Yoga Mudras – People religiously practicing yoga experience life-changing benefits from it. Many focus on twisting and turning their bodies with the practice of various yoga asanas. However, there are only a few that dig deeper into the true meaning of practicing yoga. There are various techniques that you can practice to get the most out of your yoga practice. One of the most beneficial technique is to practice yoga mudras.
Let’s learn a bit about yoga mudras before learning about their various health benefits. Read on.
In simple terms, a yoga mudra is forming certain hand gestures while practicing yoga. Different hand gestures are linked with the flow of energy to different parts of your body or brain.
Moreover, deep breathing is practiced along with the formation of different yoga mudras. Therefore, it develops a connection between your brain and body. Moreover, it gives you control over the unconscious reflexes of your body.
Practicing yoga mudras gives a sudden boost to your overall mood and perception of life. Moreover, it enhances the awareness of your body.
There are eight basic yoga mudras that you can practice daily. Keep reading to know more about different yoga mudras and their benefits.
This yoga mudra is linked with the stimulation of the air element in your body. Gyan mudra is directly linked to the mind. Moreover, it works on your root chakra that leads to the reduction of stress and anxiety. Practicing Gyan mudra increases your concentration and releases stress.
When you practice Gyan mudra, it leads to the production of the pituitary gland. Also, it improves your memory power along with relaxing your nervous system.
The practice of Vayu mudra works on the balance of the air element in your body. Therefore, you feel less restless, uneasy, or anxious. Moreover, it resolves various gastric issues, stomach bloating, sciatica, and much more.
Vayu mudra works wonders for people who have undergone any surgery recently. Moreover, it cures joint pain or arthritis. Touch the tip of your middle and ring finger to your thumb. However, keep your little finger straight.
It is a symbol of life. Prana mudra is a giver of immense energy to the practitioner. Also, its practice gives you health and tremendous energy. Prana mudra creates a balance in the earth and water element in your body. Practicing Prana mudra helps in improving your eyesight. Moreover, it makes you resistant to various diseases. You can practice Prana mudra while fasting to reduce the hunger pans.
Furthermore, Prana mudra’s practice removes mental tension and sleepiness. Also, it enhances immunity and other problems in your body.
In the Hindi language, Shunya means zero or nil. Also known as the mudra of heaven, you can practice this mudra to cure your ear pain. It eliminates the space element from your body. Moreover, people experiencing continuous watering of their eyes can practice this mudra.
Shunya mudra helps in strengthening your bones along with making you immune to various heart problems. You can practice this yoga mudra while practicing meditation to open your heart chakra.
To practice this mudra, fold your middle finger and place it at the base of your thumb. Then, press the tip of your thumb on the first bone of your middle finger. Make sure all the other fingers are straight and relaxed to avoid any tension.
If you are suffering from any digestive issues, Apan mudra is perfect for you. When you practice this mudra, you get relief from constipation, diabetes, and other kidney related ailments. Hence, it deals with the removal of toxins from your body for overall well-being.
Apan mudra helps in the detoxification of your body by improving your digestion. Thus, it minimizes the degree up to which your food remains undigested. Touch your middle and ring finger to your thumb base while keeping your index and little finger straight.
Want to lose weight? If yes, you should practice Surya mudra. Depicted from the name itself, it works on the fire element in your body. Since it has a fire element, it affects your weight loss or gains. Also, it increases your metabolism that leads to better digestion.
To practice Surya mudra, join the tip of your ring finger to your thumb. Keep other fingers relaxed and straightened out. Moreover, it helps you by maintaining the temperature of your body. Surya mudra could be of great help if you experience the coldness of your hands or feet. Also, it heals various digestive problems along with loss of appetite.
You can have smooth skin with the practice of Varun mudra. Moreover, it helps you get rid of your dry skin. You can maintain your water balance with the help of consistent practice of the Varun mudra. Moreover, it maintains a perfect balance of other fluids in your body.
Hence, Varun mudra promotes skin health and heals various skin-related ailments. Practicing Varun mudra relieves you from constipation and other stomach issues. Hence, it leads to better digestion that cleanses your entire body cycle.
If you feel cold, you can practice this yoga mudra to built heat in your body. Moreover, the consistent practice of this yoga mudra helps in controlling your Asthma and cough problems.
To practice this mudra, join your hands and clasp your fingers of one hand into the other hand. From there, keep your right thumb erect.
Chin in the Sanskrit language refers to consciousness. This is a powerful yoga mudra to keep your mind grounded and focused on meditation. The Chin Mudra alleviates negative energies, improves your mood, and helps you connect with the higher self. It is also the most common Mudra practiced during asana, Pranayama, and meditation sessions.
The word Rudra is also one of the names of the Hindu deity Lord Shiva. This yoga mudra helps you get rid of exhaustion, dizziness, and numerous heart-related health issues. In other words, if you want to practice a yoga mudra that offers multiple health benefits, try the Rudra Mudra.
Popular as a symbolic hand gesture in spiritual yoga, the Adi Mudra helps calm down your nervous system and the ever-running mind. It also helps you prepare for advanced Pranayama exercises and improves lung function.
Do you feel like getting away from daily life and unlocking the divine feminine within? Try the Yoni Mudra. This is a powerful yoga mudra to help you disconnect from the outer world and experience true happiness and bliss.
Associated with sexual energy, the Kundalini mudra helps awaken your sexual energy. It unites your masculine and feminine energies. Kundalini mudra is also the holder of a regenerative and creative force inside you.
If you want to rejuvenate your brain with a fresh dose of the energy within your body, do the Agni Mudra. It is quite useful in dealing with problems like asthma, depression, cough, diabetes, stress, cataract, and asthma.
However, you might wonder –
There is a proper analogy that can help you understand how yoga mudras affect your body. Imagine your body as an electrical circuit with energy flowing through several wires, which are your nerves.
These nerves are in turn connected to the different body organs. Moreover, the circuit begins and ends in your hands and feet. By pressing the fingers together during a particular yoga mudra, you are able to stimulate the power supply of this circuit, which is your brain.
Your brain receives the signals to change the pattern of energy flow in your entire body. This is done by regulating the flow of the sacred energy, the Prana.
With that said, yoga experts have come up withcomplete information on how yoga mudra can impact your body and mind.
Both motor and sensory cortexes (the sensitivity system of the brain) cover one-third of the area of your hands. With the correct yoga mudra practice, you can stimulate both these areas of your brain.
Yoga mudras are not just for unlocking the flow of the sacred Prana energy. Bringing awareness to certain parts of your body like the position of your hands and fingers does a lot. It helps ease the pain or other harmful sensations. In the long run, this improves your sense of well-being.
Focusing on your breathing as well as physical and emotional experiences helps produce a relaxation response. Daily practice of Yoga Mudra generates a similar epigenetic response when done in combination with yoga or Pranayama.
The upright position and awareness you carry during Yoga Mudra improves postural control and your breathing pattern. In the long run, this improves autonomic nervous system activity. There are noticeable changes in breathing rate, muscle activity, chest, and belly movement during yoga mudra practice.
Conclusion
In total, there are more than 399 yoga mudras mentioned in different yogic texts. To reap the benefits of Yoga Mudras, you should hold every mudra for at least 15 minutes in one sitting. At the same time, you have to exert gentle pressure between your fingertips. In total, you should practice yoga mudra for at least 45 minutes a day. Do not practice a Yoga Mudra in a single 45-minute session, rather divide it into 3 equal parts of 15 minutes each.
Also Read: Vinyasa Yoga Benefits
FAQs
There is a total of eight basic yoga mudras. You can practice different yoga mudras depending on your goal.