{"id":230,"date":"2020-06-11T00:54:28","date_gmt":"2020-06-11T00:54:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mattdavisyoga.com\/?p=230"},"modified":"2020-06-11T00:56:32","modified_gmt":"2020-06-11T00:56:32","slug":"yoga-does-crazy-stuff-to-your-hands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mattdavisyoga.com\/?p=230","title":{"rendered":"Yoga Does Crazy Stuff To Your Hands"},"content":{"rendered":"\n[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.4.6″ min_height=”1628px” custom_padding=”||0px|||”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.4.6″ custom_padding=”5px||0px|||”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.4.6″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.6″ text_font_size=”20px” custom_padding=”||0px|||” custom_margin=”||-19px|||”]

\u201cThe very firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hand.\u201d<\/strong> William Shakespeare, Macbeth,<\/em> Act 4, Scene 1.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been doing yoga since 2018 and it\u2019s done amazing things for me, but the place where the practice shows up most, physically, is in my hands.<\/p>\n

I used to have calluses on the palms from too much lifting in the gym, and my hands were over-muscled and stiff. I tried to hide them in photographs. Nowadays, they\u2019re supple and pliant, and the palms are as soft as they were when I was a boy. I just can\u2019t recommend yoga hands too highly!<\/p>\n

They\u2019re stronger, now, too, but the strength goes deeper than the surface. I can hold a bag of laundry over my shoulder with just my thumb and forefinger and walk three blocks. I can peel a potato with knifepoint precision and better yet, I have real patience with which to do it (an added psychological bonus of doing yoga…). It all means fewer cuts in the kitchen.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If this sounds like boasting, I suppose it is a bit, but of course, there\u2019s more to it. Since our hands are the vehicles we use most to interact with the world, it only makes sense, really, that a yoga practice should loosen them up a bit.<\/p>\n

Yoga, for me, is about realizing that there\u2019s more to life than punching our way through obstacles. Or grabbing opportunities. There\u2019s a courage in simply existing, as we are, in acknowledging ourselves, rather than waiting for someone else to acknowledge us. The yoga symbol for courage is just to extend your palm out flat in front of you in a “fearless” gesture.<\/p>\n

🤚🏻<\/p>\n

Think about the toxicity of the \u201cfirm handshake,\u201d and all the self-doubt that thought process entails. What about giving someone a generous handshake? With real depth and warmth to it?<\/p>\n

I love that Macbeth quote, up at the top there, from when he gets crazy overambitious, about his hands. To me, it says, \u201cwatch out, mate…you\u2019re headed for a nasty demise…\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s even a special bit of yoga entirely focused on hands. \u201cMudras\u201d are shapes you can make to bring a certain thought or vibe into your practice.\u00a0This week, I\u2019ve been working a lot with this mudra, \u201cvaya mudra\u201d, which is intended to bring about serenity. It means \u201cwind\u201d or \u201cair\u201d. To do it, touch the tip of your index finger to the bottom of your thumb, with the thumb covering the index finger. Keep the other three fingers extended, and relaxed. It balances anxiety.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.4.6″][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.4.6″ type=”4_4″][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/mattdavisyoga.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/vayu-mudra-1.jpeg” _builder_version=”4.4.6″ title_text=”vayu mudra” hover_enabled=”0″ align=”center” width=”25%”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.6″ text_font_size=”20px” custom_padding=”||0px|||” custom_margin=”||-19px|||”]

Like much of yoga I was skeptical about mudras at first, but now I\u2019m on a mudra kick. I\u2019m doing a \u201cchakra alignment\u201d class too, right now, and we\u2019ve been learning these cool mudras to help activate each chakra. I even bought a series of cards, which show each mudra so clearly. I\u2019d recommend them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hands. They\u2019re the windows to the soul. No, that\u2019s the eyes. But, you know. They\u2019re still important. I\u2019m gonna say they\u2019re like the trap-doors to the soul. Or maybe…the soul’s back entrance. Wait. That\u2019s not right, either.<\/p>\n

HANDS. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Cain Carroll\u2019s Mudras of Yoga <\/a><\/strong>\u2014available at your local bookshop. 🙌🏼\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Header” _builder_version=”4.4.1″ background_color=”#f9f6f5″ background_image=”https:\/\/mattdavisyoga.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/yoga-pattern-01-1.png” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”||-128px|||” custom_padding=”||||false|false” global_module=”148″ saved_tabs=”all” locked=”off”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.4.6″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.3.4″][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/mattdavisyoga.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/IMG_6055.jpeg” title_text=”IMG_6055″ _builder_version=”4.4.6″ max_height_tablet=”400px” max_height_phone=”” max_height_last_edited=”on|tablet”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.4.6″][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/zoom.us\/j\/5185316278″ url_new_window=”on” button_text=”Next free class is coming up on Tuesday at 3pm, New York time. Here’s the zoom!” _builder_version=”4.4.6″][\/et_pb_button][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.1″ text_font_size=”24px” text_line_height=”2em” header_font=”Domine||||||||” header_font_size=”70px” header_line_height=”1.3em” header_2_font=”Domine||||||||” header_2_font_size=”60px” header_2_line_height=”1.2em” text_font_size_tablet=”18px” text_font_size_phone=”16px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_font_size_tablet=”48px” header_font_size_phone=”38px” header_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_2_font_size_tablet=”45px” header_2_font_size_phone=”35px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” locked=”off”]

Yoga…for people who hate yoga.\u00a0<\/h1>\n

Honestly, I never thought of myself as a “yoga person”, either.\u00a0<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#000000″ divider_weight=”200px” _builder_version=”4.4.1″ position_origin_a=”bottom_center” horizontal_offset=”0px” width=”1px” custom_padding=”|4px||4px|false|true” scroll_vertical_motion_enable=”on” scroll_vertical_motion=”0|80|80|100|0|0|2″ motion_trigger_start=”top” box_shadow_style=”preset7″ box_shadow_horizontal=”0px” box_shadow_vertical=”9px” box_shadow_color=”#000000″ locked=”off”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.4.6″][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.4.6″][\/et_pb_section]\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I just can\u2019t recommend yoga hands too highly 🙌🏼<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":231,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"1080","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-yoga-for-people-who-hate-yoga"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mattdavisyoga.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mattdavisyoga.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mattdavisyoga.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mattdavisyoga.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mattdavisyoga.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=230"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/mattdavisyoga.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":241,"href":"https:\/\/mattdavisyoga.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230\/revisions\/241"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mattdavisyoga.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mattdavisyoga.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mattdavisyoga.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mattdavisyoga.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}