Open Hands, Open Heart

You want to just make sure that you have some space around you, you will want to have a cushion or something to sit on for meditation because that is a part of this, and then you'll want something for your knee to put it on the ground if that makes it more comfortable. Okay, so we're going to give a big shout out to first of all our tech team who allows us to be here. Thank you, Nicole. Thank you, Julie. Thank you, Elizabeth. Thank you, Alana. You know, I'm here alone in this, you know, blue room, my little chicken coop, but I have a lot of support and mostly we have all of us together. All right, in honor of Papa Schiffman, let's start with the hokey pokey. So just take one of your hands and just begin to shake it out, like hokey pokey style, you know, just kind of like let that wrist jiggle. And the more you kind of go for it, the more you kind of like the more effective this will be. And then you kind of let that arm dangle and then you start to let it come up the whole arm like and really like you really like sometimes you know there's this sense sometimes of like, oh, there's this shouldn't jiggle this part or this shouldn't jaggle that part and really, the more things jiggle the better it feels.

Okay, couple more moments here really go for it. Nice. Okay, let that back off and pause and just feel the effect. Uh huh. Other side. You know there's this, um, and you're just sort of shaking your wrist shaking your arm. Yeah, beautiful.

And just kind of go for it. Like really like, uh, yeah. And then eventually let it come up into the upper arm and as you let it come into the upper arm like, uh, like let that thing really like loosen up a little bit. If you're anything like me can feel quite tense right now. There's a lot happening. And yet simultaneously right I think while experiencing this, there's, it's scary it's weird and there's this also the strange simplicity has taken a hold of us. Okay pause, feel the effect of that.

Okay, now the feet. So if you're not so sure about your balance, find something to put your other hand on as you stick your for me. It's my right foot stick your right foot in and then begin to just shake out that ankle and you really, you really got to like It's not so easy. Sometimes in the beginning has a right, right, right, right. So you get it really fluid is take some practice and then I like to let it come up into the upper leg and I always kind of need to lean over a little bit to really get in that back, but tie area and get that to jiggle. Couple more moments let it really like a shake out. Yeah. Okay, put that back down on the floor. Nice now just feel the effect and then feel how the leg that you haven't yet shook out feels. Right. Okay soften and stick the other foot in. Again, the hokey pokey and little word to our friend and teacher and good comrade Shiffman.

Yeah, I'm like really let that ankle shake out a little bit. I can kind of feel that this like doesn't really shake like the other one and then I like to kind of stick it out to the side if it helps to balance do that. Yeah. Okay, super nice. Okay, let that foot come back down now soften the knees big deliberate inhale and I sell that a And soften the jaw and drop your low belly and do that again inhale and exhale at all happen. Yeah. So nice to not have such a grip.

Okay, and release your fingers in front of you palms face towards you. Turn your palms forward and go up in your arms. And then just kind of start to stretch one side and the other like just start to climb up out of yourself a little bit. Yes. And then bend your bend one of your knees so I'm going to bend my, my left knee I'm going to stick my right hip out and then start to reach up out and over to like feel how you can kind of like beautiful letting inhale bring you back up. Other sides have been the opposite knee stick the other hip out and reach up out and over. Yeah. Gorgeous.

Okay, let any inhale bring you back up to center and as you exhale, release your hands rotate your shoulders forward. And if it feels okay, interlace your fingers behind you. This isn't for everybody. It feels all right and release your fingers behind you wiggle your shoulders back and down. Let your knees bend and let yourself fold over. Let your head drop. Let your arm stretch up and let them reach up out and over. Beautiful, let the hands come back to the hips, let the hands come down towards the earth, bend the knees like you're sitting in a chair, let a little bit of a breath happen. Curl the sit bones under reach your arms forward soften the jaw a little bit remember that post shake out like ground. Stay grounded as you reach your arms up. Inhale here, exhale press into the feet come all the way back.

