Bhumisparsha Mudra & Letting Go

Normally, we limit the meaning of perceptions. Food reminds us of eating; dirt reminds us to clean the house; snow reminds us that we have to clean off the car to get to work; a face remind us of our love or fortable or familiar scheme. We shut any vastness or possibilities of deeper perception out of our hearts by fixating on our own interpretation of phenomena. But it is possible to go beyond personal interpretation, to let vastness into our hearts through the medium of perception. We always have a choice, we can limit our perception so that we close off vastness, or we can allow vastness to touch us.
~Chogyam Trungpa

Chogyam Trungpa speaks of how to find magic, and in doing so he shows us how we limit the magic around us through perception. We wake up every day ready to walk our own path but are quickly discouraged by our own perception of what life is or what life should be.

Life shouldn't be anything - it just is.

He continues to explain that when we learn to see all sides of the situation, the reality of this world, we can then just be. We are no longer fighting the world we have arrived.

Bhumisparsha Mudra

"touching the Earth"

More commonly known as the Earth Witness Mudra you come to sit with your legs folded, straight spine, placing your left hand on your left knee, fingers pointed towards the ground (or touching as shown in the above [inverted] image), palm inward towards your body. Your right hand is placed on your right knee with the palm facing up and open like a bowl or a cup.

It is said that the Buddha held his hands like this to summoned the Earth as a witness to his transformation from Siddhartha to becoming the Buddha.

A grounding mudra, one hand connect to the Earth, which is connected to everything and the other begging to the world. Showing the world that it is easier to give and to receive when you're hand is open and willing to help and be helped.

When we become grounded and connected with the Earth and the world we can begin to see other perceptions of situations we may normally only have one idea about - like love.

With red colored hearts and babies dressed with bows and arrows, falling in love is an adventure in itself, but quickly we come to learn what love really is. So many say they love "unconditionally" but then follow-up the statement with comments that place conditions on that love.

'If my grades are better my parents will love me more.'

'If I dress a certain way, my boy/girlfriend will love me more.'

'If  make more money...'

Our perception of what love should be opposed to what love is can be a hard pill to swallow. Understanding to love someone or something may mean loving things that are difficult and trying. By grounding ourselves we learn to head toward enlightenment, to see past our preconceived notions and our limited perception, connecting with the earth to extend out past the small real we preside in.

Take ten minutes to find a quiet corner coming to sit in meditation in the Bhumisparsha Mudra. Once you have found a comfortable position, soften your eyes and your belly, breathing in the world around you, and exhaling your doubts and fears. Using a simple mantra of "Let go":

On your inhalation "Let"

On your exhalation "Go"

By learning to let go, to be grounded, to be connected and willing to give and receive the things you need in life you will alter your perception bringing you closer to finding you and unconditionally loving you.

Your pose of the week: Child's Pose

Placing your arms extended on the mat out in front of you, with your forehead touching your mat, child's pose is a welcome pose in any practice. It's merely one breath away waiting for you to find your breath, help ground you and most of all help you to let go.

Allow yourself to be the person you are inside and not a perception of something less than that.  Honor yourself. Love yourself.

I can't wait to see you on the mat.

~Namaste