Yoga for a Fearless Heart

Have you ever longed for something that you were afraid to tell anyone else about? Maybe you worried that they’d laugh or be angry with you. Or perhaps you were afraid to even acknowledge what you really want to yourself. Whether it’s fear of failure or success or another source of resistance, chances are you either missed out completely or precious time passed before you could get it. If you want to live your life to its fullest and satisfy your heart’s desire, you need to be able to set aside the fear so you can take action. 

This week’s yoga inspiration comes from Durga, a powerful and fearless warrior goddess also known as Shakti or Devi, who embodies pure feminine force. She was created by the gods Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma when they could not defeat the buffalo demon Mahishasura. More powerful than all three of them, Durga is invincible. She is typically represented with 8 arms and 3 eyes and rides a lion. Each of her arms carries a weapon possessing special powers given to her by the gods. Her eyes symbolize desire, action, and knowledge. Plus she has an unfailing sense of humor - that’s my kind of goddess! 

What is one thing that you really want but have never told anyone else? Who might you be able to tell? What might become possible if you put it out there into the universe? What small step could you take to get you closer to what you want? When you find yourself holding back due to apprehension, here are a few yoga practices you can use to call upon Durga’s fearless and invincible spirit.

Abhaya Hridaya (Fearless Heart) mudra

Also known as flaming heart mudra, this one of my favorites mudras for its intricate shape that resembles a flaming heart. It activates the energy point associated with the heart, Anahata chakra. Anahata means unhurt, unstruck, and unbeaten, and this chakra is the center of love and compassion for ourselves. This mudra cultivates fearlessness to connect to your heart and truth and helps to calm scattered energy.

It’s a little tricky the first time you do it, but once you get the hang of it, everything just falls into place.

To practice abhaya hridaya mudra, start with prayer hands (anjali mudra) in front of your heart with palms together. Bring your right wrist on top of your left with the backs of the hands together. Hook your pinky fingers around each other, and do the same with your middle fingers and index fingers. Bend your ring fingers to touch the fingertips to the tips of your thumbs on each hand. Hold this shape in front of your heart for a few deep breaths or as much as several minutes. You may wish to practice this while chanting a mantra, such as 

Om Dum Durgaye Namaha (ohm doom door-ga-YAY na-ma-HA)

This chant asks Durga to protect us from harm, both internal negativity and outside forces.

Poses for Opening your Heart: Sphinx and Camel 

Another way to activate anahata chakra is through heart openers. A gentle heart opening backbend that almost anyone can do is sphinx post (salamba bhujangasana). Lie on your belly with your arms out in front of you and the toes pointed back. Lift the chest slightly and bend your elbows so they are directly below the shoulders, with forearms parallel and palms facing down. Gently press down into the forearms and draw the shoulders back to lift the heart up and forward. Lengthen your neck and keep your chin parallel to the ground.

If you’re not brand-new to yoga, you might try a deeper backbend like cobra, upward facing dog, or Camel (ustrasana). Start in a kneeling position on a mat or folded blanket with your knees hip width apart and toes tucked under. Place your hands on your hips and gently push your hips forward so they are directly above the knees. Inhale and lift your ribcage up and away from your hips, and then on your exhale, curl your upper spine into a backbend.