Beautiful. Nice. Let's do that again. Interlace your fingers with the weird knuckle on top so it'll feel like whose hand is that turn the palms forward, go up in the arms, stretch up out of yourself like just climb up out of yourself. And then same idea, bend one knee stick the opposite hip out and reach up out and maybe roll it down a little bit. Maybe roll it up a little bit. Yeah, take a look down towards the earth, let it inhale bring you back up other side, bend the opposite knee, stick the opposite hip out, and then lean over. Maybe roll it down a little bit.

Maybe roll it up a little bit. Yeah, take a look down at the earth, let it inhale bring you all the way up release the arms, roll your shoulders forward. Then again, interlace your hands behind you, this time with the funny knuckle on top so just feels like what we go the shoulders back and down, bend the knees chest to the thighs, drop your head, reach it up out and over. Beautiful. Gorgeous. Nice let your hands come back to the hips, let your hands come down towards the earth, then the knees chin into the chest and roll it on back up, feel the belly.

Feel the heart, feel the throat, and feel the face. Big deliberate inhale. Exhale, let it happen and stop. Super nice. Next step, let's get a little bit of we used to call this the hand prana press. So let the shoulders roll back and down as you start to reach your arms out from the side. What I find really really helps is if you bend your elbows, roll your shoulders back and down, and then re extend and if you've been all day on the computer in zoom meetings, it won't be so easy to pull your fingertips back so a little pulsing can help like you kind of pull your fingers back to get more flex and then you let it off and then pull the fingers back and let it off and do that a couple times. Until your wrists are open to the idea of flexing as you start to reach through the heels of the pump spread your fingers wide, pull your fingers back.

And really start to feel each finger like feel the reach through the pinky, the ring, the middle, the index, the thumb like reach. Yes. Now start to turn your hands. So they start to point the fingertips behind you. Start to feel the fingertips point behind you and reach. Gorgeous. Now turn the fingertips down towards the earth and same idea begin to pull the fingertips in like feel the reach through the heels of the palms and if it's becoming too much just let your elbows bend a little bit shoulders roll back and down and then re extend. Yes. Beautiful last couple moments here. Slowly begin to turn the fingertips to point back up towards the ceiling with the fingertips back up towards the ceiling soften the elbows a little bit shoulders roll back and down and now let your hands get a little softer. And with your hands feeling a little softer begin to feel the more receptive.

And as you feel the more receptive start to let the hands start to face towards each other. Now as the hands start to face towards each other. Sometimes not always eyes might be soft or closed. Sometimes you can start to sense this gentle force this gentle life force of you. What our yogi friends call prana sometimes you can start to sense this and as the hands come a little closer sometimes it's nice to kind of pulse this a little bit like it's almost like you're fluffing the prana. So after easier in the eyes easier in the jaw. Let a bit of a hop and feel it grounding down through the legs, really soak into this like feel your life force.

Feel the tenderness of the hands when endeavoring to touch something more subtle, a more sensitive tone is required. The invisible becomes visible through paying attention. Nice. Beautiful you might have let your hands come all the way to touch. You know things are getting serious when she takes off her hoodie. And then slowly you're going to start to make your way towards the top of the mat so just kind of a slow walking meditation towards the top of your mat.

Hands together at your heart. And we'll start to move with that a little bit. So I like to have my feet about hip distance apart spread the toes wide. Big deliberate inhale, exhale, let it happen. Let the hands now come down along your side let the palms be open. And with the palms open let your hands feel receptive.

Beautiful. We'll make our way into a semi simple lunge sequence. Interlace your fingers again like we've been doing. Turn your palms forward and go up and same idea wiggle up out of yourself one side and then the other side. Get long. Eventually feel an inhale to lengthen and as you exhale, circle your arms wide as you dive in letting the knees bend letting yourself fold down over the legs.

Let an inhale create your half arch and as you exhale let your fingertips plant and step your right foot back letting your left knee bend shape of the lunge wiggle back through that right foot. Feel your opportunity to reach back through the right heel as you lengthen and then curl the sit bone under let that right knee find the floor. Be sure to pad that so it's comfortable. Introduce yourself inhale, drop back a little bit and exhale sink in. Do that again. Inhale, drop back a little bit and exhale sink in.

