Blooming Lotus Love – A mudra for us all!

Posted on March 21, 2012
in Mindful Parenting, Yoga
by Maggie Verderame

Mama Dana & Baby Ryder Blooming & Beaming Brightly at Bring The Baby™ Class

A lotus flower blooms in the mud. Did you catch that??? In the mud! The amazing thing just pops right out from the muck and murk beaming with bright color and inspiration! When we are feeling “in the thick of it” we can use yoga to remind us of our truth and beauty, and, of the beauty in the world around us! This simple yoga mudra (“seal” – demonstrated through a representative hand movement) can be done by anyone from toddlers to grown-ups who are looking for that reminder of the beauty of their own heart, or who need to come back to their calm center. Babies enjoy watching their families settle in with this delightful mudra, too!
TO DO THIS MUDRA:

Simply sit comfortably with hands at heart center in a “prayer” position. After a few deep breaths, bloom your lotus by separating your index, middle, and ring fingers, while keeping your thumbs and pinkies connected. Inhale, raising your flower up to the crown of your head. Exhale there. Inhale again, reaching your bloom up high, like a flower stretching to the sun. Obviously little ones may not follow these breath cues, and that’s OK. Just remind them to calmly watch their lotus bloom and give them happy images to connect to while practicing — like the shining sun, or the gooey, muddy water. Repeat this as many times as you like and have fun!

Young children may take this to a whole new level and build a yoga sequence based on what they imagine in the murky waters. You may want to breathe like snakes (cobra pose), or float in the mud (savasana). Get creative, and see where this happy heart opening mudra leads you.

A fun mantra (repetitive chant) to recite while practicing this mudra is:

Mani

Padmé

Hum

Traditionally this basically translates into:

“Praise, the jewel of the lotus!” / “Behold! The jewel of the lotus!” In Sanskrit Om represents the universal energy or life-force, Mani means “jewel” or “crystal.” Padme means “lotus,” and Hum means “heart.”

We interpret this as:

“May the gem of my heart blossom open like a lotus flower.”

A lovely visual, don’t you think? Next time we’re feeling overwhelmed or agitated, we might just repeat this mantra over and over for a few moments to remind ourselves to be calm, centered, open and loving toward our situation. This can be done on-the-go, or when we have time to pair it with our Blooming Lotus Love mudra.