Improving Empathy with Yoga, Mudras and Meditation

Empathy is what connects us to others, helps us make friends, have healthy relationships and prosper at work. There are many reasons why people stop feeling empathy for others. They already have too much on their plates to think about other people’s problems, they have been hurt or exploited too many times so they decide to numb out their empathy skills. For some, having empathy for others is hard if you have none for yourself. And others have too much empathy, so they end up losing themselves in other people’s emotions and needs. That’s why it’s important to have a healthy dose of empathy. We spoke about healthy empathy and how to develop it here. Today we want to present you with easy to do yoga poses, mudras and meditation techniques that can boost and stabilize your empathy levels. 

To develop empathy with yoga, practice the following mudras, poses and meditation techniques:

• Mudras: Rudra mudra, Ahamkara Mudra, Prana Mudra, Karuna Mudra, the Anjali Mudra, the Lotus Mudra, the Abhaya Hridaya Mudra, the Ganesha mudra, the Apan Vayu mudra
• Asanas for opening the heart
• Asanas for grounding and stabilizing yourself
• Meditation techniques: Tonglen, Metta (loving kindness), Bija Mantra

Yoga for Empathy – Our Research

We did a little survey with 30 yoga teachers to see how they learn and teach empathy through yoga. Here are the answers we got:

Mudras for Increasing and Stabilizing Empathy

For each of the mudras, take a look at their meaning and purpose and meditate on this as you do them. You can also come up with an affirmation that suits the mudra’s purpose and meditate on this. Mudras can have an instant effect. But for the best results, do them for 10-15 minutes each day. What’s convenient about mudras is that you can do them anywhere, any time – on the bus, park bench, while watching TV and so on. Of course it’s always better to be focused on the mudra alone to increase its effect. 

The Rudra Mudra

The Rudra Mudra is associated with the earth element, i.e. grounding. It helps us practice proactive and caring behaviors rather than be reactive to what goes on around us. The tips of index fingers and ring fingers should touch the top of the thumb while the middle fingers and pinkies are extended. 

The Ahamkara Mudra

Helps to develop personal boundaries and protects us from unwanted connections. Place the top of the thumbs on the outer sides of index fingers. Extended other fingers.

The Prana Mudra

Helps to feel safe and grounded. It enables us to remain centered no matter what happens around us. When we are not affected or destabilized by things around us, it is easier to extend empathy. Place the top of your thumbs on your ring fingers and pinkies. Extend and connect the index and middle fingers.

The Karuna Mudra

Karuna means ‘compassion’ and it helps to open your heart. Left hand faces your heart and the right one goes out, towards the world. Place the left fingertips at the base of the right fingers. Cup the hands and hold them in front of your heart. 

The Anjali Mudra

Also known as ‘prayer mudra’, this one is great for centering, opening the heart, developing gratitude and connection to oneself. It also balances the two brain hemispheres and the masculine and feminine energy in ourselves. 

Keep the spine straight and tuck the chin a bit. Connect the palms in front of your heart and hold them there. The thumbs should touch the sternum, and the elbows should be in one line with the wrists. Bring the shoulder blades down and open the chest a bit more. 

The Lotus Mudra

It opens the heart and grounds us at the same time. Bring your palms together. Then connect the thumbs and pinkies and open the hands into a shape of the lotus flower.

The Abhaya Hridaya Mudra

Abhaya Hridaya means ‘fearless heart’. It helps us keep our heart open even when we are afraid to do that. Place your right wrist in front of the left one and connect the back of the palms. Then, interlock the little, middle, and index fingers. Lastly, the tip of the ring finger and thumb should touch. Hold this position at the heart level. 

The Ganesha Mudra

Helps to remove the obstacles that prevent your heart from opening up. Bring the back of the left hand in front of your heart space. The thumb should be pointing down. Place the right palm in front of the left hand, so that the thumb faces upward. Now lock the fingers together – place the tips of each hand’s fingers into the middle of the opposite hand’s fingers. Wrap the thumbs around the hands. Next, pull the hands out. You can also pull and release, pull and release. Lastly, switch the hands and repeat.

The Apan Vayu Mudra

This mudra helps to keep our heart healthy. It naturally cleans out whatever needs to be released from your heart center that is preventing it from opening fully. To do it, place your hands on your thighs, palms facing up. Middle and ring fingers should touch the tip of the thumb. Index fingers should touch the base of the thumbs, while the pinkies are extended.

For other mudras and learning about which ailments they can help with, check our article Yoga Mudras For Beginners. And to know which mudras open and balance specific chakras, head over here.

