Sometimes the smallest gesture can be the most profound. At the beginning and the end of each yoga practice we join our hands in front of our hearts. Why? This particular mudra or hand gesture, called Anjali, means to make an offer. At the beginning of the practice, it provides a moment of quiet reflection to set the intention for our practice. This infuses the practice with the deeper meaning and encourages us to connect with our hearts more fully. We close each practice with gratitude for what we have received from our teachers for our bodies. The closing word namaste means, I bow to the light within you, as a way to honor each other. When we cultivate this attitude of appreciation on our mats, weare more apt to bring it with us into our daily lives off our mats.
Yoga in Practice, led by master instructor Stacey Millner-Collins, is designed to teach the foundations of yoga to the at-home student, and to encourage a daily yoga practice that is more than simply physical exercise. To purchase DVD episodes of Yoga in Practice, visit ShopSCETV.