Mudras
Directing the flow of energy in your body for amazing results.
Mudras are positions of the body that have some kind of influence on the energies of the body, or your mood.
Mostly the hands and fingers are held in some position, but the whole body may be part of the mudra as well.
The most well-known mudras are probably the ones performed while meditating.
" When I broke all the bones in my wrist and arm, mudras and chanting were my absolute saviours!
Since then I’ve never looked back. "
Mudras - a series of hand gestures and movements – are portions of the body that influence your body and/or mood.Mudras have been used for thousands of years and they have a balancing effect on the five elements.
It is said that at least 20 mudras within 20 – 40 minutes can help you balance the elements inside.
I absolutely love mudras and I teach and practice various hand gestures in all my classes.
Hand gestures are for meditation, pranayama and asana practice and help direct the flow of the energy into our body, with various techniques that stimulate areas of the brain.
Every hand gesture is different – and all have their own connection towards different energies in the body and mind.
When I was introduced to mudras, I it took me a while to digest how connecting your fingers, and/or wrists, to form shapes was going to help in any way.
I wasn’t sold at first. Then I decided to study the subject and, by using mudras for longer periods of time I found it useful.
The Jnana Mudra
The word Jnan means wisdom or knowledge and Jnana is the gesture of intuitive knowledge. Chin Mudra – on the other hand is derived from the word chit or Chita which means consciousness.
Try to follow this Mudra to get the feel of the practice:
- Turn your palm up
- Use the thumb and first finger and press skin to skin together
- Extend the other 3 fingers out facing to heaven.
- Sit in easy, seated pose on the floor, chair or bed.
- Place hands into the gesture then onto the thighs
- Make sure you’re comfortable and try to remain in the mudra for at least 20 minutes.
Effects and benefits
- Helps with the nervous system
- Cures insomnia
- Stabilises your mind
- Increases energy and stamina
- Relieves stress and unnecessary tension in the body
- Improves and increases concentration, even during meditation.
There many more mudras for things like: healing, mind, body and spirit, constipation, lethargy, stress, removal of obstacles, elimination, assimilation. The list is endless.
What balances these energies in the hands to connect to the body, mind and brain are the five elements:
- Fire (thumb)
- Air (index finger)
- Space (middle finger)
- Earth (ring finger)
- Water (little finger)
