Mira Mudra for Easeful Breathing
Jun 07, 2018
Restricted breathing has many causes. It could be asthma, allergies or fear. Tightness in the chest and a limited breathing capacity can be scary. In addition to whatever other strategies are in place for a child, this hand gesture can help create openness in the airways as well as a sense of grounding and serenity.
“Mira” means ocean. This mudra can help with the flow of breath and the flow of life. And yes, it’s also the spiritual name given to me during my Yoga studies in India. The kids I teach find it delightful to learn of a hand gesture that opens up their airways AND is named after their Yoga teacher! But don’t worry, anyone can teach this mudra.
A mudra is a hand gesture, like a little Yoga pose for your hands. Kids love them, they can be done anywhere any time and they are effective. You can do them on their own or with other Yoga techniques.
To practice Mira mudra, touch the pinky to the thumb on each hand. Then, bring these joined fingers of both hands together. Touch the tips of the ring fingers together and stretch out the first two fingers away from center. Hold this shape below the navel, in front of the body. Sit tall, close your eyes and notice how you feel.
This mudra is complicated and may be difficult to do at first. Just like a Yoga pose, it takes practice to develop the flexibility and coordination to do it. Children tend to love challenging Yoga poses and the same is true for these “hand poses”. And remember, just like Yoga poses, this could be harder for you than the child you teach it to. If you can’t quite keep the pinkies and thumbs touching or it’s hard to stretch out the first two fingers, just keep playing with this mudra and other Yoga practices and you’ll get it.
Joseph and Lillian LePage wrote the best resource book for mudras. It’s called Mudras for Healing and Transformation. Mira mudra is found in this book and the affirmation that accompanies it is, “Greater harmony in all my activities supports me in breathing freely and easily.” This is a recommended book in our Therapeutic Yoga for Children training, as mudras are one of the most effective tools for creating balance on all levels.
