I Can't Do Yoga: The Middle Finger

Can we all agree that giving someone “the middle Finger” can evoke or communicate angry feelings? Does showing your fist to someone have a universal meaning? If we can agree that hand movements and postures have energy connected to them, we can start to understand how they can also bring love, joy, healing, and peace. Bringing palms together to our heart center commonly used across religions. Prayer hands are a widely used emoji to convey a spiritual connection to the Divine. But did you know that hands-to-heart is a mudra? In Yoga, hand positions called mudras move our energy and bring healing. Think about when you’ve put your hands on your heart. Maybe someone said something special to you, or you saw something that made your heart happy. What does touching your hands to your heart do for you? To me, it feels like home; home is comfort, security, and love. In the Chakra System or Energy system of the body, the heart chakra is located at the center of the chest. Opening the heart chakra allows for love and forgiveness to flow from and to you. I’ve tried many mudras, but this one works best for me. You can try it by placing your right hand over your heart and your left hand over your right hand. Relax your shoulders and neck. Then, breathe slowly in and out through your nose if possible. It’s like giving yourself a hug! Here’s another description of what you can do while exploring the hands-to-heart mudra. 
Excerpt from 4 Techniques for Practicing Self-Compassion
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/self-compassion

Take a self-compassion break.
Here’s an easy technique to use when you’re getting down on yourself.
“Start by putting your hand on your heart,” instructs Duke. “This has been found to release oxytocin, which is a very calming hormone. And as you’re doing that, acknowledge to yourself either out loud or quietly to yourself that you’re going through a really difficult time. And tell yourself that it’s OK to have those difficult feelings, it’s OK to be going through this difficult time and it’s OK if this is hard for you.”
You want to focus on breathing during this and allow space for your breathing without trying to change anything. Even five or 10 minutes of deep breathing has benefits.
“You also want to take the time to ask yourself what you need,” notes Duke. “What do you need to feel a little bit better right now? What do you need to get back to your equilibrium? Do you need to go for a walk? Do you need to speak to your mom? Do you need to get yourself a coffee? What do you need to even just move the pendulum a little bit?”
Then, when you start to feel a bit better, you can start to think about how to problem-solve without criticizing yourself.
“You want to start to problem-solve from place of love and kindness,” encourages Duke.

Want to learn more about Mudras? 
Check out 9 hand positions for meditation to add to your practice
https://www.calm.com/blog/hand-positions-for-meditation