The Curative Powers of Mudras - Yoga

Mudras are Yogic hand gestures. These gestures have immense curative and remedial value, they are a part of the preventive form of treatment, help de-stress and unwind, and are very effective tools for mind control to facilitate and encourage meditation, and gradually lead you onto the course of spiritual healing.
Yoga espouses the belief, that the hand, and the fingers when placed in a certain positions, and help for prescribed periods every day, direct or govern the vital force within our body, bringing it to balance and equilibrium.
Spiritual and Eastern sciences believe that there are five principle elements that are represented in our five fingers, i.e., earth, water, air, fire, and ether. The hand positionings/Mudras, use this knowledge to enhance a particular desired element, to cause cure and allay disease.
How will Mudras benefit you?

• Mudras bring about miraculous changes and improvements in the body.
• They have the power to generate peace, stillness, and happiness.
• At a subtle level, the Mudras help us awaken to self actualization and spiritualism.
• Regular following of this Yogic practice will banish feelings of anxiety, restlessness, worry, fear, irritability, and peevishness, and suffuse you with peace.
• Mudras act on the entire body - mind - soul complex.

There are a host of hand gestures which will benefit you. You could begin with one of the many, and see which one works best for you. Shankh Mudra, Rudra Mudra, Apan Mudra, Prana Mudra, Shakti Mudra are some of the powerful hand gestures which exert significant therapeutic value.

Mudras For Good Health

We present some brilliant, very effective and simple mudras, which you can practice anytime and anywhere:

• GYAN MUDRA – This is one of the most important mudras. It is widely used in all yogic meditation practices. Join the tip of forefinger to the tip of the thumb. Hold together gently for at least 15-30 minutes.

Advantages

• Increases intelligence and wisdom
• Purifies the mind of the practitioner
• Cures many mental problems
• Makes one joyful
• Cures intoxication and addictive habits

• PURN GYAN MUDRA – This mudra is known as the mudra of Lord Buddha, since it was propagated by him. Sit cross-legged. Keep both hands in ‘Gyan Mudra’ Posture. Now keep right hand near chest region. Keep left hand near knee region.

Advantages

• Clears the aura in the subtle astral body
• Causes electrical changes in the electromagnetic activity of the brain leading to increased clarity and understanding
• Improves memory to a great extent
• Soothes irritable temperaments
• Improves intelligence and wisdom

• ABHAYA MUDRA – This is normally practiced after Gayatri Mantra recitation. Raise both your hands to the sides of your head. Touch the forefinger to tip of thumb (just as you do in Gyan Mudra). Hold the hand vertically straight by the sides.

Advantages
• Makes your mind fearless
• Gives you a feeling of courage and strength

• DHYAAN MUDRA – Sit cross-legged. Place hands in Gyan Mudra, on your lap. Right palm should rest above left palm in Gyan mudra

Advantages
• Makes you tremendously peaceful and tranquil
• Helps in increasing concentration powers
• Cures depression and other mental ailments
• Practitioner can experience the final state of eternal yogic bliss

• PRITHVI MUDRA – Touch the fore part of third finger (ring finger) to the tip of thumb.

Advantages
• Helps balance the earth element in the body
• Normalizes body equilibrium
• Makes you physically stronger
• Increases tolerance and patience
• Helps practitioners of spiritual meditation

• VARUN MUDRA – Touch the fore part of the smallest finger to the fore part of thumb.

Advantages
• Regular practice balances water element in body
• Improves physical appearance
• Decreases dryness in skin and body

• VAYU MUDRA – Fold the index finger (fore finger) on the base of thumb. Press the forefinger gently on the pad. Keep the other fingers away.

Advantages

• Helps in all nervous ailments
• Improves balance of air element in body
• Helpful in pains and aches
• Recommended for patients of Cerebral Palsy and Parkinson’s ailments.