One or two more times like that. It's the same thing we were doing with the wrist earlier. It's just letting the body know that there's an exit route. Eventually you're going to sink in. I like to widen my stance a little bit so you might toe heel your left foot out just a little bit wider as you sink in and let a bit of a happen. And if it feels superior for you and delicious to stay low, stay low. If it would feel good, you're going to bring your hands up onto that front left knee.

I like to back out of that a little bit and then sink back in. And for some of you and what you're working with today and balance, this is ideal. If it would feel good to interlace your fingers like we've been doing, palms face towards each other, turn the palms up and lengthen. And feel your ability to kind of wiggle up out of your waist as you sink that front thigh in. Allow for an inhale. And as you exhale, releasing the hands back down around that left foot. Walk your hands back.

Flex your left foot a little bit. Dig the heel in. And then slowly as you exhale, let your body round. Curl the sit bones under. And as you inhale, rolling the pelvis forward. And as you exhale, curl the sit bones under so you bring the stretch more into your back. And as you inhale, roll the pelvis forward so it goes into the back of your leg. Yes. One more time like that.

As you round, you bring the stretch more into the back. And as you arch, you bring the stretch more into the hamstring. Hang out in the hamstring, stretch for a little bit. Let a little bit of a happen. Nice. Beautiful. Let that front left knee bend. Hands come around that left foot. Lift up through the back of the right leg. Rock and roll. We're going to come back towards standing. On your next inhale, step the right foot forward.

Allow for a half arch. And as you exhale, forward fold, letting the knees bend. Let the knees bend more. Sit down like you're sitting in your chair. Let a little bit of a high breath happen. Feel your ability to ground. And as you feel your ability to ground, circle the arms forward and pause. And remember that feeling between the palms. Let the hands feel more sensitive, more receptive. Like find that feeling of you. Keep it low in the legs and sensitive in the palms as you reach your arms up.

Nice. Inhale here. Exhale, press into the feet. Come all the way back up. That awesome. Beautiful. Big, deliberate inhale. And exhale, let it happen. Soften the knees a little bit. Trust that the ground has you. Feel it receptive in the hands. Yeah. Beautiful. Let's find that on the other side. As you are ready, interlace the fingers again. Funny knuckle on top. Turn the palms forward and go up. Wiggle up on out of yourself. Lengthen.

Once you've wiggled up on out of yourself, eventually find an inhale. And as you exhale, swan dive forward. Soften the knees and fold. Beautiful. Let an inhale create a half arch. And as you exhale, plant the fingertips and step your opposite foot back. Maybe it's the left foot stepping back this time. Right knee bending. Wiggle back through that heel. Feel your ability to lengthen. And then eventually curl the sit bones under and let that knee find the earth.

And then introduce yourself again. So you drop back. And you sink in. And you drop back. And you sink in. It's just like, as we've talked about so many times in our past meetings, what it does is it allows the body to know that there's an exit route. Like we like to know what the end game is. We like to know that there's an out. And so when the nervous system knows that there's an out, it's more willing to accept. Let a bit of a... Yeah. Okay, now keep it low. And stay low if this is the superior thing for you today.

Okay, only if it would feel good. Then you bring your hands up onto that front knee and back it off a little bit. And then eventually let a happen as that sit bone gets heavy. From here, only if it feels right, interlace the fingers with the weird knuckle on top. Turn the palms forward and go up. So that left sit bone is sinking under. You're wiggling up through like we've been doing. Yes, really nice. Gorgeous. Let for another inhale. And as you exhale, releasing the hands back down, walking the hands back, flexing that right foot a little bit to find the back of that right leg.

And then as you exhale, let your body round. So you bring the stretch into the back of the body. And as you inhale, rolling the pelvis forward, lengthening through the heart. So you feel more of the back of that right twang. And then exhale, get round. And then inhale, arch. One more time. Exhale, round. And then inhale, arch. And when you're in the arch, you'll feel it more like through the back of the leg a little bit. Let a bit of a hop and like allow the earth to support you a little bit more.

