Release Regret with Kali Mudra

I remember this moment of regret so well. It was a warm summer day and I was sitting out in my little “she shed” contemplating life. I was turning 60 and coming face to face with the fact that there was no turning back the clock. I was entering into what Jane Fonda calls “the 3rd act”. I am grateful for my life most of the time, but that day I was hit with the regret that there were things I’d missed out on or didn’t appreciate when I had them.

We all experience regret. Decisions are tough, and sometimes we wonder if we should have turned right instead of left. But holding onto regret simply drags us down. It seems wiser to learn from, and appreciate the decisions we’ve made and feel grateful for where we’ve landed. But that day I was stuck in regret. I knew I needed help to get through it and let regret go. Kali mudra came to the rescue.

You may recall from my last blog, mudras are hand gestures that can bring about mental, emotional and physiological balance. They are easy to do and always right at your fingertips.

If you want to learn more about mudras, I’d love it if you could join me for one of my workshops on mudras.

The Power of Kali mudra

Emotions like regret are strong and hard to shake. Holding on to regret (or other challenging emotions like sorrow, sadness, grief and  shame) lead to stagnation. That day in my shed, I needed a strong mudra. Kali mudra honours the goddess Kali. You don’t want to meet her in a dark alley! She is a powerful goddess that symbolizes death and destruction and I needed her to help me let regret die.

Another way to think about Kali mudra is by its elemental association. Kali Mudra is associated with the elements of air and fire. Air helps to move things while fire transforms. So you can see that air moves out the stagnation of prolonged regret, while fire transforms the wall of stagnation and allows you to find what lies beyond.

The most important aspect of the symbolism of Kali is, that on the other side of destruction is renewal. By destroying stagnation, you are making way for something new; something lighter and more joyous.

Give it a try

The benefits of Kali Mudra include increased energy, a metabolic boost, release of muscular tension, especially around the neck, throat and shoulders and a purification of toxins from not only the body, but the mind.

Since Kali mudra is energizing, it’s better to do this practice in the morning or afternoon.

Kali mudra also happens to be particularly useful in late winter/early spring when, according to the ancient healing tradition of Ayurveda, many of us may have an accumulation of stagnant energy, or “kapha dosha”.

If you are currently suffering from high anxiety and rapid heart rate, another mudra may serve you better at this time.

If you’re ready to give Kali a try, sit in a comfortable position with your spine long and your feet grounded. Bring both hands in front of the chest. Interlace the fingers with the index fingers pointing up and thumbs crossed over. Now simply observe your breath, mind and body.

Notice your breath expanding the chest on the inhales. This shift in breath happens automatically.

Notice a slight quickening of your pulse. (This quickening should feel like excitement or anticipation rather than anxiety. If it feels like anxiety, another mudra will serve you better at this time.)

Feel your upper body expanding and lifting.

Observe the release of tension in the shoulders and neck.

Imagine regret or grief, sorrow, sadness or shame beginning to move out with each exhale.

To make this practice stronger, add an intention, for example:

On exhale: “I release regrets”  or “I release [insert the specific emotion you are ready to release]”

On inhale: “and welcome more joy into my life” or “and welcome [insert what you want instead] into my life.”

For even more oomph, do this mudra and intention with this energizing yoga asana sequence:

Start in mountain pose with Kali mudra in front of you chest. Take a few moments to notice your breath.

On your next exhale say “I release regrets” (or whatever you need to release).

With your hands still in Kali mudra, inhale your arms up overhead and step your right foot forward into Warrior 1 saying “and welcome more joy into my life” (or whatever you want to bring into your life).

Step back into mountain on your exhale and repeat your intention. Repeat on the left and continue this sequence at least three times on each leg.

Finish in mountain pose with both hands together in prayer position at your heart center. Let your breath settle into abdominal breathing, the belly moving away from the spine on the inhale and back towards the spine on the exhale.

Notice the feeling of being more energized and invigorated.

Thank yourself and the powerful goddess Kali.

Photo credit: The mudra image comes from a wonderful deck of cards I use all the time.