• PRAN MUDRA – Touch fore part of third (ring) finger and tip of fourth (little) finger to fore part of thumb.
Advantages

• Reduces body fatigue and thus energizing the whole body
• Improves eyesight
• Optimizes the circulation of the life current throughout the body

• MRITSANJIVINI MUDRA – Fold the index finger (fore finger) on the base of thumb. Press the forefinger gently on the pad. Touch the fore part of third (biggest) finger and fore part of fourth (ring) finger to the fore part of thumb.
Advantages

• Makes the heart stronger
• Very useful for people with heart ailments
• Helps normalize blood pressure
• Increases self-confidence

• SURYA MUDRA – Touch the third (ring) finger to the base of thumb. Press the thumb gently over this third (ring) finger. Keep the other fingers away.
Advantages
• Decreases Earth element in body
• Cures mental heaviness
• Reduces body fat
• Enhances weight loss

Pranayama And Meditation

Pranayama is a traditional system of yogic breathing exercises. Pranayama can be practiced on its own or as a preparation for other meditation exercises. the aim of pranayama is to control our breathing and thus help to control our thoughts. If we practice pranayama in the correct way, we can bring peace and purity into our inner system. If we practice pranayama sincerely it can help improve our concentration and improve our physical health.
Prana means life breath. Yama means control. Pranayama is the systematic effort to regulate our breathing. when practising pranayama it is essential that we avoid harbouring negative, impure thoughts. If during pranayama we have a sense of anger, frustration or ego then our pranayama exercises will not be of any benefit. In fact it may magnify these undivine qualities. Therefore when practising pranayama we should make an effort to keep our mind completely still and quite. If you like when practising pranayama you can repeat the name of God, in whatever form we like best.
In pranayama there are three basic stages of systematic breathing. the first stage is inhalation; this is called puraka. the second is retention, where we hold our breath; this is called kumbhaka. the final stage is exhalation; this is called rechaka. when we breathe in we can repeat silently puraka. when exhaling we can repeat like a mantra kumbhaka.
The yogic systems suggest when practising pranayama to try this basic 1 – 4 – 2 exercise. We breathe in for 1 count. We then hold our breathe for 4 counts. Our exhalation should then last for a count of 2. Rather than using numbers it is best to repeat a mantra, either puraka and kumbhaka, or the name of God that inspires us.
When doing this exercise there are some important things to remember:
1.Our breathing should be natural and gentle. If somebody placed a feather in front of our nose, the feather would barely move. We should never do anything that places strain on our breathing organs. This can damage our health.
2.when practising pranayama we should not feel it is a mechanical exercise. We should feel we are invoking the quality of purity and peace with each inhalation.
If you simply count the numbers-one-four-two-you do not get any vibration, any inner feeling. But when you say the name of God, immediately God’s divine qualities-Purity, Peace, Love, Bliss and many others-enter into you.
3.In the beginning we should not overdo our breathing exercises. It is more important to do them sincerely for a short time rather than overly long. A good time is 15 minutes in the morning and evening. when we have become proficient we can increase the length of time we spend in pranayama.

Mudra set for balancing energy

 

Dr.Suresh DHSM,DYNC,DMT,D.ACU,Dr.Ac,FRHS,Phd.,

Email:bksureshv@gmail.com

Mudra set for balancing energy

Set of four mudras for balancing energy that are used in a sequence.
Alternately touch the tips of each finger with the tip of your thumb. Keep each connected for a few seconds or longer and do for a few minutes total. Do this with both hands simultaneously.

This is a simple way of balancing your energy that you can do almost anywhere, while sitting, standing, walking, lying down.
The overall effect is that you get calmer, more relaxed and concentrated.
The separate mudras (hand positions) have the following effects:

Thumb touches tip of index finger
Opens the Root chakra, and moves more energy to the legs and lower body. Makes one calmer and more concentrated.
Thumb touches tip of middle finger
Fosters patience.
Thumb touches tip of ring finger
Energy, stability and self-confidence.
Thumb touches tip of pinky finger
Intuition and feeling.

(This set is a simplified version of a Kundalini yoga exercise.)