Like trust again. In the yoga sutras, the very first suggestion on how one might settle the fluctuations of the mind. Now I'm going to add a bit of a transliteration here, but it's like, sweetheart, darling, please trust, please trust. If you're fancy, Ishvara Pranadam. Let the front right knee bend, fingertips alongside the toes, lift up through the back of the leg, walk and roll a little bit. And let an inhale, step you forward half arch. And let an exhale, draw you down.

Hang out here a little bit. Get heavy. And then toe heel to feet a little bit wider so they're separate. Bend the knees, let a little bit of a hop and sink in. Now keep it low in the legs. Trust that the earth has you. Okay, from that place of trust, curl the sit bones under, reach the arms forward, and then feel your hands. Let the hands feel more receptive. Beautiful. Keep it low in the legs. Let the arms reach up. Utkatasana, sensitive. Inhale here. Exhale, press into the feet. Come all the way up.

Beautiful. This is our last dasana. So with the feet about hip distance apart, big deliberate inhale, exhale, let a ha happen. So dasana is brilliant practice in sequencing for seated meditation. So here right now, like feel, let the ground have you. Soften some of the tension in the legs. Remember that post shimmy shake, like pa. And start to feel the back of the heart soften. And as the back of the heart softens, let the hands feel more receptive. And find the alignment of the skull so that the neck tension isn't necessary. So really feel how you can find the placement of the skull, or it's really balanced on the spine.

Upper soft palate dome. Last two beats. Big deliberate inhale, exhale, let a ha happen. Gorgeous. Beautiful. From here, we'll gently flow through that, similar to that lunge sequence, but just at a holding for a little less time, making our way towards the earth. Interlace your fingers with the palms facing towards you, eventually turn your palms forward and go up.

Wiggle up on out of yourself. Let it be a little bit more delicious. Yes. Inhale here, exhale, slow, forward fold, bending the knees. Let an inhale, create your half arch. As you exhale, plant your fingertips, step your left foot back this time, let your right knee bend, wiggle on back through there. Draw the sit bone under, let the left knee come down to the earth and sink in. Stay low if this is your spot. Otherwise, bring the hands up onto that front knee, sink in, stay here, or interlace your fingers, turn the palms forward and go up, wiggle. Gorgeous. Let a bit of a ha happen. So nice. Inhale here, exhale, release the hands down, and then slowly lift up through the back of that left leg, kind of rock and roll it a little bit.

Step the left foot forward, let an inhale, create a half arch. As you exhale, hands plant, finding the earth, step the right foot back, let the left knee bend, wiggle on back through there. Curl the sit bones under, let that knee find the earth, introduce yourself a little bit. And then again, stay low if this is where the action is. Only if it feels right, hands up onto that front knee, sink in. Stay here, or interlace your fingers, weird knuckle on top if you remember, turn the bones forward and go up. Yeah, beautiful. Inhale here, exhale slow, let the hands come back down.

Transition is a little bit different, lift up through the back of that right leg, rock and roll, we're going to step back down, we're facing up. Come high up onto the balls of the feet as you wiggle your sit bones back, let one knee bend as the other leg straightens. And then let the opposite knee bend as the other leg straightens, kind of wiggle into this for you. Let it feel good. Gorgeous, beautiful. Let an inhale bring you forward into blink pose, shoulders come over the wrist, spread the fingers wide.

Let a bit of a happen, and can you trust again that the earth has you? Can you find that same kind of like, can you allow your hands to root? Beautiful, now drop that right knee down to the floor, place your right hand underneath your face, we're making our way into an easy side plank. Spin onto the outer left edge of that left foot, and then circle that left arm up out and over the top of your head, bending the left elbow a little bit. I like to bend the back knee a little bit, and then re-extend, press into the foot on the floor and preach out through that arm and do that a few more times, like bend the back knee, bend the arm, and then reach.

