Heart of the Village Yoga

Counting on the fingers is an ancient Indian ritual used for breathing exercises and meditation. One does so by placing the thumb in various positions each time we breathe in. Move the thumb around the knuckles in a circular manner. See the diagram below. Doing so, you take 12 compete breaths. Consider that one round. You can keep track of your rounds with your other hand. When sitting down to meditate, I like to breathe 10 rounds of 12.

When accessing this method to calm down, become centered and grounded anywhere, anytime, one complete round of 12 breaths can be practiced. Don’t worry if you lose count as you go around. Just begin again.

If you can, practice this hand counting meditation every morning when you get up. If successful there, you may add it into your day at noontime and before bed. Set realistic goals. Start slowly. Soon you will be accessing your breath on a regular basis to achieve equanimity.

Click here to download a PDF of Hand Counting Medication Practice