Meaning of Mudras and Its Importance
26th May 2021 | Author - Aditi
Are you aware of the fact that our hands hold a natural healing power that has been used for hundreds of years for healing various disorders?
The position of our hands can influence the energy of our physical, emotional, and spiritual body. Mudras help to link the brain to the body, soothe pain, stimulate endorphins, change the mood, and increase our energy flow.
What is a Mudra?
To put it simply, a Mudra is a hand gesture that guides the energy flow to specific areas of the brain. There are many types of Mudras designed to bring different benefits, depending on what one specifically needs. They are done in union with breathing to increase the flow of Prana in the body.
By practising it, a connection is developed with the patterns in the brain that influences the reflexes in the different areas. The internal energy is, in turn, balanced and redirected, creating an impression on the sensory organs, tendons and glands veins.
If you are interested in adding this new element to your yoga practice. Read on to understand about Mudras
The practice of yoga mudra facilitates the flow of energy within the body and employing a specific mudra allows practitioners to enter certain states of mind and awaken the five Elements in the body. Mudras done in combination with yoga breathing exercises invigorate the flow of prana within the body, thereby energizing different parts of the body.
The use of mudras, within the practice of yoga, maybe a powerful tool for self-care and empowerment. With yoga, the intention is to draw oneself inward. Mudras allow us to travel inward and recharge our energy levels. The term mudra applies to the use of hand gestures during meditation that carries specific goals of channelling your body’s energy flow.
The word mudra means seal, gesture, or finger posture. With the practice of yoga mudra, we are trying to harness the energy in our hands and to couple it with intention and conscious action.
It is said that these gestures of our fingers and hands give us the ability to directly influence the elemental energies in the body. This allows us to honour our physical body, our emotional body, and even our mental body.
In simple terms, yoga mudras promote the flow of energy within the subtle body and support the journey within. The principle of mudras is that the transfer of energy takes place from a higher level to a lower level.
According to Ayurveda, the human body is made up of five elements: Agni (fire), Vayu (Air), Aakash (space), Prithvi (Earth) and Jal (water).
Under healthy conditions, our body has an optimum balance of these elements. However, imbalance in any one of them negatively affects the body. This ultimately leads to illnesses. When specific mudras are performed, any imbalance in the above stated five elements is restored and the person recovers.
These 5 elements are well represented by the fingers of our hands And, five fingers represent five elements ·
- Thumb represents Fire
- Index finger represents Air
- Middle finger represents Space (ether)
- Ring finger represents Earth
- Little (pinky) finger represents Water
The yoga mudras are hand gesture yoga exercises that aim to bring back the basic balance by guiding the flow of life energy within the body. Depending upon the elements to be balanced, specific yoga mudras are practised.
Now, what is the importance of Mudras?
- Mudras help in improving bodily functions.
- The concentration of mind is achieved by mudras and also to regain the lost energy.
- Deadly diseases like cancer, dementia, insomnia, diabetes, depression and minor diseases of cough and cold, vomiting, deficiency of vitamins and minerals can be taken care of with regular practice of Mudras along with breathing.
- It also stimulates the brain, works on the nervous system, helps in relieving stress, improves concentration and lastly, it gives you a peaceful mind.
Can anybody practice Mudras?
Anyone irrespective of any age, sex, religion can practice Mudra for around 15-30 minutes
Stop if any kind of pain or extra stress is being felt during the performance of mudras.
Mudras are often performed while standing, sitting, walking, praying, studying, reading, TV viewing etc.
Mudras should be through with both hands. Doing on the left side benefits the right portion and vice versa.
The essential principle is that bringing together the tip of any finger with the thumb, brings in self-control, pressing the finger with the thumb reduces the element, touching the base of the finger increases the element of that finger.
It can be done with any undergoing treatment also.
Mudras are often lifesaving if performed at the time of emergency e.g., Apna Vayu Mudra can immediately cure heart attack or stroke.
Vayu Mudra can immediately cure cardiac arrest and gastro entities.
Mudras can be classified into five basic categories
Yogic-According to Gherand Sanhita there are 25 mudras that give yogic accomplishments.
Spiritual-These are beneficial for concentration, knowledge, peace, generate love for humanity than on. These are gyan mudra, Dhyana mudra and Braham Anjali mudra.
Curative-The mudras which are practised in curing diseases, to ward off the foreign elements from the body, to keep the balance of elements in the body falls under this category. These are prana mudra, Apana mudra, Vayu mudra etc.
Religious-The mudras that are practised during the performance of sacred and religious offerings. These are Gyati mudras.
Customary-When practised these are beneficial for self and others. These are namaskar mudra, pranayama mudra
Mudras are done by hands and hands are like the control panel to everything. If done with proper technique, one can do miraculous things with life as they create a subtle reference to the instinctual patterns within the brain and influence the unconscious reflexes in these areas. The inner energy is, in turn, balanced and redirected, affecting change within the sensory organs, glands, veins, and tendons.