Nice, bend the back knee, bend the arm, and then reach, maybe spiral your heart open a little bit, lengthen. Inhale here, exhale, windmill, back down onto all fours, let an inhale arch the body, let an exhale round the body, let an inhale bring it back to neutral, other side, left hand underneath the face, knee underneath the hip, reach your right foot back, spin onto the outer right edge, circle that right arm in front of the face, up out and over, bend that right elbow, bend the back right knee, kind of come in towards each other a little bit, and then re-extend, reach through the right foot, reach through the right arm, and then bend and come in a little bit, and then re-extend, beautiful, maybe one more like that, bend a little bit, and then re-extend, so gorgeous, so beautiful. Inhale here, exhale, windmill, back down onto all fours, let an inhale arch the body, let an exhale round the body, and then from the rounding, round, round, round back towards child's pose, drawing your hips back to your heels, walking your hands out in front of you, wiggle on back towards child's forehead towards the floor, big deliberate inhale, exhale, let a happen, and again, find the opportunity to trust, to practice letting the ground support you. Now obviously, the ground is supporting you, but this is kind of the practice of yoga, the practices of yoga and meditation are simply designed to notice what already is occurring, but we don't yet see clearly. Okay, slide yourself forward onto your belly, we're going to make our way into a sphinx pose.

Bring your forearms down to the floor, elbows slightly in front of your shoulders if that feels good. What I like to do usually is separate the feet about hip distance and first step, let a bit of a happen and just kind of like, like just snuggle, snuggle your pelvis and towards the floor, pad that if it's not so comfortable, but kind of snuggle it a little bit. And then if it would feel good, let a bit of a hot breath happen, just so tenderly draw the navel back to the spine. Let your shoulders roll back and down and then without too much effort, just a little bit of engineering, start to feel how you contraction your arms back towards you as you drag your heart forward. Let it feel wide in the base of the skull, let a bit of a happen.

Just a little bit of a slightly active sphinx pose just to kind of get some of that length. Nice, beautiful, gorgeous. We're moving in towards a few little baby backbends. And so for some of you who a gentler practice is better today, the invitation is to, on the next few rounds, simply repeat sphinx. Okay, inhale here, exhale, let a happen, let the elbows go wide, rest your face down on your hands, forehead on your folded hands, bend the knees and let the knees wobble, the legs wobble little side to side.

Okay, so the next suggestion is that we're going to make our way to a locust, but if sphinx would feel better, kick it at sphinx. Beautiful, let the legs come back behind you, this time bring the hands right underneath the shoulders, forehead towards the floor, let the shoulders drop, roll the shoulders back and down, and then just the slightest smidge of a baby cobra. Start to drag your heart just a little bit forward as you kind of drag your hands back and let a bit of a happen and remember that the ground has you. Bend your knees, let your legs lift, so you're letting your thighs lift up off the floor. And then slow, slowly, and only as it feels ready, begin to slowly extend back through the legs.

Beautiful, here you are in locust, lifting yourself up above the earth, so there's apparently a lot of effort. Can you relax a little bit and just kind of trust that the earth has you? Yes, either keep your hands along your side or release them back towards your toes. Gorgeous, inhale here, exhale, lower land, bring your hands back underneath your face, let your forehead rest on your hands, bend your knees, wobble the legs a little side to side. Beautiful.

Gorgeous, one more locust, or sphinx, and in this last locust we'll find our way towards cobra potentially. As you let your hands come underneath your shoulders, maybe scooch them just a little ahead of your shoulders. Sometimes that's a nicer place to have the hands. Spread your fingers wide and turn the hands out a little bit so they're like more like a seal, like seal as in ooh, ooh, ooh. Okay, shoulders roll back and down, let a bit of a happen, and then begin to traction your heart just a little bit forward off the floor.

And this might be the spot, you might have been waiting all morning for this. Otherwise bend the knees, lift the legs up off the floor, and slow begin to stretch back through the toes. Yes, gorgeous. Please feel welcome to stay here. Cobra is on the menu this morning, so slowly begin to press into the hands, rock the legs back, start to draw the heart up.

