This practice honors the air and ether elements through the tanmantras of touch and sound. Mudras or hand gestures are vehicles for health and healing. At the physical level mudras direct breath and awareness to particular areas of the body, enhancing our awareness and deepening our ability to recognize and respond to the body's messages more easily. Mantras are vehicles for the mind. It is with intentional focus on the repetition of the mantra that the mind begins to shift towards mental clarity and stillness.