Meditation Techniques for Increasing Empathy

We’ve covered the yoga mudras for increasing empathy, now let’s look at meditation techniques. You can always combine the two:

Metta (Loving Kindness) Meditation

This one is really good for marriage and relationships of any kind. Whether it’s your boss that annoys you or a friend that let you down, this meditation can help. It’s very popular and powerful.

• Begin by taking a comfortable meditation position and close your eyes. 
• Starting with the feet, feel and relax all your body parts. 
• Then notice each breath as it comes and goes. Allow the breath to become deeper and even more relaxing. 
• Now, visualize yourself and say to yourself: “1. May I be happy. 2. May I be healthy. 3. May I be well.”
• Next, visualize someone you love. In your mind say to this person: “1. May you be happy. 2. May you be healthy. 3. May you be well.”
• Now, visualize someone you feel neutral about. It could be a person who works at your bank or someone you cross paths with as you go through your day. In your mind, repeat the same phrases to them.
• Then, visualize someone you have a conflict with. Say the same phrases to this person in your mind.
• Lastly, visualize the whole world and all the people in it. Say these phrases to the world.
• When you are ready, open your eyes and carry this feeling of loving kindness with you into your day. 

Tonglen Meditation

Try it out and see how you are afterwards:

• Being in the same way as with the Loving Kindness meditation: take up a comfortable meditation position, scan and relax all your body parts starting from the feet and going up to the top of the head. Next, notice the breath and allow the breath to deepen and calm you down. 
• As you breathe in, you are aware that you are breathing in. As you breathe out, you are conscious that you are breathing out. 
• Now, think of someone you love. It could be your, your dog, your mom or anybody else. Connect your intention with your breath. As you inhale, breathe in a smoky air of this person’s negativity and suffering into your heart. In there, transform it into light and breathe out compassion for this person into the world. Breathe out your intention for this person to be well. 
• Keep doing this for as many people as you wish. You can do it for the whole world as well. 
• Lastly, stay in the space of open meditation. Marinate in the state and the feelings you’ve created for a few more minutes.

Bija Mantra Meditation

• Sit for a few minutes doing what you did with the previous meditations: scan the body, focus on the breath and relax. 
• Then, move your awareness to the heart center. Stay there for a bit. 
• Now, start repeating inwardly or out loud the sound yam, which is pronounced ‘yum’. Feel the vibrations of this bija mantra in your heart space. Feel pleasant feelings and sensations flowing through your heart.

Yoga Poses for Increasing Empathy

To boost empathy with yoga it’s best to combine heart openers with grounding and stabilizing poses. Here is the list of recommended poses. You can introduce some of them into your practice or do them all using the sequences we provided below:

Yoga Sequences for Increasing Empathy

We’ve created 2 sequences for you to try. One is easier and more gentle, while the other one is more physically demanding. Take your pick! 

Easy and Gentle

1. Apanasana (Knees to chest pose)
2. Supta Badda Konasana (Reclined bound angle pose)
3. Viparita Karani (Legs up the wall)
4. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Supported Bridge Pose)
5. Mountain pose with elephant arms
6. Sun Salutation variation with crescent low lunge
7. Crescent low lunge
8. Low lunge with reverse prayer hands
9. Half splits with airplane arms
10. Staff pose with arms raised
11. Cow face
12. Half lotus pose with arms interlocked behind the head
13. Pushing the wall pose
14. Balasana (Child’s pose)
15. Rabbit pose
16. Anahatasana (Heart Melting Pose)
17. Sphinx pose
18. Restorative Heart Opener
19. Supported Savasana

Advanced

1. Mountain pose with Anjali mudra
2. Mountain pose with reverse prayer hands and a twist
3. One legged mountain pose with a side bend
4. Palm Tree pose
5. Palm Tree pose with side bend
6. Eagle pose
7. Dancer pose
8. Goddess pose
9. Triangle pose
10. Half Pyramid Pose with airplane hands behind
11. Warrior 2
12. Extended side angle
13. Humble Warrior pose
14. Warrior 2
15. Wide-Angle Standing Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana) with clasped hands behind the back
16. Half moon 
17. One handed three legged Downward Facing Dog
18. Half Frog Pose
19. Upward Facing Dog
20. Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow Pose)
21. Locust Pose
22. Fish Pose
23. Wheel Pose
24. Upward Facing Two-Foot Staff Pose
25. Heart centered Shavasana

Conclusion: Increase Your Empathy for a Better and More Connected Life

In a world where people are growing more and more apart, having a well-grounded empathy is rare. Could you imagine what life would be like for you if you were this person? Only one way to find out! Do a test: increase your levels of healthy empathy and see what changes for you and others around you.

Tatjana Glogovac, Senior Contributor At L’Aquila Active

Learn more about Tatjana by reading her bio below.

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