Let a bit of a happen, and here you are, you're in cobra, can you remember that the earth has you? Can you kind of like soften some of the anxiety through the buttocks and the thighs and the jaw? Yeah. Nice work. Inhale here, exhale, lower land, elbows wide, face rests on the hands, bend the knees, wobble the legs a little side to side. Oh, that's so nice. Child's pose, let your hands come underneath your shoulders, round back, let the sit bones draw back towards the heels, let a little bit of a happen.

Beautiful. Yeah, and again, what can you kind of give up, like what can you start to surrender towards the ground? Yeah, in yoga the word, one of the words is shrada. Translates his faith, faith based on experience. So, slowly start to roll up, and now let's do this.

Let's find a little bit of an easy seated forward fold backbend in preparation for our meditation. So, something like sukhasana, shin to shin, if some propping would feel good, go ahead and prop yourself. Wobble, let a little bit of a happen, and then start to lean in. Let your elbows come onto your knees, and as your elbows come onto your knees, there's this quality. We've been exploring this for the last couple of times together, this quality of like you're leaning into a dear friend.

And remember that post, that post, pokey pokey, post shaking it all out, like some of you, this is deep enough right here. Some of you, it just feels good and right to let your hands come forward. You might come down onto the elbows or walk your hands forward. We'll be here about another 30 seconds or so, a half minute or so. And as you let your head drop, again, it's a willingness and one of the keys to feeling the support of the ground.

One of the keys to seeing more clearly is the willingness to imagine that one might not already see it clearly. Slow, chin into the chest, let yourself roll all the way back up, feel the belly, feel the heart, feel the throat and the face. And now let your hands come behind you and depending on your wrist, it might feel good to turn your fingertips to point straight back. That might feel the best for you. Some of you, it might feel good to turn your wrist in with your fingertips pointing in towards your body.

That's not for everybody. So choose wisely as you wiggle your shoulders back and down and start to kind of wiggle and wobble your heart up a little bit. And if you keep your gaze at your heart, it's more safer for your neck. But for some of you, it's going to feel really nice to start to let your gaze move up the wall and towards the ceiling. And for a few of you, that head might start to gently reach back.

Reach so gentle, yes. If your head is back, lead with your heart as you start to come back up and then you kind of let your head fall out. Really nice. Okay, switch the cross of your legs to bring the opposite leg in front. And then start to lean in, let a little bit of a happen. And again, it's like this possibility of we might not know, let your hands come out in front of you.

Yes. Part of this expression, right, get a grip, let a little bit of a part of this expression get a grip is the suggestion that we could shrink around a known variable and move on with our lives. Let a happen. And well sometimes that's completely the appropriate response. Often what is more sustainable is to like, question a little bit, shake off some of that tension, wonder what's going to happen next, and still be able to move on. Okay, slow chin into your chest, let yourself roll on back up and let's get that heart opener again.

So you bring your hands behind you. Maybe the fingertips point straight back maybe the fingertips point into your body. Wiggle the shoulders back and down. You might keep your gaze at the heart that's so nice you get this nice herb opener without any neck risk. Some of you might be letting the gaze come up the ceiling or back. Gorgeous. If your head is dropped back, lead with the heart as you let yourself come on back up. Inhale, exhale, let a happen. Super nice. Grab what you like to sit on.

I have this nice little poof. You might have some couch cushions or blankets or chair. Snuggle in a little bit. I'm going to put my hoodie back on because I don't know if you guys have noticed that the body gets cool as it relaxes. Okay, once you've found your seat now, hopefully that was enough time, once you've found your seat, big deliberate inhale and exhale, let a happen just like we played with standing. Let yourself ground. Drop the belly. Drop the jaw.

And I've really picked this phrase up from one of my new teachers, John D Dunn. Trust that your body knows how to sit. You've been sitting your whole life. So, trust. Nice. Now, feel that natural generosity of the heart. So remember that back then we just did.

