Click here for my latest book & free audio download of the 3 main yoga nidra exercises! It’s as relaxing as it is informative and energizing.
Wholesome Resources for Mind-Body Mastery through Yoga, Meditation, Guided Imagery, Stress Relief, Wellness
by Julie Lusk
Click here for my latest book & free audio download of the 3 main yoga nidra exercises! It’s as relaxing as it is informative and energizing.
by Julie Lusk
Have you ever needed the benefits from yoga (energy, relaxation, clear mind, emotional balance, etc.) but couldn’t practice a pose because you were in public, not dressed for yoga, or didn’t even know how to do yoga? This happens to me several times a day! Luckily, I have found another secret that really works. It’s Yoga Mudras – yoga poses using hand positions and gestures.
I finally started taking these ancient teachings seriously while I was teaching relaxation training and guided imagery in the Bahamas last spring for the Easter/Passover Symposium on Yoga and Sacred Healing at Sivananda Ashram. Amy Weintraub (Yoga and Depression) and Joseph and Lilian LePage (Integrative Yoga Therapy) taught them as part of their presentations. This experience convinced me that Yoga Mudras are very effective, simple and profound.
As soon as I got home, I began investigating and practicing Yoga Mudras more and more. One morning I was reading a book on Yoga Mudras by Gutrud Hirschi and it described amazing results and reasons to practice Yoga Mudras. The results sounded too good to be true. Since I was suspicious, I wanted to put it to the test.
Meanwhile, I was suffering from seasonal allergies – my nose was running, my eyes were watery and itchy, and I was sneezing. So I tried Bhramara Mudra. It worked – and quickly too! Naturally I shared this with my yoga students and they also reported positive results too. We were so excited and it convinced us that Yoga Mudras have lots of valuable benefits to offer.
There are Yoga Mudras to help with allergies, feeling calm, lifting energy, headaches, chakra balancing and many more.
So, how can you learn more about yoga mudras for the hands?
1. My next 2 blog posts will show you wonderful mudras to practice. (use the RSS feed so you don’t miss out – it’s up in the right corner of this blog)
2. Attend yoga classes. See my schedule. Let me know if you would like to book me for a workshop.
3. Joseph and Lilian LePage have been studying Yoga Mudras for 10 years to write a book all about them. Their book shows 108 hand gestures along with guided meditations and affirmations. I am honored and excited that they asked me to edit the guided meditations.
by Julie Lusk
Kapalabhati is pronounced KAH-pah-lah-BAH-tee.
The Breath of Fire is a powerful yoga breathing technique that emphasizes a pattern of quick exhalations followed by passive inhalations.
It cleans and purifies the respiratory system, invigorates the vital organs of digestion, and strengthens the nervous system. Due to the swift and sharp exhalations, a shift in pressure occurs in the cerebral spinal fluid. This causes a massaging effect on the brain, enlivening every cell, and creates an “aura’ of light and vitality around the skull. According to yogis, it has a positive influence on both the third and sixth chakras.
The breath of fire is best practiced on an empty stomach. It is not to be practiced if you are pregnant, menstruating or have high blood pressure, recent abdominal surgery, heart disease, severe lung disease, hiatal hernia, or glaucoma. Do not use too much force and be cautious if you have digestive or respiratory problems. If you have questions, please consult a qualified teacher.
Practice three rounds daily.
Come into a comfortable seated position with your spine erect. Take a few deep breaths and relax.
Exhale quickly and completely through the nostrils by contracting (snapping) the abdominal muscles toward the spine. Follow this with a passive inhalation. Repeat this several times slowly. The secret is in the rapid pumping of air out from the lower lobes of the lungs, followed by a passive inhalation that occurs naturally and automatically. The exhalation is active and the inhalation is passive.
To learn the proper amount of effort needed for each exhalation …
by Julie Lusk
Let me share with you the best definition of mindfulness and its benefits that I’ve come across. Diane Poole-Heller shared it with us at the recent NICABM conference.
Mindfulness is the moment to moment awareness of present time, inner and outer experience, with a non-judgmental and
non-evaluative stance.
Research has shown that a mindfulness practice helps develop all 9 functions of the Pre-Frontal Cortex.
Sinking into Sensation, a mindfulness meditation by Julie Lusk, us available on the Power of Presence CD.
Mind-Body Mastery through
Yoga, Meditation, Guided Imagery,
Stress Relief & Wellness
Wholesome Resources is a company that believes stress management, wellness promotion, and mind-body techniques and strategies are indispensable to thrive in today’s world and essential for personal and professional growth. Established in 2000 by Julie Lusk.

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