined in the previous column.

Anti-Stress Breathing

Sit in easy pose (on floor, legs crossed, spine straight) or sit in a straight-backed chair. It is important that your spine be straight, your shoulders back and your head level. Press the tips of your thumbs and little fingers together. Extend your arms out somewhere between your heart and belly button, arms slightly bent at elbows. Focus your eyes on the tip of your nose (if this makes you dizzy, close your eyes). Inhale through the mouth with a long, deep and powerful breath and exhale through the nose. Then inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. It may take a little bit of time to start to work, but it will calm inner stress and tension. Continue for at least 3 minutes.

Mudra for Preventing Stress

Try this one to prevent stress from even starting. (A "mudra", in yoga, is a hand position. Mudra is a Sanskrit word.) Again, start in easy post with a straight spine. Relax your arms, and bend your elbow, bringing your forearms in front of you and parallel to the ground. Bring your hands, palms up, to meet in front of you, a little above your belly button. Rest the back of the left hand in the palm of the right hand. Keep your fingers together and straight. Your breath will be long, slow and deep and through the nostrils only. Do for at least 3 minutes.

Now, you are preventing and fighting stress, but you are too relaxed to get anything done! Try this:

4/4 Energizing Breath

Sit in easy pose. Bring hands together in prayer pose (palms together at the heart with fingers pointing up). Bring your eye focus to the point between your eyebrows (point of intuition). Inhale through the nose, breaking the breath into 4 equal parts, filling the lungs completely on the 4th segment of the breath. Exhale through the nose, again breaking the breath into 4 segments, totally exhaling on the 4th segment of the breath. One full breath cycle takes about 7-8 seconds. Do for at least 3 minutes.
by Susan Morgaine

First published in Bird's Eye View, newsletter of Foxborough Universalist Church, November 2004.

In this column, I would like to introduce you to "mudras". Mudras, quite simply, are yoga for your hands, and "mudra" is a Sanskrit word for hand gestures. Have you ever noticed paintings of ancient saints and holy ones? Their hands are, quite often, in specific positions. They were used quite often in Renaissance paintings. A common hand pose is that of connected thumb and index finger. The ego - the index finger - is bowing to God - the thumb, in love and unity. An open palm signifies openness and inquiry. Hand symbols can be found on carvings from Ancient Eqypt, Mexico, Africa, as well as right here in North America from the Native Americans.

You can practice "mudra" at any time and any place, preferably someplace quiet and private, as well as comfortable; but certainly at other times as well, i.e., sitting in your car during a traffic jam (plenty of those around!). It is a good way to connect with a positive energy.

Both hands and all of your fingers have distinct meanings. The right hand is connected to the sun and represents your male aspect; conversely, the left hand is connected to the female and the Moon. The thumb symbolizes the Divine and represents willpower, logic, love, and ego. The index finger represents your knowledge, wisdom, self-confidence. The middle finger related to patience and emotional control. The ring finger represents vitality, life energy and health. The little finger rules your ability to communicate, creativity, appreciate beauty, and inner calm.

Here, I will give you a couple of examples of mudra meditations.

1. Keeping Up with Children (figure you all might need this!)
   Sit with a straight spine. Make circles of the tips of the thumbs and index fingers. The other fingers are slightly relaxed but extended outward, while hands rest on knees. (This is also your basic meditation pose.) Your breath is long, deep and slow; continue for 3 minutes, then relax.
2. Inner Security
   Sit with straight spine and place your hands in reverse prayer pose; that is, with the backs of your hands touching at your heart center. Imagine the energy moving from the bottom of your spine upward to the top of your head. Hold for 1 1/2 minutes, then switch to prayer pose (palm to palm); presse those palms together and hold for 1 � minutes. Breath again is long, deep and slow.
3. For Guidance
   Sit with straight spine. Put your hands together in front of your chest, and form little cups with the palms facing up. Focus your eyes on the tip of your nose, toward your palms. Breath - long, slow, deep; 3 minutes. There are so many different mudras, I could not possibly list them all here. I learned some of this in Kundalini Yoga & Meditation Teacher Training, and all of this is in the book "Healing Mudras, Yoga for your Hands" by Sabrina Mesko. If any of this is of interest, I highly recommend it.

^{Many thanks to my Webgoddess}

ShimmyYogini