This week at YFL our practice will emphasize backbending asanas for opening the 4th chakra, “Anahata”, the seat of compassion, love, understanding, and connection to one another. It is the portal to the upper and lower chakras, and thus it is very important that we keep this chakra in balance. Anahata means “unstruck sound” referring to the continued, rhythmic beat of our heart, which is palpable, and yet not a sound produced by a strike. It is the pulse of our “life force” or prana, and is thus connected to the patterns of our breath. This is our sanskrit focus for the week. Our Mudra is Ganesha, which opens us to compassion, connection, and opens our heart, and improves our respiration. The Ganesha mudra involves turning one palm toward the heart, and the other away as the fingers interlock. The mudra is pulled on the inhale, and relaxed on the exhale for 6 breath patterns, and then the hand lock is reversed for 6 breaths. The practice will also include the Sun Salutation for the 4th chakra. It is going to be a great week at YFL, so please come join us for this practice of the heart.—Namaste’, Deb