On this day in history back in 1941 Winston Churchill dubbed the V sign for victory representing our success in World War 2. The sign was then made popular by Nixon representing success and victory of his presidency and then spread like wild fire among baby boomers and hippies protesting the Vietnam War and flashing the sign representing the idea of peace. The sign has stuck around in culture as that same sign of peace and victory with the palm facing outwards. The palm facing inwards means something altogether different in other cultures and we won't waste our time here chatting about that.

In yoga, we put our fingers in certain positions or mudras to ignite certain feelings of peace and other blissful emotions during meditation. The pinky represents water, the ring, earth, the middle, space, the pointer - air and the thumb - fire.

Smiling Buddha Meditation uses the 'Peace' sign but it was invented generations prior to it's cultural popularity by placing the thumb, ring and pinky together, while leaving the pointer and middle to form the peaceful V. The mudra has many names but traditionally it is called Kapitthaka mudra and it begins with the V together on an exhale then apart as you inhale...PEACE. It stimulates the wisdom and emotion aligned with moving out fear and welcoming in success, peace and bliss.

Also dubbed, the fearless meditation, it is a wonderful mudra, time in history and technique to do now that we are moving into the belly of summer when the heat is high.

With that heat comes the fun in the sun, but it also brings up a fire and aggravation in many that is obvious around town.

It's difficult to remain cool when everything around us is heating up making it easy for us to heat up our tempers and disposition.

Breathing deeply and practicing this simple mudra, inhaling to open peace and closing to move out fear. Even if you can't do it physically, remember the idea mentally when you get riled up by emotions that might happen externally in our world outside the yoga mat.

Remember, the middle finger is involved, but perhaps when you are cut off in traffic, you might decide to let the pointer finger join in with your motion to flip someone off with the peace sign instead of, well, just the other finger. Keep the palm facing outwards and you won't let their aggressive energy into your sphere of consciousness, awareness, bliss and peace.

Take that road rager!! and peace be with you.