My grandma told me how she used to work in an office in New York with a blind woman. This coworker liked to sit in her office chair with her hands on her lap, palms turned up toward the ceiling.
When my grandmother asked her why she sat like that, the woman answered that it was a gesture of acceptance. My grandmother was a pretty tough cookie, but this really made her feel, and retell the story to me, long before I was a yoga teacher.
If you would like to try, sit tall and close your eyes. Place your hands on your thighs, palms facing up. Imagine one small bird resting on each upturned palm. Take a few breaths and under your closed eyes imagine the color of the bird's feathers and the delicacy of their faces. Now imagine the small birds gently flying up and away, leaving your hands as light as their feathers were.
Stay for as long as you like and breathe.
I think my Grandma would approve :)