Right. Feel your heart bloom. And then let the back of the heart feel more receptive. And now find the placement of your hands so your palms are up. So if you hadn't caught on yet, the hands are our motor and sense organ that we're playing with today. The sense of touch and the motor organ of the hands, let them turn up, palms up. And now find the alignment of your skull. Right. So your neck tension is not necessary.

Let your soft palate domes and a little slack jock and feel it's so nice and let your gaze just maybe be gently out in front of you, soft or eyes closed, whichever has the right attunement for you. And then we'll start with your left hand. Just simply feel the support of your leg like let your left hand feel more supported. Like so, allowing some of the unnecessary tension to drop. And then remember that quality of tender sensitivity that we explored in the hand prana.

And throughout the practice, let the left hand start to just feel more sensitive and help it by paying attention. Draw your attention right into the center point of your left hand. And with your attention right in the center point of your left hand. Let that feel more open. And as you become aware of your fingers, your thumb, your index, your middle ring pinky as you become more aware of your fingers.

Can you become more conscious of the space in between your fingers. Like without the space in between your fingers, your fingers wouldn't exist. Can you feel the context in which your hand is held. Let the hand feel even wider, receiving and receptive. And maintain that as you trace your attention up the arm and to the back of your heart.

And can you allow the back of your heart to mirror to essentially imitate, in a way, this feeling in your hand. Yes. As we've talked about before, the hands are said to be the motor organ of the heart. The quality of the heart and the hands is intimately related. Nice. Just gentle, deliberate inhale and exhale, let it happen.

And now start to become more aware of the right hand. And so same idea. Step one is just like sort of see if you can introduce your right hand just through your attention. Can you let your right hand relax a little bit more on your leg? Can you let the right hand sense that she's supported?

Yes. And as she starts to sense that she's supported, tune and can relax and drop some of her holding, tune your attention right into the center point of this left of this right hand. Like just notice how you can bring your attention as you bring your attention there. You show up there. Yes.

Become aware of each finger, pinky, ring, middle, index, thumb. Letting your hand feel more sensitive again as we've discussed to touch the subtle requires a subtler touch. And then feel, be aware of the space in between the fingers. Be aware of the context in which your hand is held. Be aware of what's holding your hand.

And then so tenderly, like with this awareness of the quality of your hand, run your awareness back up through the arms to the back of your heart and at the back of the heart. Feel more receptive. Feel more hell. I hope you might have already slipped into something, but just maintain an eye. Notice that when your attention is in your right hand, your right hand responds.

Literally bring your life force, this prana, this subtler essence of you to your right hand. And then notice how you can bring it back over to the left hand. And if it makes sense, let both hands feel somewhat equal. That's a way harder suggestion than it sounds. Just a deliberate inhale, exhale, let it happen and soften.

Back of the heart wide, upper palate soft. In the eyes. Let's be here together. For another minute or so. And if it feels natural.

If it feels natural. Let your right elbow bend and let your right hand just so gently raise or your right palm is facing forward. And let the fingers relax. Let the fingers feel so tender and soft, palm so easy, gaze is soft, your eyes are closed. Take a peek if you're not sure about what I mean with my words.

Just really let the hand feel soft and sometimes it can feel good to let the index finger and the middle finger just extend so slightly upwards as the other fingers relax. Just notice, this is the mudra of no fear. This is the mudra that three of our good friends Shiva, Buddha, and Jesus all hold. Let a bit of a happen for just a couple more moments. Not that you're trying to pretend that you're not afraid, but this quality of communion with what is supporting holding and nourishing.

It's so beautiful that your hands find each other at your heart. Thank you my dear friends for being here in this practice today, this yoga and meditation practice. The invitation now, if you'd like, you can just drop off, stay in your meditation continue your practice, move into Shavasana. If you'd like to stick around and say hello, keep your camera on. We'll turn your camera on and we'll have a chance to wave won't turn your audio on so you'll have to use the chat box.

It's been a wonderful pleasure to be here today. I don't know if you can see on my cat has been with us this whole time. And then I'll give my friend Nicole.