Mudra For Self Love – Do This Mudra Daily
Self love is the cornerstone of all love. When you have a deep appreciation for who are without being arrogant or feeling superior, good things happen. In this article I explain an amazing mudra for self love, the lotus mudra.
What is a Mudra ?
Mudra in Sanskrit means seal. Because you are using a hand gesture to seal energy so it does not escape and run wild. Mudras are used for self healing.
Quick Guide – How to Do the Lotus Mudra
Lotus mudra is performed by spreading the fingers of your open hands and placing the palms and fingers of both hands together. While you keep your pinky fingers, thumbs and base of the palms together, open up the other fingers. Forming a lotus.
What is Self Love?
Self love does not mean you feel you are better than others, or that you are obsessed with your own self image, like Narcissus.
It means you appreciate yourself for the unique being that you are. The deeper you go into who you are the easier this natural self love flows.
We grow up being told negative things about ourselves, whether intentionally or just as a by products of people’s ignorance. In our innocence we believe these lies and repeat them to ourselves as if they were true.
We need to reverse this, not just because it feels better to love ourselves, but because we are not flawed, we are not unworthy. We are a perfect manifestation of the universe, God or brahma.
The paradox is we are perfect as we are, and yet we can evolve. So being perfect does not mean we sit back and do nothing, it is the base we take action from.
Imagine the feeling that you are perfect already, and from that feeling you do yoga, learn a new skill or work on a relationship. It feels different doing those things from a place of feeling broken and full of shame.
The Lotus Mudra for Self Love
Lotus mudra, also know as padma mudra or pankaj mudra, is a hand gesture that opens your heart to self love and compassion.
How to Practice the Lotus Mudra for Self Love
Here are the steps to practice the lotus mudra:
- Sit comfortably in a cross-legged position or on a chair with your spine straight and your eyes closed.
- Bring your hands together in front of your chest in a prayer position, with your palms, thumbs, and little fingers touching. This is called anjali mudra or namaskar mudra.
- Gently separate your index, middle, and ring fingers, spreading them wide like a lotus flower blooming. Keep the base of your palms, thumbs, and little fingers together. This is the lotus mudra.
- Hold the lotus mudra for a few minutes, breathing deeply and evenly. Feel the energy of your heart center expanding and radiating love and light.
- You can also repeat a positive affirmation or mantra that resonates with you, such as “I am love”, “I am open to receive love”, or “I am grateful for all that is”.
- While doing the lotus mudra visualize energy opening up your fearless heart and emanating from the your hands.
- To release the lotus mudra, bring your fingers back together in anjali mudra and bow your head slightly. Thank your heart for its wisdom and guidance.
You can practice the lotus mudra anytime you need to connect with your heart and feel more joy, harmony, and kindness for yourself.
Benefits of Lotus Mudra
The lotus blossoms in muddy and difficult waters, so it is with the benefits you receive when you practice this mudra for self love…
- Self awareness. Your inner knowledge blossoms.
- Helps with anxiety and depression as you open to yours and the worlds beauty.
- Reduces stress and fatigue. Also see Vajra Mudra and Prana Mudra
- It balances you emotions, because you are no longer holding on denying them.
- It balances the left and right centers of the brain. Which balances your creativity and logic.
Other Mudras You Can Practice to Cultivate Self Love
When you have negative energy and feel isolated you will find it difficult to love yourself.
Here are three more Mudras that will help you cultivate self love and self care…
Anahata Mudra
Anahata means “unhurt” in Sanskrit. It is a hand gesture that is used to connect to the heart in it’s pure state, free from fear and attachment. It is another compassion mudra.
To practice anahata mudra for self love, bring your palms together in front of your chest in a prayer position,
Then separate them slightly and curl your fingers inward to touch the pads of your palms.
You can hold this mudra for a few minutes while breathing deeply and focusing on your heart center.
You can also chant the mantra “Yam”, which is the sound of the heart chakra
Cin Mudra
We fail to love ourselves because we feel separate and isolated from the universe.
Practice Cin Mudra for love because it symbolizes the union of the individual consciousness with the universal consciousness.
To practice cin mudra sit comfortably in a cross-legged position or on a chair with your spine erect and your eyes closed.
Rest your hands on your knees with your palms facing up.
Gently touch the tip of your index finger with the tip of your thumb, forming a circle. Keep the other three fingers straight and relaxed.
Breathe deeply and slowly, focusing on your breath and the sensation of your fingers touching.
You can practice cin mudra for heart opening for as long as you feel comfortable, or for a specific duration of time.
Karana Mudra
This mudra for protection is used to dispel negative energy and also used to ward of evil. Negative energy will hinder your ability to love yourself.
To perform this mudra for self love you need to bring your right hand up to your chest, palm facing forward.
Then, fold your middle and ring fingers towards the center of your palm and hold them down with your thumb.
Extend your index and little fingers straight up. You can place your left hand on your left knee, palm facing up.
You can also chant a mantra or visualize positive energy flowing through you while holding this mudra.
Conclusion
So many of our problems would resolve if we had self love. We, especially in the west, have been bought up to chase achievements, buy things we do not need to make ourselves whole – which never happens. Because we see ourselves as flawed.
The Lotus mudra for self love is a gentle but powerful antidote.
It is a simple hand gesture that anyone can do. It does not have side affects and it can be practiced anywhere at any time.
All you need is a comfortable place to sit and a quite surrounding where you will not be disturbed.
This mudra for self love opens up your heart chakra and gives you compassion not only for yourself but also for others.
It will also increase your self knowledge, reduce stress and anxiety and balance your creativity and logic.
If you are sitting comfortably in a quiet place try it now. There’s no other time than the present moment.