Open the Heart, Then the Hand
This past week I have been talking to my students about the importance of opening your heart before you give unto others. If we give from a stagnant or restrained heart, we offer from a place of expectation and obligationWe give things we do not really intend to give. From there, we expect things back, give because we feel that we should, and breed resentment. I've been teaching, on the other hand, that when the heart is open and receptive, we receive abundantly and can give from that abundance. On the mat this can translate to the placement of our arms, and thus our hands, in relation to our hearts. If you reach into places where the heart is not ready to go, this can cause pain or discomfort. We lose the connection with our breath and our awareness. Tikonasan (variation) More specifically in a heart opening posture, like Trikonasan (triangle pose), we can reach forward as we hinge at the hips and reach down for the shin, block or floor. We can extend the top arm, and at t