The Tree in the Midst: A Contribution to the Study of Freedom (1904)

One way that all of us can better care for ourselves is by developing techniques for coping

with the irritations and anxiety that are part of life. That’s why we’re introducing this book on mudras.

Think of these gestures as self-talk for your hands. These simple movements, the gestures

that we often make unconsciously, can help us focus on our work, calm ourselves, release anger and energize us. Used for centuries by many different cultures, mudras are seen in Eastern dance and meditation, in ancient Egyptian friezes, even in Byzantine icons of Christ. Most of us use them today, too: we wave goodbye, we press a hand to our chest in

distress, we wriggle our fingers to release energy, or press fingertips together to calm ourselves.

Easy to learn, mudras can be done anywhere, at any time: at traffic lights, in meetings, in

airplanes, when we’re arguing, when we’re grieving, when we need to prepare for sleep. The word mudra can be translated from the Sanskrit as that which brings in